Fundamentals and technique of freediving. Freediving - what is it?

How much disturbing romance in the underwater world! It is full of unknown, mysterious, as well as human body. Freediving is an immersion with the help of which a person learns his own beyond possibilities. Many, looking at the athletes from the shore, are amazed at their skills. In fact, there is nothing complicated: freedivers use their own mechanisms. Diving mammals - so they christened themselves. Different things inspire to engage in this sport: someone wants to know the underwater world, someone wants to learn to believe in yourself, someone became cramped in another kind of sport. People learn and improve their whole lives, because the technique of freediving is based on the physiological characteristics of the organism.

What is freediving?

What kind of freediving is it? What is it? This is a special kind of depth dive, based solely on the delay of breathing. In fact, the internal resources of a particular person are used. Using special techniques, the freediver swimmer accumulates enough oxygen to suck in and out.

The prefix "fri" ("freedom") in this word is ambiguous - this is a whole philosophy. Freediver receives a lot of freedoms: from the accumulation of equipment, from certain frames (the depth of the dive is chosen arbitrarily by the swimmer), but the main thing is the freedom of spirit that a person feels while inside the water element. There are many freedivers among the freedivers who are engaged in yoga: the philosophy of freedom is too similar to everyday life and to know oneself spiritually and physically.

A bit of history

This sport has a rich history, numbering hundreds of years. For the first time, its principles began to be used by divers for pearls in Japan, diving breathing exercises and soldiers of Ancient Greece and Rome used to conduct sabotage on enemy ships. People living in the coastal areas of warm seas, often practice this type of diving so far. Some with applied and household purposes, others - in order to entertain tourists.

In the 20th century, the concept of "freediving" came into use. What it is, the basic principles were described at the same time. Paradoxically, the emergence of this sport is associated with the invention of an aqualung. It was a kind of alternative to diving with equipment. Raimondo Boucher was the first to apply this very concept of "freediving" - the record of immersion, the first of its kind, he performed on the dispute, having gone underwater immediately by 30 meters.

This incident was so exciting to the public that they immediately began to try to beat the record to Bush. Thus, the beginning of the competitive direction in freediving was initiated.

Varieties

At the moment, there are three directions of diving on respiratory arrest.

1. Athletic freediving. What it is? This is called the use of discipline to establish new records. This constant striving forward, participation in competitions, obtaining qualifications and passing standards.
2. Recreational freediving is amateur. They are engaged in those who simply like to dive into the underwater world, to observe its beauties. This type of freediving is not devoid of a competitive vein, just the motivation is different: the longer you can hold your breath - the more you will see in the water column.
3. Commercial freediving - what is it? This is the youngest species. It is connected with financial gain: they are instructors training freediving, guides accompanying swimmers in dives, or those who dive for sea souvenirs (corals, shells, pearls).

Contraindications

With all its charm, freediving, the photo of which is presented in the article, is an extreme sport, that is why there are a number of contraindications to doing it. Along with strict restrictions, there is a category of diseases and conditions in which employment in this sport is undesirable (there is no strict prohibition).

Before you come to the first lesson with freediving, you need to visit a surgeon, laura, dentist, cardiologist, ophthalmologist, neurologist, to know the peculiarities of your blood pressure. If you discover the following diseases, freediving is prohibited:

• Mental disorders;
• Chronic and mechanical damage to the respiratory system;
• Neoplasms of any genesis and character;
• Diseases of the heart and its vessels (aorta, valve);
• Ear disease;
• Asthmatic diseases.

Conditions in which it is worthwhile to think about classes with freediving (there are no strict limitations):

• Hypertension and blood diseases;
• Low hemoglobin;
• Menstruation or pregnancy;
• Chronic diseases of internal organs;
• The absence of a limb or a violation of its function;
• Runny nose.

If you feel tired, malaise, weak, or suspect that you are sick - it is not worth diving.

Physiological basis: four necessary reflexes

What is the basis for freediving? The holding of breath under water is built on four physiological whales.

• Laryngospasm. Our breathing system is designed in such a way that it does not allow us to breathe as soon as the person is submerged in water. If suddenly underwater a fainter happens to swoon - he does not swallow water. Usually it is lifted to the surface and blowing on the face - breathing immediately normalizes.

• Vasoconstriction . Another miracle feature associated with the narrowing of the vessels, as soon as the human body is in the water. Thus, the freediver has less heat and energy lost.
• Blood shift. Allows you to sink to incredible depths of more than 100 meters. The point is that when the freediver reaches a level of 40 meters, his blood miraculously begins to circulate through a small circle, supplying the vital heart, lungs and brain. This helps reduce oxygen consumption.
• Bradycardia . It is associated with the slowing down of the heart rhythm under water. And you do not need to immerse the entire body, but just enough to lower your face. The world record of freediving is slowing down the blows to 6 per minute. This principle works provided that the person is completely relaxed and did not use before dives liters of caffeinated drinks.

Required skills

Beginners often ask the question: what needs to be trained in order to understand the basics of freediving? This sport is associated with the work on multiple muscles and body systems. Let's analyze the main.

• Technics of swimming. It depends on this, how fast and energetically you can move underwater.

• It is necessary to be able to "blown out". By this term, experienced divers and freedivers call alignment of the intra-arterial pressure. This is necessary to ensure that the depths, even small, do not tear the eardrums. Because the water pressure acts on them.
• Breath. It is necessary to train your lungs as much as possible to fill with air. Yoga techniques are good in this.
• Purification of consciousness is another skill that yoga will help to master. Plunging on the delay of breathing, you need to completely abstract from anxiety, just empty. The brain should be deprived of any emotions, be in a state of relaxation. Then there will be enough air for a long time.
• Body. Exercising the muscular system is also important for proper oxygen consumption. The physical form helps not to spend extra energy on efforts under water, which helps to consume oxygen less.

Equipment: suit

Equipment - this is what determines not only your comfort under water. Sometimes life can depend on him. It is necessary to check the performance and integrity of the equipment before each dive. The first thing we'll talk about is a suit.

What you put on yourself during the dive, oddly enough, will help or save, or waste your breath. How to choose a really high-quality costume? Now, for underwater sports, special neoprene suits are offered. The choice should depend on the depth and temperature of the water in which you plan to dive. For warm and tropical waters, the lightest suits will suit.

A good suit is elastic and dense at the same time. He should not restrain movement and be a good defense against the unpleasantness of underwater flora and fauna (corals, sea urchins, stingrays and other dangerous inhabitants).

Take care of the protection of the head and legs. Get a helmet (if it is not in the suit) and coral slippers or socks, otherwise the fins will rub, and the feet above the feet will not be protected. Women with long hair and bangs can provide a bandage on the head, which will not allow the hairdress to interfere with visibility.

Correct fins

When choosing fins, pay attention to their length and stiffness. Optimal length, allowing you to quickly move under water - 90 cm with a blade from 70 to 90 cm. It is desirable that the fins consisted of different levels of rigidity: this will make the movement under water very comfortable.

When picking up fins, note that they will be worn on a sock or boots, therefore, you need a stock by the size.

Make these devices from carbon fiber - this is the newest material, the most comfortable to use, but fragile. Optimum - fiberglass. By ergonomic indicators, it is not inferior to carbon fiber, but more durable. The most unsuccessful material of fins for freediving is thermoplastic. The flipper must have a back.

Tube and mask

Our eyes are arranged in such a way that we can clearly see objects in the water only having an air space between the thickness and eyes. This will help the mask. It must be chosen, guided by the following principles:

1. Determine the appropriate volume for the mask: this will help optimally use the air for its purging.
2. Glass must be hardened.
3. It is easy for you to check the suitability of a mask: fix it on your face without putting on air and draw your nose. If the mask will hold, when you release your hands - it suits you completely. However, the comfort of use can only be said after a dive.
4. Prefer masks of opaque materials: they will not blink in the side sun.
5. People with myopia can use a mask with diopters.
6. Choose the tube follows the simplest, without unnecessary bends, valves and a long length. The most optimal one is anatomical, not more than 40 cm long and with a bright tip.
7. It is strictly forbidden to dive in the glasses for swimming: the pressure arising at the depth will damage the vessels in the eyes. The diver's mask is not a distress signal: do not remove it from the water.

Other equipment

Also, for freediving, you will need a belt with loads to establish the necessary buoyancy. What you should pay attention to this item is the clasp. The belt should be easily removed - this can save lives.

A dive computer clock will show the depth, water temperature and your diving time. This is a mandatory attribute for those who work on a freediving record.

That you could find rescuers or a dive boat in a strong current, you need a bright buoy. It is also necessary for resting divers, helping with accidents. A cable is attached to it.

Underwater lantern and a knife. As divers say, the latter can be used once, but it will save the life. Often divers are entangled in algae and fishing nets.

Risks and injuries

People who are in a hurry to establish their personal freediving record, often put their lives and health in grave danger. Because of mistakes, haste and fussiness, you can get the following injuries:

1. Decompression disease. Freedivers are rarely affected by it, but it occurs with frequent immersions to great depths. This disease is associated with the fact that in the blood under the action of accumulated gases, vesicles are formed, which do not allow feeding the organs.
2. Various barotrauma. They are obtained because of the differences in pressure within the human body and the thickness of the water.
3. Loss of consciousness caused by hypoxia.
4. Muscle failure due to the onset of oxygen starvation. The freedivers are called "samba".