Freediving
There are also a range of "competitive apnea" disciplines; in which competitors attempt to attain great depths, times, or distances on a single breath.[1][2][3] In ancient times freediving without the aid of mechanical devices was the only possibility, with the exception of the occasional use of reeds and leather breathing bladders.Freediving was practiced in ancient cultures to gather food, harvest resources such as sponge and pearl, reclaim sunken valuables, and to help aid military campaigns.By using weights (skandalopetra) of as much as 15 kilograms (33 lb) to speed the descent, breath-holding divers would descend to depths up to 30 metres (98 ft) to collect sponges.Defenses against sea vessels were often created, such as underwater barricades, and hence divers were often used to scout out the seabed when ships were approaching an enemy harbor.[12] A fragment of Isidore of Charax's Parthian itinerary was preserved in Athenaeus's 3rd-century Sophists at Dinner, recording freediving for pearls around an island in the Persian Gulf.At times, the largest pearls belonged by law to the sultan, and selling them could result in the death penalty for the seller.[20][21][22][23] Competitive spearfishing is defined by the world governing body CMAS as "the hunting and capture of fish underwater without the aid of artificial breathing devices, using gear that depends entirely on the physical strength of the competitor."Synchronized swimming demands advanced water skills, and requires great strength, endurance, flexibility, grace, artistry and precise timing, as well as exceptional breath control when upside down underwater.[26] Underwater hockey is now played worldwide, governed by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS).The goal of the game is to manoeuvre (by carrying and passing) a slightly negatively buoyant ball from one side of a pool to the other by players who are completely submerged underwater.Variations include using a toy rubber torpedo as the ball, and weighing down buckets to rest on the bottom and serve as goals.During a match, two teams try to score a negatively buoyant ball (filled with saltwater) into the opponents’ goal at the bottom of a swimming pool.It originated from within the physical fitness training regime existing in German diving clubs during the early 1960s and has little in common with rugby football except for the name.Competitive freediving is currently governed by two world associations: AIDA International[29] and Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS).Following the deaths of two freedivers in competitions, AIDA has a system set up for monitoring and if necessary, recovering competitors who lose consciousness underwater.The best no limits result is 253.2m by Herbert Nitsch in 2012; his intention of having the dive sanctioned by AIDA fell through due to a sponsoring conflict.As of 25 February 2018[update]: Freediving as a recreational activity is widely practiced and differs significantly from scuba diving.The Bajau, or “Sea Nomads,” have engaged in freediving for thousands of years, and natural selection has led to larger spleen sizes.In an interview on the radio talk show Fresh Air, journalist James Nestor, author of the book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art,[56] stated: "Some divers have a lung capacity of 14 liters, which is about double the size for a typical adult male.[citation needed] This form of training is good for accustoming muscles to work under anaerobic conditions, and for tolerance to carbon dioxide build-up in the circulation.[clarification needed] Failing to respond to physiological warning signals, or crossing the mental barrier by strong will, may lead to blackout underwater or on reaching the surface.[citation needed] Due to the nature of the sport, the risks of freediving can be reduced by strict adherence to safety measures as an integral part of the activity, but cannot be eliminated.[citation needed] Nicholas Mevoli, a diver from New York died on 17 November 2013 after losing consciousness on surfacing from a 3-minute 38 second dive to a depth of 72 metres (236 ft) during an official record attempt in the "constant weight without fins" event.
underwater divingbreath-holdingscuba gearbreath-holdtraditional fishingspearfishingphotographysynchronised swimmingunderwater footballunderwater rugbyunderwater hockeyunderwater target shootingsnorkelingscuba divingsurface supplied divingSponge divingPearl huntingpearl diverancient culturesgather foodspongereclaim sunken valuablesmilitary campaignsKalymnosdiving for spongesskandalopetrared coralMediterraneanshipwrecksbarricadesPeloponnesian WarblockadesSiege of TyreAlexanderama diversPersian GulfRed SeaGulf of MannarSri LankaIsidore of CharaxParthianAthenaeusSophists at DinnerPhilippinesSulu ArchipelagoNative AmericansTennesseeMississippiCaribbeanCentralSouth AmericaDottie Frazierfishingspeargunsfree-divingsnorkellingby-catchabaloneSynchronized swimmingswimminggymnasticsFINA World Aquatics competitionsthe 16th 2015 championships in KazanUnited Kingdomcontact sporthockey puckswimming poolhockey stickEnglandSouthseaConfédération Mondiale des Activités SubaquatiquesUnderwater Hockey World ChampionshipCanadaapartheidunderwater sportsnorkelcarryingpassingnegatively buoyantunderwaterScoringAlbertaManitobaNewfoundland and LabradorSaskatchewanspeargunfree divingFranceEuropeAIDA InternationalGuinnessSkandalopetra divingmonofinbifinsConstant weight apneaConstant weight bi-finsConstant weight without finsDynamic apneaFree immersion apneaNo-limits apneaStatic apneaAlessia ZecchiniAlexey MolchanovTanya StreeterKateryna SadurskaWilliam WinramŞahika ErcümenKarol MeyerStéphane MifsudHyèresNatalia MolchanovaBelgradeViennaMoscowDean's Blue HoleCamotes IslandWilliam TrubridgeNanja van den BroekSharm el-SheikhHerbert NitschSantoriniTurks and CaicosGoran ČolakJohanna NordbladBlue Holerebreathers