Freediving ~ Extreme Sport or Recreational Activity?
Freediving, also known as breath-hold diving, is essentially an advanced form of snorkeling. Anyone who is comfortable in the water can learn how to freedive, and Cozumel reefs are the perfect spot for a relaxing, leisurely drift in the Caribbean Sea.
While many people associate "freediving" to the extreme competitive sport, it can also easily be practiced more as a recreational activity. With a few guidelines, even beginners can enhance their snorkel experience by freediving down to get closer views of the reefs. It is important that anyone looking to practice breath-hold while snorkeling is keen to safety techinques and understands the importance of proper training and supervision.
Freediving Instructors International Level 1 Freediver course:
Instructional course on land, wet practice in shallow water of breath-hold techniques, open water dive session; 1 1/2 day course.
While it may seem crazy that we as land-dwellers are capable of enduring a dive to depth without air, what makes it possible is the same mammalian diving reflex that dolphins have. This means our body will automatically react according to dive conditions; for example, our heart rate will slow, and blood stream will be directed to benefit the heart, lungs, and brain.
Still, really the key to freediving is being relaxed in the water, and being comfortable enough to go with the flow. Allow me to share with you a few simple instructions that will improve your snorkel technique, and introduce you to the world of breath-hold diving. It is a whole different view when you can see the reef up close, and it's sure you'll see creatures you never even realized were there!
In competitive freediving, athletes go well beyond 100 ft. on one breath of air ~ and sometimes even without fins! Freedivers compete for time, distance or depth in several disciplines including pool and open water events.
...Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away...
