Learn
What is Freediving?
Diving on a single breath. No tank, no noise, no bubbles. Just you, the ocean, and the quiet.
Depth Illustration
How Deep Will You Go?
From your first breath-hold to the edge of human possibility.
Breathing techniques, relaxation, first breath-holds.
Your first session in the pool. Most people are surprised by how long they can hold their breath.
The reef comes alive at depth.
Mammalian dive reflex kicks in — blood shifts toward your core, senses sharpen, and the ocean feels different.
Negative buoyancy takes over.
Below 20m you stop kicking. The water pulls you silently into the blue. Pure weightlessness.
Lungs compress to the size of a fist.
Your spleen contracts and releases a surge of oxygenated red blood cells — a biological oxygen boost unique to deep divers.
Blood plasma fills the lungs to prevent collapse under pressure.
Light fades. Temperature drops. Only the most trained divers venture this deep.
The deepest breath-hold dive ever recorded.
Total darkness. Crushing pressure. Complete stillness. The absolute edge of human possibility.
The Science
What Happens to Your Body
The human body has ancient adaptations for breath-hold diving. We share them with whales.
Heart rate slows
Bradycardia
Within seconds of facial immersion, the vagus nerve triggers a dramatic drop in heart rate — sometimes by 50% or more. Less oxygen consumed. More time underwater.
Plasma fills the lungs
Blood Shift
Below 30m, blood plasma floods the lung tissue to prevent collapse under pressure. A mammalian adaptation shared with whales, seals, and dolphins.
Your internal oxygen tank
Spleen Effect
The spleen contracts and releases a surge of oxygenated red blood cells into circulation — effectively giving you a biological boost mid-dive.
Blood retreats to the core
Peripheral Shutdown
Blood vessels in the limbs constrict, redirecting blood to the brain, heart, and lungs. Your hands go numb. Your body is protecting what matters most.
The Disciplines
Ways to Dive
Freediving has many forms. Each one tests a different quality.
CWT
Constant Weight
The most common competitive discipline. Dive down and back up using fins — no holding the rope, no dropping weights.
World Record
136 m (Alexey Molchanov, 2023)
STA
Static Apnea
Float face-down in a pool and simply hold your breath. No movement. Pure mental stillness. The discipline of time.
World Record
11 min 35 sec (Stéphane Mifsud, 2009)
DYN
Dynamic with Fins
Swim horizontally underwater with a monofin or bifins. The discipline of distance. Power, technique, and breath management.
World Record
319 m (William Joy Jin, 2025)
FIM
Free Immersion
Pull yourself down and back up along the rope using only your hands — no fins. Slow, meditative, deeply connected.
World Record
135 m (Petar Klovar, 2023)
Glossary
Key Terminology
The vocabulary of breath-hold diving — from beginner basics to advanced technique.
Apnea
The suspension of breathing. Voluntary apnea is the foundation of all freediving.
Equalization
Balancing the pressure in your ears, sinuses, and mask as you descend. Failure to equalize causes pain and injury.
Frenzel Technique
An advanced equalization method using the tongue as a piston rather than the diaphragm — more efficient at depth.
Mouthfill
An equalization technique for very deep dives where air is trapped in the mouth and used past residual lung volume.
Residual Volume
The air remaining in your lungs after a maximal exhale. The physical limit of compression before blood shift takes over.
Samba (LMC)
Loss of Motor Control — involuntary muscle contractions near the surface caused by hypoxia. A warning sign. Never dive alone.
Blackout
Loss of consciousness due to hypoxia. Painless and silent — which is exactly why a safety buddy is non-negotiable.
Negative Buoyancy
The depth at which the body stops floating and begins to sink — usually around 8–12 m for most people.
Breathe-Up
The calm, slow breathing before a dive that relaxes the body and lowers CO₂. Not hyperventilation — that's dangerous.
Recovery Breath
Three large breaths taken immediately after surfacing to restore O₂ levels. Always done before speaking or moving.
Hook Breath
An exaggerated inhalation technique used post-dive to re-oxygenate quickly and prevent shallow water blackout.
Packing
Swallowing extra air into the lungs beyond total lung capacity using the glottis. Used by elite divers to extend dives.
Common Myths
Busted
Myth
"You need big lungs."
Reality
Lung capacity helps, but technique matters more. Relaxation, equalization, and body awareness are trainable by anyone.
Myth
"You have to be a strong swimmer."
Reality
Freediving is about efficiency, not strength. Many freedivers swim slowly and quietly — that's actually the goal.
Myth
"Hyperventilating gives you more oxygen."
Reality
It doesn't — it flushes CO₂ and masks the urge to breathe, which can cause silent blackout. It's prohibited and dangerous.
Myth
"It's only for extreme athletes."
Reality
Most recreational freedivers dive to 5–15m for the feeling, not competition. Your first session might surprise you.
Ready?
The first dive is always the most memorable.
Come experience it in the warm, clear waters of Koh Tao. No experience needed.