Freediving - One of Today's Fastest Growing Sports!
Posted By Dan Hodgins on 16 August 2000
With today's X generation popularizing extreme sports such as Inline skating and Sky surfing it isn't hard to understand why a new group of North American Aquanauts are diving into the sport of Free Diving/Breath-hold Diving. Both here in the Caribbean and throughout North America, the sport of Free Diving/Breath-hold Diving has seen a major rise in interest and participation. It is a sport that can include everything from surface snorkeling to deep breath-hold dives well in excess of 100ft. Snorkeling/Free Diving is the most popular family orientated water sport today, enjoyed by all levels from beginners to professionals! Free Diving has forever been a very popular sport in Europe, Asia, Central and South America. The sport competes with many other national sports for popularity. Some of the World and National record holders enjoy super star Status. Here in Cayman we can even brag that the Islands are home to Free Diving stars Tanya Street, world record holder in three different Free Diving categories and Brett Lemaster, an American National record holder, both residing in Grand Cayman.
In order to start understanding the sport of Free Diving one must look to the water. The need for sustenance and pure love of the aquatic realm is what first drew ancient peoples from the tropics to initially explore human aquatic potentials. Dating back thousands of years archeologists have uncovered mother-of-pearl inlays in garments providing proof of early commerce coming from the sea, this resulted in further pushing human's beings to expand their Free Diving reflexes. As with human nature, it wasn't long before people began to compete directly with each other. Today there are many different competitions held all over the globe.
As with any extreme sport safety is the most important aspect of Free Diving. One of today's most popular water sports is scuba diving. People understand that with scuba diving, being properly trained is necessary to ensure diver safety. Understanding all aspects of scuba creates a safe environment to enjoy the underwater world with a minimum of risk. However in Free Diving anyone can grab a set of mask, fins and snorkel go into the water, do a head first breath-hold dive without understanding the basics of safe, proper Free Diving. An organized certification course will include History, Equipment, Physics, Physiology, Psychology, Free Diving Techniques and Safety Practices. Comprehension of these topics combined with in water practical training under the direct supervision of a Free Diving instructor will arm a Free Diver with the needed knowledge, rescue skills and experience to go out free diving safely. Training reduces the risk of problems or worse, accidents. However in the unlikely event the something does go wrong, a properly trained Free Diver will be well equipped to deal with all possibilities. The old adage, "Practice Makes Perfect" is so true for the sport of Free Diving.
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