FREEDOM IN THE DEEP

As participation in freediving reaches new levels, we look at what's driving the sport's growing popularity.

- CAROLYN BEASLEY

AS KIDS, MOST of us try holding our breath underwater. We swim submerged laps in backyard swimming pools or dare each other to touch the sea floor at the beach. Turns out we’re freediving, a sport that’s enjoying a seemingly stratospheric increase in popularity.

The term freediving refers to voluntarily submerging your face underwater on a single breath, an act also known as apnoea – the suspension of respiration. It may encompass a variety of activities such as spearfishing, underwater photography, or simply diving a bit deeper during snorkelling. But when it’s discussed as a specialised pursuit, it usually refers to people focusing on apnoea and trying to prolong their time underwater, in either a recreational or competitive arena.

Why spend more time underwater on a single breath? It’s partly to do with the sensory experience, says Dr Jody Fisher, an applied mathematician working on interdisciplinary areas, including the physiology of freediving.

“If you’re on a deep dive in very clear water, you’re surrounded by bright blue and you get these ribbons of light that are just streaming around,” says Jody, who’s also the technical officer of the Australian Freediving Association (AFA), the not-for-profit organisation that promotes freediving in Australia. “It’s incredibly beautiful and, on top of that, you’re holding your breath, so your heartbeat is slowed. You get a sense of being suspended in time. It’s just incredibly peaceful.”

It seems plenty of people agree. Jody says freediving schools are popping up across the country, and there’s been an exponential increase in people becoming certified freedivers and competing. Apart from the COVID pause in recording data in 2020, the sport has averaged 40–80 per cent growth annually since 2014.