What is Freediving? And why bother when I have SCUBA?
What is the Point of Freediving if I Can Just Use a Tank and Scuba Dive?
I’ll be honest here—when I first started exploring the underwater world, I was a scuba diver! For someone comfortable in the water, it was easy and incredible. I loved being down there, but in a way, it felt like cheating.
Fish were scared of me because the noise from the respirators was so loud, and I didn’t feel as connected to the water as I wanted to be.
Imagine going for a walk in a forest, but you had to wear a leaf blower strapped to your back…
In this post, we’re going to explore the “what” and “why” of freediving so you can see why it offers a new level of exploring and connecting with the water, as opposed to other forms of diving.
What is Freediving?
Freediving is a type of diving sport in which the diver takes a breath of air from the surface, which they hold and take down with them throughout their dive. It is a form of ‘apnea’, which basically means the cessation of breathing or breath-hold. This is different from snorkeling, where snorkelers stay on the surface, and it is different from scuba diving, where divers have a tank of oxygen and nitrogen gas within a breathing apparatus that allows them to spend extended periods of time underwater.
What is the point of freediving if I can just use a tank and scuba dive?
Freediving is about using the body’s natural ability to hold its breath. Maybe, to some, it doesn’t make sense to compare a single-minute dive to the long stretches of time you get with scuba. But it’s important to recognize that this is like comparing apples to oranges—they are completely different.
For me, the initial motivation to pick up freediving came from my nomadic lifestyle. I’ve always loved the water, and as a backpacker, I quickly learned that less is more. Back when I was a scuba diver, I either spent a lot of money renting scuba gear as I traveled or hauled around a 25kg bag of scuba equipment. Hard pass.
Once I took a Freediving Course (like this one here), a whole new world opened up. It wasn’t just about traveling light—it was the mind-blowing difference in how immersive a single breath dive felt.
I never looked back.
Freediving is Simplicity and Freedom
Freediving allows you to immerse yourself in the water without cumbersome equipment. You’re controlling your experience based on the natural limits of your body. While this might sound restrictive, it’s actually humbling and liberating. The experience becomes meditative, requiring mastery of your mind and body. After a freedive session, you feel more in tune with yourself—a much more rewarding feeling than any gear-driven dive.
I once met a guy who records whale songs for Nat Geo. He told me that freediving was a gift because large mammals like whales and dolphins are more likely to interact with freedivers. The marine animals recognize our heartbeats, sense our calming energy, and aren’t intimidated by the unnatural equipment and bubbles from scuba diving.
For me, diving has always been about connecting with nature.
Once I realized this, I never looked back.
The Benefits of Freediving: Mind, Body, and Nature
On the surface, freediving is, well, more free. There’s less equipment than scuba diving, but at a deeper level, it requires a more introspective understanding of your body’s capabilities and mental willpower. It’s also a demanding sport with significant health benefits!
Physical Benefits:
Improves Cardiovascular Health: The combination of breath-holding and muscle exertion without active oxygenation strengthens the heart. Over time, the body develops a tolerance to higher levels of carbon dioxide, improving circulation and increasing oxygen efficiency.
Increased Lung Capacity: Breath-holding and deep, full breaths before dives expand lung capacity, improving respiratory efficiency and enhancing lung function.
Muscle Strengthening and Toning: Swimming and diving movements engage multiple muscle groups in a low-impact exercise. Challenging dives can build lactic acid in muscles, enhancing strength, endurance, and toning.
Mental Benefits:
Stress Reduction: Dr. Wallace J. Nichols’s ‘Blue Mind Theory’ explains how being in the water has a calming effect on the mind. The mindful breathing before a dive lowers heart rates and calms the nervous system. Many freedivers describe it as a form of meditation that helps them connect to the present moment.
Enhanced Mental Discipline: Freediving encourages divers to adopt a ‘monk mind’—requiring deep focus and control over fear and anxiety. The real challenge is mastering your mind and overcoming the instinctual stress response to the urge to breathe.
Connection with Nature:
Freediving taps into the body’s natural ability to explore the underwater world, offering a deeper connection to the water and marine life. Freedivers can enter “stealth mode,” where wildlife is less likely to be scared off by the noise and bubbles associated with scuba gear. This means closer, more organic interactions with marine life.
Freediving isn’t just a sport—it’s a journey into the depths of your own capabilities, both physically and mentally, while fostering a rich appreciation for the natural world. If you’re ready for a dive that connects you to the water in a way that scuba can’t, it might be time to give freediving a try. I promise, you won’t look back.