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Freediving Disciplines

The sport of freediving has several competitive disciplines in which athletes strive for greatest depths, distances, and times. These disciplines can be separated into two main categories, the pool disciplines of static and dynamic apnea, and depth disciplines.

Static Apnea (STA)

In static apnea, the freediver attempts to hold his or her breath for as long as possible while floating face first in a pool. The main challenge with static apnea is allowing your mind and body to completely relax in order to consume the least amount of oxygen possible, allowing you to hold your breath for several minutes.

Current World Records:

Men: 11:35
Stephane Mifsud
2009-06-08, Hyeres, France

Women: 8:00
Natalia Molchanova
2007-07-06, Maribor, Slovenia

Dynamic Apnea with Fins (DYN)

In dynamic apnea with fins, the freediver attempts to travel the greatest distance underwater by swimming lengths of a pool underwater, on one breath, using fins.

Current World Records:

Men: 250 m
Alexey Molchanov
2008-08-05, Lignano, Italy

Women: 214 m
Natalia Molchanova
2008-08-05, Lignano, Italy

Dynamic Apnea without Fins (DNF)

In dynamic apnea without fins, the freediver attempts to travel the greatest distance underwater by swimming lengths of a pool underwater, on one breath, without the aid of fins.

Current World Records:

Men: 213 m
Dave Mullins
2008-08-12,Wellington, New Zealand
Tom Sietas
2008-07-02
Hamburg, Germany

Women: 151 m
Kathryn McPhee
2008-08-09, Wellington, New Zealand

Free Immersion (FIM)

Free immersion is a depth discipline in which the athlete descends as deep as possible along a line using only his or her hands to assist in propulsion. The freediver must retain the same amount of weight on both the descent and ascent.

Current World Records:

Men: 110 m
Martin Stepanek
2009-05-23, Sharm, Egypt

Women: 85 m
Natalia Molchanova
2008-07-27, Crete, Greece

Constant Weight (CWT)

Arguably the most popular discipline is Constant Weight (or Constant Ballast) with fins, in which the althete descends along a line with the aid of fins. The freediver must retain the same amount of weight on both the descent and ascent.

Current World Records:

Men: 122 m
Martin Stepanek
2009-05-22, Sharm, Egypt

Women: 96 m
Sara Campbell
2009-04-02, Long Island, Bahamas

Constant Weight Without Fins (CNF)

Constant Weight Without Fins (also called Constant Ballast Without Fins) is the same as Constant Weight except that the freediver cannot use fins for propulsion.

Current World Records:

Men: 88 m
William Trubridge
2009-04-10, Bahamas

Women: 60 m
Natalia Molchanova
2008-06-12, Dahab, Egypt

Variable Weight (VWT)

Variable Weight is a depth discipline in which the freediver descends with the help of a weight (usually a weighted sled) and must ascend under their own power, either by pulling on a line as in Free Immersion, or by swimming with fins and arms.

Current World Records:

Men: 140 m
Carlos Coste
2006-05-09, Sharm, Egypt

Women: 122 m
Tanya Streeter
2003-07-19, Turks and Caicos

No Limit (NLT)

In No Limits, the most extreme depth discipline of freediving, the athlete descends with a weight and ascends with a floatation device. Usually this involves riding down a line on a weighted sled, and inflating a lift bag at the target depth in order to ascend. While most of the event is passive, the freediver must use advanced equalisation techniques to deal with the great pressure at depths.

Current World Records:

Men: 214 m
Herbert Nitsch
2007-06-14, Spetses, Greece

Women: 160 m
Tanya Streeter
2002-08-17, Turks and Caicos