Health – Optimizing

Physical Education
(H.O.P.E 4)
Lesson 4: FREE DIVING
 OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the session, students will be able to;
a.Identify the free diving activities;
b.Determine how the benefits of free diving
improve the survival skills of an individual; and
c.Create an info graphic showing the safety tips or
protocols on how to have a safe diving under
water.
• Diving into deep waters on one
breath and without any
breathing apparatus is referred
to as ‘freediving’. Free divers
use inward control, discipline
and power to descend into the
ocean while holding their
breath until they resurface.
Freediving is both a
recreational and competitive
sport, with many freediving
competitions being held
regularly around the world.
 What is Free
•
diving?
Freediving or breath-hold diving is a
method of underwater diving that
does not require the help of a
breathing apparatus. Instead of using
an air tank, you simply hold your
breath for as long can until you
return to the surface.
• With freediving, you can only travel
as far as the air in your lungs will
take you. The incredible feeling of
pushing yourself to your limits helps
explain the appeal of this sport.
Therefore, the most important part
of your training is learning how to
breathe properly.
What is Free
diving?
• Free diving is the practice of
holding your breath when diving
underwater without the use of
breathing equipment, such as a
scuba tank. Free diving is a way of
life for some, a competitive sport
for others, and a hobby for many.
Read on to find out more
information about what free
diving is, the benefits that come
with it, where you can free dive,
and why people are doing it.
• Recreational freediving is free diving
for leisure, such as on vacation or
training (non- competitively) with a
certified buddy. People free dive
recreationally for many reasons: to
challenge themselves physically and
mentally, to take beautiful
underwater photos, to improve their
mental health, to explore the
underwater world, or to improve
their fitness. The reasons are
endless. But most free divers will
mention the feeling of peace and
calm they have when they dive, and
how they use it as a form of
meditation and feeling connected to
their surroundings.
• Competitive free divers are athletes
who dedicate their training to
participate in competitions. There are
lifestyle sport free divers who join
competitions to challenge themselves
and improve their skills, and
professional sport free divers who
compete to break national and world
records. All competitive free divers use
advanced techniques and train
rigorously in and out of the water with a
level of total commitment as a
freediving athlete. Their physical, in-
water training is often supplemented
with other types of cross-training,
mental training, diet, and rest. The
physical limits of the human body are
still unknown as free divers continue to
dive deeper and longer, with seemingly
no end to their limits in sight.
 How dangerous is free diving?
• The sport is dangerous.
Drowning is, of course, always
a risk. But there are others.
The ocean exerts tremendous
pressure on the lungs as divers
descend, and some experience
"shallow-water blackout" and
lose consciousness during the
ascent.
 Equipment in free diving
EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION PICTURE
A snorkel is a device used for breathing
air from above the surface when the
wearer's head is face downwards in the
1. Snorkel water with the mouth and the nose
submerged. It may be either separate or
integrated into a swimming or diving
mask.

All scuba diving masks consist of the

lenses also known as a faceplate, a soft
rubber skirt, which encloses the nose and
2. Diving mask seals against the face, and a head strap to
hold it in place. There are different styles
https://www.divein.com/wp- content/uploads/BARE-Revel-and-Elate-

and shapes. These range from oval shaped

models to lower internal volume masks
and may be made from different
materials; common choices are silicone
and rubber. A snorkeler who remains at
the surface can use swimmer's goggles
which do not enclose the nose.
 Equipment in free diving
Swim fins, fins or flippers are finlike accessories worn
on the feet, and usually made from rubber or plastic,
to aid movement through the water in water sports
3. Swim fins activities. Swim fins help the wearer to move through
water more efficiently, as human feet are too small
and inappropriately shaped to provide much thrust,
especially when the wearer is carrying equipment that
increases hydrodynamic
drag.
A wetsuit is a garment, usually made of foamed
neoprene with a knit fabric facing, which is worn by
people engaged in water sports and other activities in
4. Exposure protection or on water, primarily providing thermal insulation,
but also buoyancy and protection from abrasion,
(Diving suit/wet suit/ ultraviolet exposure and stings from marine
organisms. The insulation properties depend on
rash guard) bubbles of gas enclosed within the material, which
reduce its ability to
conduct heat.
Weight belts are the most common weighting system
currently in use for snorkeling. They are generally
made of tough nylon webbing, but other materials
5. Weight belt such as rubber can be used. Weight belts for
snorkeling are generally fitted with a quick release
buckle to allow the dumping of weight
rapidly in an emergency.
• Spearfishing
Spearfishing is an ancient method
of fishing that has been used
throughout the world for
millennia. Early civilizations were
familiar with the custom of
spearing fish from rivers and
streams using sharpened sticks.

• Collection of shellfish
• Beside all the underwater
activities, there is a trend in using
the sea and nature as a medium
and source of inspiration for
rediscover of mindfulness. Non-
competitive breathing techniques
and relaxation before the dive
and visualization under water are
practiced. Mermaid diving also
focuses on the beauty under
water.