GENERAL TERMS
RESPIRATION – Respiration is a process through which all living beings exchange gases with the external environment. Respiration consists of entering oxygen into the body of an organism and releasing carbon dioxide.
INSPIRATION or INHALATION – A process when the air enters from exterior into the lungs.
EXPIRATION or EXHALATION – A process in which air is released from lungs. It s a phenomenon opposed to inspiration.
APNEA – retention of respiration.
PRANAYAMA – Respiration techniques commonly used by freedivers. It has its origins in yoga.
DUCK DIVE – Maneuver that allows us to break positive buoyancy that we have on the surface. It is used in order to start a dive.
FREE FALL – A moment when freediver reaches a point of negative buoyancy and continues to dive without necessity of fining nor any kind of effort, simply by letting himself to fall into the depth of the blue.
EQUALIZATION (MIDDLE EAR EQUALIZATION) – Maneuver of letting air to enter the middle ear in order to prevent eardrum (tympanic membrane) from over-stretching which happens due to the increase of pressure due to the increase of depth.
FRENZEL – One of the techniques of middle ear equalisation preferred in freediving in which we use our tongue as a piston to force air into Eustachian tubes and as a consequence to the middle ear.
VALSAVA – One of the techniques of middle ear equalisation, commonly used by scuba divers, in which we push up air from diaphragm to equalise pressure in the middle ear. In freediving this method is not recommended because it is not effective, nevertheless can work until certain depth.
BAROTRAUMA – Common freediving injury caused by lack of equalisation or poor equalisation .
PHYSIOLOGY
HIPOXIA – Condition of deficit of oxygen in the blood, cells and tissues in the body.
HIPERCAPNIA – High concentration of carbon dioxide (C02) in the blood.
TLC – CAPACIDAD PULMONAR TOTAL – A total quantity of air that your lungs can contain through maximum inhalation. It is a sum of vital capacity and residual volume.
RV – VOLUMEN RESIDUAL – Quantity of air left in lungs after a total maximum exhalation. It is estimated to be about 20%-25% of the total capacity
VC – CAPACIDAD TOTAL – Maximum quantity of air expeled from lungs through maximum inspiration.
MAMMALIAN DIVE REFLEX/ MAMMALIAN DIVE RESPONSE (MDR) – An adaptation of the body of mammals that allows them to stay submerged for a long time (it consists of: bradicardia, vasoconstricion, blood shift and spleen effect). For the human beings MDR is activated when face sensory receptors enter in contact with water, especially the cold one.
CONTRACTIONS – Involuntary movements of diaphragm caused by a high concentration of C02 in the blood.
BO – BLACKOUT – Loss of consciousness caused by low concentration of 02 in the blood.
SAMBA (LMC)- Loss of motor control caused by low concentration of 02 in the blood. Can occur before the blackout. Freedivers call it ”samba” due to the fact that movements of the person that finds himself in this state (spasms and involuntary movements) resemble movements of the famous Brazilian dance.
FREEDIVING DISCIPLINES AND COMPETITION RELATED TERMS
Pool disciplines:
STA – STATIC APNEA – Apnea discipline that is practised in the pool in which freediver holds its breath as long as posible floating on water surface in a static position with respiratory tracts submerged.
DYNAMICS – Apnea discipline that is practised in the pool in which freediver swims horizontally under the water the maximum distance posible with respiratory tracts submerged. There are various sub-disciplines within dynamic apnea depending on what equipment is used by freediver, if any.
DYN – A sub-discipline of dynamic apnea in which freediver uses bi-fins o monofin. Currently a separation of monofin and bi-fin discipline is under process. So soon there will be 2 separate disciplines.
DNF – A sub-discipline of dynamic apnea in which freediver swims without fins, just using a force of his legs and arms.
Handstand Style: A discipline of dynamic apnea created by our friends from Club Apnea Barcelona in which freediver walks in apnea, maximum distance posible, with hands on the bottom of the pool, head down having its extremities outside the water.
Sea disciplines:
CWT – CONSTANT WEIGHT – discipline practised in the sea in which freediver dives up and down using bi-fins or a monofin always with the same weigh and with a goal to dive as deep as posible and to return to the surface
FIM – FREE INMERSION – discipline practised in the sea in which freediver dives down and up by pulling a line always with the same weigh and with a goal to dive as deep as posible and to return to the surface.
CNF – CONSTANT WEIGHT NO FINS – discipline practised in the sea in which freediver dives down and up vertically with the objective to dive as deep as posible and to return to the surface without using fins nor a line.
VWT – VARIABLE WEIGHTS – discipline practised in the sea in which freediver dives down vertically with a weight and leaves it at the bottom and returns to the surface fining or pulling the line. VWT is not a competitions discipline.
NLT – NO LIMITS – discipline practised in the sea in which freediver dives down vertically with weight and leaves it at the bottom and returns to the surface with a help of a lift bag. NLT is not a competitions discipline.
PB – PERSONAL BEST – best result achieved by freediver; the longest time of his/her STA, the deepest depth, the longest distance etc.
EQUIPMENT
MASK – We use it to be able to see better under the water. In the sea, in recreational freediving, we use mask with a nose pocket (in order to be able to equalise).
NOSE CLIP – We use it in order to completely close nostrils in order to prevent water from entering as well to prevent air to escape.
FINS – As for other aquatic sports, fins help us to minimise effort and to enable us to move faster in the water.
BI-FINS– In freediving we use full – foot fins with long blades. Generally freediving fins are longer than the scuba diving once (or the fins for the swimming in swimming pool) to provide more speed. But for training technique in the pool short fins are commonly used (like the pink one on the picture).
MONOFIN– Has a shape resembling dolphin tail. It requires more strength and good technique. The 02 consumption is higher with monofin than with bi-fin but it gives freediver more speed and an unique experience.
LANYARD – Essential piece of equipment. It provides security by keeping us always connected to the line. The role of lanyard in freediving can be compared with the use of safety belt in the car. Therefore it can safe your life in case of accident.
WEIGHTS/ WEIGHT BELT – Essential; both in the sea and in the pool – to adjust our buoyancy.