The freefall can be one of the nicest aspects of depth freediving. The moment on the descent when you become 'negatively buoyant' and start to sink independently of effort. This of course has it's advantages, most prominently; saving energy (and therefore oxygen) and aiding relaxation (saving oxygen and facilitating ear equalisation).
So what is involved in a good freefall? Let's take a look:
So what is involved in a good freefall? Let's take a look:
- Correct weight: This allolws you to stop kicking at the correct point of the dive to start the freefall. Too light and you wont freefall early enough. Too heavy and you will waste energy on the ascent.
- Body position: Tucked in (elbows and knees), legs together, looking ahead (not down), and relaxed shoulders and neck.
- Equalisation: Remember to equalise! Use the movement of the lanyard or your fingers on the line to help judge the speed you are falling. Equalise frequently and before pressure is felt.
- Turn: With the correct hand position to turn, the momentum of the freefall can mean very little effort is needed to make a smooth turn at the bottom of the dive.
- .....and not forgetting..... The Way up!: Using POSITIVE buoyancy to finish your dive by stopping kicking in the last 3-8m before the surface.
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