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"Natural" freediving...

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noa

Well-Known Member
Oct 17, 2003
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As an extension to another thread, I wish to express my personal style (so to speak) of freediving.
By no means am I the only one practicing in this way (I hope...), or the originator, but I often do feel to be an ambassador of it in a sea of more conventional styles.
It is as simple as can be. The very essence, stripped of any thing that can come in the way of a pure experience.
A swimsuit, a noseclip, and a smile. I like to think of it as natural freediving. Hence what I call it.
Yes there can be drawbacks to it. Yes it does not always "make sense" to everyone.
And yes, it WILL enable you to connect with the water in a totally unfiltered way, and the diving experience that comes with that.
Pure minimalism, pure freedom, pure joy.
Naturally...

Would love to hear your views on this.
 
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"Naturally" our species don't belong in the water, hence we live on land. So it really depends on what naturally means to you.

Here are some definitions of naturally:
  • happening or existing as part of nature and not made or done by people
  • having an ability or characteristic from birth
  • as you would expect
  • in a normal way
None of the above really apply to we as humans freediving. Maybe unless we would be doing it nude without any artificial aid.

However what you are describing could be considered a minimalistic approach. Personally I think 'minimalist freediving' would be a better and more accurate description.

Interesting approach but I will keep my bifins, suit and mask on, to me freediving without a wetsuit and just with fins, a speedo and mask is already minimalist.
Let us know how it goes over time.
 
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As an extension to another thread, I wish to express my personal style (so to speak) of freediving.
By no means am I the only one practicing in this way (I hope...), or the originator, but I often do feel to be an ambassador of it in a sea of more conventional styles.
It is as simple as can be. The very essence, stripped of any thing that can come in the way of a pure experience.
A swimsuit, a noseclip, and a smile. I like to think of it as natural freediving. Hence what I call it.
Yes there can be drawbacks to it. Yes it does not always "make sense" to everyone.
And yes, it WILL enable you to connect with the water in a totally unfiltered way, and the diving experience that comes with that.
Pure minimalism, pure freedom, pure joy.
Naturally...

Would love to hear your views on this.

I agree with the experience being more minimalist. When i swim lengths with nothing on me i feel connected in a way i don't when wearing goggles or mask. I have not tried a nose clip yet. Thanks for sharing your views!
 
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"A swimsuit, a noseclip, and a smile " - no goggles?
Goggles, what for ? In all seriousness however, yes masks and goggles (liquid ?) have their place.
But again, the feeling of bare eyes underwater (unless you are in a chlorinated pool of course) is for me more than worth the slightly blurred vision.
Again, one more thing one adapts to. And one more pleasure to discover, the underwater world as seen directly.

A small story to illustrate...
I run open water swimming trips/tours.
And hence deal with a great number of open water swimmers of varying levels.
The trips are conducted in some Greek islands, and the Med is quite high in salinity.
Since a few years now, I have stopped using goggles for any swim up to 3km. Longer distances than that I often will wear them as my eyes might start to get irritated.
So when swimmers who in 99.9% of cases would not ever, ever swim without goggles (or ear plugs, nose clips and all the other odd contraptions they use to shield out the elements) see me happily go without, I get many perplexed looks and questions.
It's a simple change that I decided I to implement by taking away an element that I felt had become superfluous in my swimming. And that simple change enabled me to further connect with the water and discover yet new pleasures/sensations.
 
I feel that if i had a freshwater warm body of water to swim in year round, with low salinity, i would probably never want to wear goggles underwater. The feeling is so sublime. When i swam in rivers / lakes as a kid i would most often not wear anything unless the viz was very poor. A big goal to find such a place to fulfill this dream!
 
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"Naturally" our species don't belong in the water, hence we live on land. So it really depends on what naturally means to you.

Here are some definitions of naturally:
  • happening or existing as part of nature and not made or done by people
  • having an ability or characteristic from birth
  • as you would expect
  • in a normal way
None of the above really apply to we as humans freediving. Maybe unless we would be doing it nude without any artificial aid.

However what you are describing could be considered a minimalistic approach. Personally I think 'minimalist freediving' would be a better and more accurate description.

Interesting approach but I will keep my bifins, suit and mask on, to me freediving without a wetsuit and just with fins, a speedo and mask is already minimalist.
Let us know how it goes over time.
If our species belongs in water or not, is a vast debate. One that the numerous people that spend their lives in the water, could argue in many ways.
It has been fairly well studied and documented that the human being not only belongs in water, but has most possibly originated there. Hence our MDR and numerous other adaptations.
Like everything else on life, it's completely opened to interpretation.
We all have our own path to walk. Happy exploring...
 
Maybe in the past milennia we branched off from marine mammals, or due to the fact that we spend the first nine months immersed in liquid? The whole mammalian dive response thing. Surely if we are not completely adapted to water such as whales, seals, and dolphins? Yet...the sea calls us :) I happen to think professional freedivers wearing a monofin look very aquatic to me.
 
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A year on from this thread, and my practice of natural/minimal freediving continues.
Yes in colder waters, I do don some rubber to extend my sessions. But only when the water dips below 21 Celsius.
I am fortunate enough to dive in Crete in the southern Med and have pleasant temperatures for half the year.
And when a wetsuit is worn, I always make it a point to keep it's thickness to a bare minimum in order to retain maximal water sensation.
 
As an extension to another thread, I wish to express my personal style (so to speak) of freediving.
By no means am I the only one practicing in this way (I hope...), or the originator, but I often do feel to be an ambassador of it in a sea of more conventional styles.
It is as simple as can be. The very essence, stripped of any thing that can come in the way of a pure experience.
A swimsuit, a noseclip, and a smile. I like to think of it as natural freediving. Hence what I call it.
Yes there can be drawbacks to it. Yes it does not always "make sense" to everyone.
And yes, it WILL enable you to connect with the water in a totally unfiltered way, and the diving experience that comes with that.
Pure minimalism, pure freedom, pure joy.
Naturally...

Would love to hear your views on this.
Hi Noa,

My kind of diving requires being able to see well. Some kind of mask is necessary. For your style, I assume that's not true. So, is it all about the tactile feeling and internal focus, something else? What are you focusing on and what do you get out of it?
 
Hi Noa,

My kind of diving requires being able to see well. Some kind of mask is necessary. For your style, I assume that's not true. So, is it all about the tactile feeling and internal focus, something else? What are you focusing on and what do you get out of it?
Hi Connor,
I also make complete use of sight. Whether I'm line diving or fun diving using my vision is always part of the equation.
I recently got the opportunity to try out hektometer goggles and although I found them interesting, they felt like a barrier between my eyes and the water.
So although I could see everything clear, it also felt somewhat disconnected.
Same with masks. Whenever I use one I almost feel like I'm not in the water, but watching the dive unfold on a screen.
I have gotten so used to being without anything over my face and eyes that all of these devices feel intrusive.
 
I like minimalist freediving, and living in Sicily I can stay in water without a wetsuit for quite a long time. Nonetheless, I'd avoid to go without a mask. Having met some jelly fish I learnt that it is better to have a sharp view on your enviroment...
 
a big part of freediving is seeing the sea life around you. I think no goggles would hurt this.
 
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