Freediving discipline in which the diver descends and ascends using their method of choice
No-limit apnea is an
AIDA Internationalfreediving discipline of competitive
freediving, also known as competitive apnea, in which the freediver descends and ascends with the method of his or her choice.[1] Often, a heavy metal bar or "sled" grasped by the diver descends fixed to a line, reaching great depths. The most common ascension assistance is via inflatable lifting bags or vests with inflatable compartments, which surface rapidly. The dives may be performed head-first or feet-first.
This form of diving is considered extremely dangerous by diving professionals.[2] No-limit apnea has claimed the lives of several divers.[3][4]
Challenges
The three main differences between free diving disciplines that involve diving to depth and those that occur at the surface are that you can not interrupt the dive, there are periods where work is performed and the diver is impacted by
direct effects of pressure.[5]
Records
The current no-limit world record holder is
Herbert Nitsch with a depth of 214 metres (702 ft) set on 9 June 2007, in
Spetses,
Greece,[6] however, in a subsequent dive on 6 June 2012 in
Santorini,
Greece to break his own record, he went down to 253.2 metres (831 ft) and suffered severe
decompression sickness immediately afterwards[7] and subsequently retired from competitive events.
^McKie, N (2004).
"Freediving in cyberspace". Journal of the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society. 34: 101–3. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-05.{{
cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link)
Freediving discipline in which the diver descends and ascends using their method of choice
No-limit apnea is an
AIDA Internationalfreediving discipline of competitive
freediving, also known as competitive apnea, in which the freediver descends and ascends with the method of his or her choice.[1] Often, a heavy metal bar or "sled" grasped by the diver descends fixed to a line, reaching great depths. The most common ascension assistance is via inflatable lifting bags or vests with inflatable compartments, which surface rapidly. The dives may be performed head-first or feet-first.
This form of diving is considered extremely dangerous by diving professionals.[2] No-limit apnea has claimed the lives of several divers.[3][4]
Challenges
The three main differences between free diving disciplines that involve diving to depth and those that occur at the surface are that you can not interrupt the dive, there are periods where work is performed and the diver is impacted by
direct effects of pressure.[5]
Records
The current no-limit world record holder is
Herbert Nitsch with a depth of 214 metres (702 ft) set on 9 June 2007, in
Spetses,
Greece,[6] however, in a subsequent dive on 6 June 2012 in
Santorini,
Greece to break his own record, he went down to 253.2 metres (831 ft) and suffered severe
decompression sickness immediately afterwards[7] and subsequently retired from competitive events.
^McKie, N (2004).
"Freediving in cyberspace". Journal of the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society. 34: 101–3. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-05.{{
cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link)