“A mask, snorkel, fins, and a bathing suit are all you need for freediving. Freediving is no more than swimming or snorkeling underwater while holding your breath.”

— Herbert Nitsch

At SCUBAJET, we are privileged to have the “Deepest Man on Earth,” Herbert Nitsch, as one of our ambassadors. Herbert holds world records in all eight freediving disciplines recognized by the International Association for the Development of Apnea. He is one of the most accomplished freedivers globally, and I will soon write a feature based on an interview with Herbert. In that interview, Herbert was asked what technical equipment he recommends for amateur freedivers. His answer was simple: a mask, a snorkel, fins, and a bathing suit. “Freediving is no more than swimming or snorkeling underwater while holding your breath,” he said.

As a kid, I used to swim competitively. While I enjoyed the training and doing laps daily, I mostly looked forward to swimming in the deep diving pool after practice. I used to pretend I could fly. In a way, I felt like I was flying. At some point, I was able to stay underwater a few minutes at a time. Being underwater was wonderful, thus proving Herbert’s point. You do not need to be a professional freediver to enjoy the magic of freediving. Had SCUBAJET existed back then, the fun would have been ten times greater.

If you have never tried swimming underwater for more than a couple of seconds, you should give it a try. A great way to do it and to maneuver most naturally underwater—particularly if you have a SCUBAJET—is to imagine you are a dolphin, a seal, or a shark. Choose your favorite marine animal and imagine that is who you are for one moment. You will see that, as you navigate through the water, you will move as if you belong there. You will intuitively know how to flow in the water. It only takes a little bit of practice.

We know that professional freedivers like to push their limits, so SCUBAJET has a display screen dedicated to the serious freediver. Simply choose freediving mode, and the screen will display your descending and ascending speed in meters per second or a percentage. There is also a warning signal that will let you know if your ascending speed is too fast. Other standard features, such as current water temperature, remaining power in percent and runtime, depth, whether the light is on or off, battery type, and the remaining battery charge are also visible on the screen.

Anyone serious about freediving knows that practicing the sport at that level requires discipline and plenty of training. As depths and time underwater increase, risks increase as well. Preparation and planning can help you mitigate those risks, but they can never be fully eliminated. Because they are always looming over you, managing your oxygen levels throughout the dive is vital. When Herbert told us that he takes his SCUBAJET with him on most of his travels, we asked him why because we wanted to know what new possibilities it offered him. He answered, “SCUBAJET allows me to reach depths without effort when freediving, thus saving energy. This allows me to freedive longer underwater (handy when exploring caves).”