A relaxing extreme sport
Freediving is considered by many to be an extreme sport and it’s easy to see why. Free divers descend vertically into deep water with a single breath. The deeper they go, the greater the compressive pressure on their bodies.
Relaxation, however, is a key part of deep diving. It prevents carbon dioxide levels from rising too quickly, and conserves precious oxygen.
Recreational freediving has been gaining popularity in recent decades, and there are now numerous annual events for divers with a competitive itch. The sport’s true challenge, however, lies within the divers themselves. Only by being in perfect sync with their bodies’ limitations and able to master their thoughts, can they test their limits, and in Alexey’s case, break world records.
As new as the sport of competitive freediving may be, the practice of plunging toward the bottom of the ocean without breathing apparatus is as old as the world itself. People have been doing this, for pleasure and in search of food and treasure, for thousands of years.