Manual Of Freediving: Underwater On A Single Breath

by Pelizzari, Umberto; Tovaglieri, Stefano

• ISBN13: 9781928649274
• ISBN10: 1928649270
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-10-30
• Publisher: Idelson Gnocchi Pub

Table of Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Conversion table
Introduction: The history of apnea
Origin of apnea: from myth to history
History of the records: the first by a Greek fisherman
The apnea of the women
The disciplines
Approaching apnea
The first rule: verify psychophysical conditions
From mask to ballast: how to choose equipment
A brief history of masks	25	(6)
Getting dressed	31	(1)
Instruments	32	(1)
Other accessories	33	(13)
Adapting the body to water
The physics of immersion
The oxygen cycle
Cardiovascular system	46	(2)
Cardiac cycle	48	(3)
Respiratory system	51	(35)
Underwater vision
Heat
Adapting the body to apnea
Aquatic nature of man
The dive reflex
Blood shift
Ears, nose, mouth
Prevention and hygiene	86	(2)
The Proplug	88	(1)
Periodic check-ups	88	(9)
Breath and relaxation
Stress, anxiety and boredom
What happens to our body during anxiety?	97	(1)
Avoid stress by understanding it	98	(2)
Causes of stress in apnea	100	(3)
Techniques of respiration
Improving the elasticity of the ribcage	103	(1)
Exercises for the improvement of the elasticity of the ribcage (costovertebral and intercostal joints)	104	(5)
Yoga breathing techniques	109	(1)
Exercises to improve respiratory sensitivity	110	(3)
Pranayama	113	(3)
Diaphragmatic respiration	116	(8)
The carpa	124	(2)
Techniques of relaxation
Relaxation	126	(1)
Mental effects of relaxation	127	(1)
Physical effects of relaxation	127	(1)
How to relax	128	(3)
Mental training and apnea
Autogenic training	131	(2)
Relaxation with colours: Katabasis	133	(4)
Underwater relaxation
The coconut, coral and the sea: small story, almost Zen	137	(1)
How to prepare for a static apnea	138	(1)
Static apnea
Stopwatch: pros and cons	139	(13)
Dynamic apnea
Freediving
The Finstroke
Biomechanical analysis of finning
Axes and planes of the human body	152	(8)
Ideal finning technique
Velocity and constant weight	160	(30)
Different ways of finning
Errors of finning
The Monofin
Preliminary monofin exercises	190	(3)
Exercises with the monofin	193	(4)
Compensation
Compensatory manoeuvres
Valsalva technique	197	(1)
Marcante-Odaglia technique	198	(2)
Personal techniques	200	(2)
Using the diaphragm to compensate
Tubular aerobics
The purposes of tubular exercises	202	(1)
Muscular exercises	202	(1)
What, when and how much to exercise	203	(2)
Autoinsufflation	205	(1)
Warning	205	(5)
Compensating the mask
Colds, sinusitis and other otorhinolaryngological problems	210	(6)
Compensating at the depth limit
Formation in confined water
Swimming
Freestyle	216	(4)
Some advice to improve breaststroke	220	(1)
Breaststroke	221	(5)
Exercises with free body
Breathing exercises in water	226	(1)
Compensation in assisted vertical descent	227	(1)
Underwater Breaststroke	227	(2)
Folding duckdive	229	(2)
Dolphin diving	231	(1)
Recovering objects	232	(2)
Buoyancy with free body	234	(1)
Static apnea	235	(1)
Analysis of a static apnea	235	(1)
Partial exhale apnea	236	(2)
Full exhale apnea	238	(1)
Forced compensation	239	(1)
Exercises of displacement	240	(4)
Flotation exercises	244	(2)
Exercises with equipment
Weighting	246	(1)
Quick release of the weightbelt	247	(1)
Clearing the mask	248	(1)
Duckdives	249	(3)
Putting on equipment underwater	252	(2)
Simulated recovery of a victim	254	(2)
Ascending with difficulty	256	(1)
Dynamic apnea	257	(1)
Vertical finning apnea (hands on the bottom)	258	(1)
Translation on the bottom	259	(1)
Horizontal finning apnea (hands on the wall)	260	(1)
Mixed underwater swimming legs/arms	261	(1)
Stop and go	261	(1)
And now, apnea games
Games for static apnea	262	(2)
Games for dynamic apnea	264	(10)
Formation in open water
The ocean planet
The movements of water
Anemometric Beaufort scale	274	(18)
Freediving in open water
Analysis of a dive into the blue	292	(10)
Recovery of a victim
Apnea games in open water
Safety
Dangers of apnea
Hyperventilation	302	(5)
Prevention
The dive plan	307	(5)
Recommendations to the apneist	312	(5)
Hand signals
Diet and protection from cold
Good dietary rules	317	(3)
Managing an emergency
Pre-arranging emergency procedure	320	(1)
How to handle an emergency in the sea	320	(7)
First aid	327	(5)
Training for apnea
Physical preparation of the apneist
Running	332	(1)
How to organise training	333	(1)
Swimming	333	(4)
Weight training	337	(1)
Stretching	338	(6)
Training in water
Training static apnea	344	(3)
Training dynamic apnea	347	(4)
Training free-diving	351
The yearly training program
Evaluation of base physical parameters
Apnea Academy
Bibliography