Avoiding Lung Squeeze: Prioritizing Safety in Freediving
Lung barotrauma, commonly known as a "lung squeeze," is a serious injury that demands absolute avoidance in freediving. Despite some past downplaying by freedivers who compared it to minor athletic injuries, the truth is far more severe. Repeated lung squeezes can lead to chronic conditions, and freediving before a complete recovery from such an injury can tragically be fatal. Understanding and adhering to preventative measures is paramount for every freediver's long-term health and safety.
Self-Awareness is Key
At its core, freediving is about profound self-awareness, not chasing numbers or depths. Many of the greatest freedivers, including world record holders and champions, have never experienced a lung squeeze (or even a blackout!). This remarkable safety record is a testament to their deep respect for and acute awareness of their physical and psychological limits, coupled with persistent and gradual training over extended periods.
It's crucial to remember that personal limits are not static; they fluctuate daily. What was achievable yesterday might not be today. Recognizing these subtle shifts and honoring your body's daily state is fundamental to safe freediving.
Dive Relaxed, or Don't Dive at All
Relaxation is the cornerstone of safe freediving. From your very first freediving course, you learn to consciously calm your body and mind through dedicated relaxation techniques. While some days this state is easily achieved, on others, it might feel like an eternity to "switch into freedive mode." Always grant yourself the necessary time to find that internal switch. Pushing yourself when not fully relaxed significantly increases risk.
Stop Diving if Stressed or Cold
Stress is the antithesis of relaxation. It creates tension, elevates your breathing and heart rate, and diverts your focus from crucial self-awareness. While stress might only shorten a pool dive, its impact on depth diving is more profound. Your body and mind need to adapt to the increasing environmental pressure. If you resist this feeling, consciously or unconsciously, you are highly susceptible to injury. If you feel stressed, you are building dangerous resistance.
The solution is simple: Be honest with yourself. If you feel stressed in any way, do not dive. If you lack confidence in attempting a particular dive, skip it. Communicate this to your buddy, return to your relaxation exercises, and allow yourself the time you need to regain composure.
Similarly, cold is a significant hazard. If you start shivering, your body is attempting to generate heat, creating tension. Neither continuing to move to warm up nor ignoring the shivering is conducive to relaxed freediving. If shivering begins, cease diving and exit the water immediately to warm up.
Enhance Flexibility and Technique
To improve your body's ability to handle depth and reduce the risk of squeeze, consider these physical preparations and technique refinements:
- Stretching Intercostal Muscles: The muscles surrounding your thorax, vital for breathing, benefit from both strengthening and lengthening. While strengthening aids endurance, it's the lengthening of these muscles that primarily facilitates deeper diving.
- Diaphragm Stretching: Uddiyana Bandha: You can enhance the flexibility of your breathing muscles at the end of exhalation, thereby reducing the residual volume (RV) of your lungs, through the practice of Uddiyana Bandha. This advanced technique should be learned from a qualified freediving instructor or an experienced yoga teacher.
- Apply Correct Turn at Depth: Executing a slow, graceful forward tumble turn to initiate your ascent is critical, especially when diving near or beyond your residual volume. Avoid aggressive or jerky actions, and never perform "opening" movements like the "parachute turn," which can dangerously expand your chest at depth.
Slow Adaptation and Inducing Blood Shift
Gradual progression is key to safe depth increases. Consistently perform repeated dives to an achievable depth, allowing your body and mind ample time to adapt before setting a new goal. Your next target should be challenging but remain within a realistic reach of your current accomplishments. Patience is a virtue in freediving; allow yourself the time to progress safely and enjoy each milestone.
Important Note: Do not use "packing" techniques for full-lung stretches. In the past, some freedivers used "full lung stretches" to try and increase their vital capacity (VC). However, current understanding indicates that these techniques, particularly when combined with "packing," are associated with long-term damage to lung tissue. Prioritize safe, gradual adaptation and expert guidance over potentially harmful practices.