Freediving

In 2012, Austrian Herbert Nitsch dove 253 meters deep on a single breath — held by a sled on the way down, by an air balloon on the way up. He survived, but suffered severe decompression injuries on surfacing — and has largely recovered since.

The dive reflex is an evolutionary inheritance: cold water on your face lowers your heart rate by ten to twenty-five percent within seconds — a response we share with whales and seals. Freediving is essentially the training of this reflex.

Never dive alone. “Shallow water blackout” — losing consciousness on the ascent in shallow water — is the most common cause of death in freediving. A buddy at the edge isn't a comfort, it's a condition for staying alive.