Thibault Guignes Freediver, NR Holder, Instructor
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As divers progress and go deeper, one needs to carefully examine the techniques used and optimize them, in order to achieve better and safer results. Thibault Guignes - a 117m freediver - looks into the complex world of deep freediving challenges. Topics such as equalization, fitness, equipment, mental preparation & depth adaptation are analyzed in an understandable manner, while Thibault's expert tips are here to help you craft your best dive.



Equalization


As you might have noticed, equalization does not come naturally necessarily, and you need to learn how to equalize your ears as you go down. Once you're past the first technique of equalization, the frenzel maneuver, as you go deeper you need  to learn some new different techniques, especially the famous mouth fill, where you store air in your mouth to equalize. This is like a lifelong work, where you keep working on it to improve it, it is  very technical and a bit challenging.

Now from my experience, what i see a lot is people having lung squeeze by pushing their equalization. Once you go deep it's very important  that you always keep one spare equalization that you don't use. Using this last equalization, even if it feels right, makes you a bit tense in the throat and in the mouth, and usually leads to lung squeeze. My personal advice to go real deep is to always  keep a spare equalization.



Fitness


A lot of people progress very fast when they start freediving, because with relaxation and adaptation of the body, holding your breath becomes quite easy and you feel that you're progressing a lot. Then people overlook the fact that they need to be  fit to go deep! Indeed it's not enough just to go down, at some point you need to come up! When you go real deep, you need 'fitness energy' to come back up. So it's really important to work on your fitness and not only on depth.  

Especially if you focus only on depth freediving, you tend to lose a lot of muscles. Even if you take proteins on the side, usually you lose your muscle mass, so it's really important to keep stimulating your body in other ways and stay fit. That can be cardio, that can be gym, but being fit is really a part of depth freediving.

Now be careful how you organize your training, because fitness and freediving don't necessarily  go together in a training cycle, so it's important to separate them in your training, but you  should definitely work a lot on your fitness.



The Mental Part


If you ask people what is the percentage of  the mental part compared with the physical part in freediving, probably most of us would say "oh it's at least 80%, 90% in the mind", but how much time do you spend every day working on your mind? Do you even do a little bit of mental preparation? Since I started doing mental preparation for depth, it completely changed my freediving. I'm way more relaxed, I'm not scared at all of going deep and I enjoy a very continuous progression because I never again really hit a wall! I'm just enjoying my dives, I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but in the end that's really the key. Mental preparation is essential. It can be visualization, meditation or even training with a mental coach. 



Equipment


You need to try different equipment and really find the one that fits you. But make no mistake, having the right equipment will definitely make a big difference on your freediving. Firstly, because you will be way more comfortable, so it's much easier to get relaxed in the water. You will be kept warm with a good wetsuit and you will have better propulsion and better efficiency with the right fins. A comfortable mask or a nose clip that doesn't slip from your nose, are all details which matter, so equipment is very important to go deep.



Adaptation Of Your Body


You don't want to hurt your lungs by having  pulmonary edema or squeezing, so you need to take the time needed. It's actually good if you are limited by one of the other challenges, because then it gives time to your body to adapt, while you work on those challenges. If you're not limited by the other challenges, then you need to really take it easy on your progression. There is no rush, try to see the big picture. In the end, if you try to progress too fast and hurt yourself,  you're gonna have to take a big step back, so that you can start progressing again.

But if you really take your time, you will progress continuously, slowly, but on the long run you will progress much faster. So the main message would be "go slow in your progression, to go fast in your progression". It sounds a bit like a paradox but that's really the best way, if you really want to progress and overcome this adaptation challenge.




Dive In



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