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CNF, the freediving discipline that stands for "constant weight no fins", is known to freedivers as arguably the most challenging discipline. You are finless, not pulling on the rope, and are completely reliant on kicks and arm strokes to make your way down and up the line. I decided to start training in this discipline at the end of 2021. Before this time, I was strictly a bi-fin (CWTB) and free immersion (FIM) diver. I occasionally practiced no fins to earn points in competitions, teach others the basics of the technique and capture unique shots when doing an underwater photoshoot. So to learn how to go deep in this discipline, I was going to have to start at the beginning.
When you have months of freedive training ahead of you, it's important to plan your training schedule ahead of time so that you use your time effectively. For most training cycles, the first cycle starts with high-volume dive sessions at shallower depths, diving 3 days on and one day off. The second cycle lowers the number of dives in a session. It includes one deep dive followed by shallow drills, two days on one day off. The third cycle is target dives, a very low volume of dives per session, including warm-ups and one target deep and/or PB dive, one day on one day off. These cycles vary in length and between each cycle include 5 days of rest, away from the water.
The very first thing I needed to take care of before starting CNF was readjusting my weighting and changing my breath up. Weighting is always important when we dive, but it really needs to be fine-tuned when you are training CNF. If I’m pulling up on the rope (FIM) an extra kilo or so of weight to aid freefall isn't going to be too difficult to pull up from depth. With CNF however, even a half kilo will make a huge difference on the ascent, so it's very important to find the balance between aiding descent and ascent properly. Currently, I wear a 1.25kg neck weight with a 1.5mm wetsuit, without packing and I find that my weight is ideal.
Next was the breath up. The breath up (otherwise known as a relaxation phase) is the few minutes that you take to get in the zone before your final breath. I’ve always been a big fan of the snorkel breath up. A few of the benefits of breathing through a snorkel are:
• Your face is immersed in the water (helps kick in our dive reflex)
• Immersion muffles out any external noises
• The position is easy to relax in since there is no need to hold yourself up.
However, I wanted to optimize my breath up and learn to take a comfortable full breath upright. Hypoxia has never been a large factor in my previous disciplines, but now, that would begin to play a role. It was easier said than done. I had gotten very used to the little ritual that I do on each breath up and it’s been harder to change than I thought. But eventually, I became custom to sitting upright on the line.
The first cycle started with just high-volume CNF drills. It was great..! Greatish! Each discipline is a creature of its own. My bi-fins give me so much power on the line. CNF is completely self-propelled, intimidating me and my small statcher. I did different exercises to keep it interesting and break down the technique. Dynamic training is very important in CNF, so on top of dynamic training, I swam to and from my sessions practicing the technique. On the line, lots of drill dives with just my arm, just legs, overweighted, unweighted. Slowly finding the rhythm and getting the sequence right. Most days I left the session feeling like 1 step forward 2 steps back. But I had to stay farsighted enough to see the end result.
A big training tool for any discipline, but especially CNF, was the GoPro! Being able to see my progress and fine-tune my stroke is made possible with video review. I can see improvement week by week (details like pointed toes and a flick in my wrist!) During base training is also a good time to study new training methods and mental strategies.
Deep CNF is intimidating to me. So I read books that discuss overcoming self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses in concentration.
1. The relationship of self one and self two. Self 1 is the conscious self. Self 2 is the subconscious. The two are always in dialogue. If both selves can communicate in harmony, you reach peak performance.
2. The power of visualization. Visualize getting to the bottom successfully. Give self 2 a very clear image of what you are asking it to do. This means tuning in to what makes me feel happy and feel complete. I’ll also allow my body the time it needs to rest and celebrate the little victories!
I also reminded myself of the stages of learning, concepts I learned training to become an instructor.
• Unconscious incompetence (Ignorance) - You don’t know what you don’t know.
• Conscious incompetence (Awareness) - The learner wants to learn because they are aware of their lack of knowledge
• Conscious competence (Learning) - When a learner has acquired skill but has not yet mastered it to the point where it comes naturally.
• Unconscious competence (Mastery) - The skill is so embedded that the learner doesn’t even need to process what they are doing.
The most challenging part of CNF for me has been getting a consistent rhythm and making each movement as effective as it can be. So to get into a proper flow and do my best, unconscious competence is where I am headed. That’s why dynamic training and CNF drills are so important for CNF. It’s repetition, repetition, repetition. This includes dry training as well (working on flexibility in my legs and feet especially). But understanding your level of competence is very helpful when learning. There are some aspects of my CNF dives that are in the fourth stage, but the majority are still inconsistent and have not yet come naturally to me.
After base training, I went into my second cycle, training target depths and finishing off sessions with CNF drills to continue working on my form and symmetry in the kick. There came a point in my target CNF dives that I began struggling to equalize at depth. Since I wasn't used to much movement and energy loss on deep dives, the months of CNF were beginning to wear me down. So in the second cycle I switched things up to gain confidence in my eq. I began doing target deep FIM dives (to focus solely on eq) and finished sessions off with shallow CNF drills to continue improving form. Not only did adding FIM help my eq, but after so much shallow diving, it helped my confidence return when going to depth. Approaching target dives is when it became time to really make sure I was taking proper care of myself and getting adequate rest.
In the third cycle, I maintain my fitness but will save my mental and physical energy for deep dives. Lots of dry training and stretching to improve form and prepare for the water. CNF is a challenging discipline but is a beautiful one as well. Whether you are training to go deep or would like to learn how to move in the water with nothing but yourself, you realize it is a disciple worth all the challenges that come with it.