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My personal experience relates to depth competitions but most of the principles described in this article apply as well to swimming pool competitions. As you register for a competition, you will get of course the dates of the competition and from there you can plan your training according to the objectives you set for this competition. All objectives are valid. You can compete just for fun and meet people or you can try to go deeper, try to get a National Record, etc… Regardless of your objectives, here are a few pieces of advice to make your competitions a nice and not too stressful experience.
If you can afford it, go and train at least a few days prior to the competition on the competition site. You will be able to get used to the water conditions and to the setup in general. Platform or buoy, boat or from shore, location of the check-in area, etc … If you know the place well, no stress on D-Day. You know already where to go and what to do. Don’t miss the competition meeting, traditionally the day before the first competition day. That’s the place where you will get all the information from the judges and organizers. You can also get used to the visibility, water temperature, current, etc…
Make sure you have all the right equipment ready and bring some spare. It is very easy to lose your lanyard or nose clip the days just before or the day of the competition. Having some spare for the basic equipment can save your competition, or at least not add additional stress if it happens. I remember ripping off my wetsuit 1 hour before a competition dive, not having any spare, and having to go all around in a rush trying to borrow a top from another competitor. If you use alarms on your dive computer, make sure you double-check them on the morning of your competition dives and if you can, bring a spare computer and/or spare batteries just in case. On my first World Championship, my dive computer stopped working the night before my dive. Everything went well diving without alarm but it was definitely stress I would have been happy not to experience.
Make sure you review the rules before the competition. If you have a coach, review them with him as well as their role differs depending on CMAS and AIDA competitions. Same for the surface protocol.
You can find the rules on AIDA and CMAS websites. In some competitions, the judges will give a reminder of the main ones in the pre-competition meeting, but not always and they cannot go over all the rules. I would recommend reading them carefully at least once.
During your training before the competition, you can simulate most of the competition parts. Get used to starting with a countdown of 2 min (that’s the minimum time you will get on the line to prepare according to the rules. You usually get a bit more, but better be ready for the worst-case scenario) so that it does not add stress if you are giving only 2 min on the line before official top the D-day. You can also practice collecting the tag at the bottom and find the optimal place where to keep it until you surface. I personally use an elastic band around the tight with velcro on it so that I can put the tag there in a fluid movement during the turn. Also having this elastic makes it easy to use it with any wetsuit without having to glue the Velcro directly on the wetsuit (which can damage the wetsuit).
You can also check in training that you do not need more than 45 min to warm up before your dive. Time everything. This way once you get your official top the day before the dive, you can already set the time of your warm-ups, the time of your arrival on the main line, etc… If you are afraid you won’t remember, write them on your wrist with a permanent marker the morning of the dive.
This applies as well to putting your equipment on. Know when to start changing and getting ready.
In addition to preparing during your training sessions, you can add a layer of repetition by visualizing the whole process from when you wake up until the dive. It will help you release the stress and also your body and mind will act like they already went through the whole process.
Make sure you arrive rested. You should take at least one, two if not more, full days of rest before the competition and still have confidence in your ability to perform the dive. One last training is always tempting, but tiring. Have a good night's sleep before. Choose if possible a quiet place for your accommodation. As for food, of course not eating too heavy and greasy the day before the comp is a plus but I would suggest not to completely change your habit right before the competition. If you are used to drinking coffee regularly, just do the same. If you want to reduce it for a comp, do it long in advance so that you are completely free from it before and that you don’t get frustrated about it just before the comp. This frustration would just add to the stress of the competition. I did some of my best dives in competition the day after eating a massive burger with French fries for dinner. I am used to I guess! Healthy habits are always better … but work on them during your training period, in the long run. Don’t change everything just 2 days before the comp.
These are just a few important tips to prepare for your competitions. I would add this last piece of advice:
Remind yourself regularly why you are here and why you are doing freediving. Hopefully, because you love it and to have fun. So remember to announce what you think you can do best on the D-day. If you don’t feel ready for what you had planned several months before, adapt your objective. You want a nice white card, even if it is not exactly the depth you wanted to achieve originally. There are other competitions coming. You want to stay on a nice impression and build confidence for the next ones. Turning early or getting a red card can sometimes destroy your confidence.
Enjoy, meet new people, be serious but don’t take yourself seriously. And remember that you trained for this. You are ready !!!