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Ready, set, dive!

Have you ever jumped into the water and tried to hold your breath? Take it a few steps further and you could join a growing sport.

Free-diving, or apnea, is a sport that challenges athletes to hold their breath for long periods of time. Apnea divers try to best each other by trying to dive either the deepest or for the longest time. They voluntarily hold their breath, pushing their lungs to the limit .

The sport has become increasingly popular in Europe and the United States. In June 2000 a Frenchman set the world record with a 450-foot dive. Another Frenchman set the world record for the longest time underwater. He stayed underwater for seven minutes and thirty-five seconds! Both men did

it with a single gulp of air.

Apnea diving takes an enormous amount of training. Divers practice holding their breath using relaxation techniques . They also have techniques that pull extra air into their lungs, which stretch to capacity much like balloons. Divers-in-training simulate an underwater environment and practice and practice and practice.

Divers need to prepare because the sport is filled with danger. The farther down the diver swims, the more water pressure pushes against him. At deep levels the pressure can cause the diver's lungs to collapse. This will force out all the remaining oxygen .

The greatest danger comes however when the diver is

returning to the surface. This is when the water pressure decreases. If it decreases too quickly it can cause what is known as "the bends." Nitrogen bubbles form in the blood and cannot dissolve quickly enough. This can lead to severe pains in the joints and chest, skin irritation, cramps, and paralysis.

Marine mammals have none of these problems. Their blood allows them to store oxygen better than humans. They also have more blood than humans. Whales or dolphins for example can stay underwater for up to two hours with one breath of air.

Free divers are learning from their fellow mammals. Every year humans get just a little closer to moving like animals of the sea.

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