Even if you’ve previously participated in competitive sports (yes…that ping pong championship in 3rd-grade counts), signing up for your first freediving competition can still feel overwhelming. If you’ve got a coach, great! They’ll schedule your training leading up to the competition and give you all the tips to prepare for the big day.
But if you don’t? That’s okay, too–we’ve got you covered!
Keep reading to find out how to calm those nerves and prepare like a pro for this exhilarating new adult experience.
3+ Weeks Before
Read the rules
Check the competition rules over, whether you’re participating in an AIDA or CMAS competition, and get familiar with them.
Know what you can and cannot do (e.g., a dolphin kick during CWTB in a CMAS competition will get you an automatic red card, you get only 15 seconds to complete surface protocol in AIDA competitions compared to the 20 seconds in a CMAS competition, the back of your head can’t touch the water during your surface protocol in a CMAS competition, etc.).
This brings us to our next point…
Pretend each dive is a competition dive–and focus on SP
Take your knowledge of all those rules and make every dive a ‘competition dive’–even not-so-deep dives!
Make a proper entrance into the water on each of your dives, set up tags at the bottom so you can practice grabbing one and bringing it back with you, and arrive at the surface completing the surface protocol (SP) like you’re in competition. Don’t forget big recovery breaths, an OK sign, and saying “I’m OK”–before you start talking to your buddy. Seriously, do a proper SP every single dive so you don’t make a simple mistake on your actual competition dive!
Also, incorporate countdowns on your deep dives so you’re already used to them by competition time.
<h3″>Make small changes and stick to them (setup, wetsuit, weights, etc.)
If you want to experiment with something new on your dives, this is the last time to do it!
If you’re deciding between two wetsuits, just got a new neck weight, are debating introducing a mouthfill top-up, or are practicing diving off of a platform instead of your usual buoy, iron those details out, and then don’t change a thing! A newer, thinner wetsuit may sound nice for competition day, but spend some time diving in it; you don’t want to spend precious minutes adjusting your buoyancy during your competition warm-up.
Start visualizing your dives (and check out this excellent app!)
Visualization is a powerful tool athletes in many sports use–now, it’s your turn.
Close your eyes and imagine your dive in vivid detail, and enact the entire thing, from the breathe up to getting a white card (don’t forget to smile!). Picture perfect dives most times, then sometimes picture a dive where you have to fix a problem you’ve been having mid-dive (e.g., adjusting your freefall position, adding an extra kick or pull for more speed, etc.). You can either do this completely still on your bed or stand up, wear a nose clip, and mimic pulling on the rope or monofin kicks, imitating different changes in technique on different dives.
Remember that you don’t have to hold your breath throughout your entire visualization–I breathe after I reach the ‘freefall point’ in mine, for example, so I can still practice taking a full breath and charging mouthfill.
P.S. Check out this fabulous app called ‘Workout Timer’ (available on iOS and Android), where you can program a voice to talk to you at different times throughout your visualization.
See the screenshots below for my 70m (230ft) FIM visualization–I synced it up to my dive time so I know approximately when I hit 30m to enter freefall, small pulls after I grab the tag, etc. It’s a true game-changer.
1 Week Before
Arrange a competition coach
I don’t mean a coach who will give you training plans–I mean find someone who will go into the water with you on competition day and assist you on your big dive.
A good coach will monitor the time for you, tell you when to move to each zone (and taxi you there!), hold and handle your equipment, and be generally supportive and encouraging if needed. This can free up your mind to focus on your upcoming dive rather than calculating how much time you have left before moving to the next zone.
But most importantly, a good coach will instruct you (or scream at you) through surface protocol, telling you, “Breathe, nose clip, OK sign, say I’m OK.” Many good coaches in competitions have helped a hypoxic diver earn a white card by coaching them through their SP.
Don’t underestimate the importance of a good coach!
If you’re new to the area and haven’t made any friends yet, see if someone already coaching someone else (who will perform long before or after your dive) can coach you, too. Freedivers are a friendly bunch, so it’s also possible a fellow competitor who will already be finished with their dive can be your coach (although you might have to wait until the start list posts to see if times match up)!
Practice your actual competition dive
It’s time to rehearse your actual dive before the competition even starts.
You want your first-ever competition dive to be comfortable (more on that below), so you need to build that confidence. Get your buddy to do a countdown for you, grab the tag, give perfect Surface Protocol, and ensure you’re not accidentally breaking any rules during or directly after your dive. Even though you may be a bundle of nerves or anxiety on competition day, you’ll know in the back of your mind that you have already achieved this dive–comfortably.
Some competitions offer official training on the competition setup before the competition starts. There’s your chance!
3 Days Before
Relax – seriously!
Don’t even think about working out or diving deep the days before a competition!
You might take more time than just 3 days–up to a week. Deep diving affects your nervous system and mental state, which won’t bode well for your competition dive. Neither does a lot of weight-lifting within a few days of the competition. Keep lightly stretching and doing your visualizations, but don’t make the mistake of overdoing anything before the competition. Go to the beach, read in a hammock, and enjoy life above water!
Find songs or playlists that hype you up
Go through Spotify and search through your saved songs or discover some playlists.
Grab any songs that make you feel good, confident, and a little bit pumped, and drop them into your own playlist for competition day. Don’t necessarily go for only light melodies that decrease your heart rate–you want to get excited and have your mood lifted for the competition ahead!
The Day Before
Announce a comfortable depth
The day before the competition, you’ll have a briefing and have to submit your announced performance (AP).
This is the time to stay in your lane and avoid comparing yourself to others or submitting to feeling ‘pressured.’ This is your first competition–your aim is a comfortable, easy dive and a joyful white card, not a national record or ranking! It doesn’t matter what anyone else is announcing or advising you to do. YOU will discover if you get super anxious on the day of competition or get even more driven by a challenge.
As a side note, try to look forward to the competition. This is the cherry on top of your training–you’ve been working for this and are ready. Be confident!
Eat a nutritious dinner
You’ll want to focus on a healthy dinner the night before your competition.
Get some easily digestible carbs (potatoes or sweet potatoes, whole-grain breads, peas, lentils, etc.) for more energy, and include vegetables and protein on your plate. Don’t try a new cuisine where you’re unsure how your stomach will tolerate it!
Pack your gear
Make a list of all the gear you need before your dive and have it packed for a seamless competition day–or take that list with you to the dive shop where you’ll prepare your gear.
Remember to bring your neck pillow or arrange your pool noodle, and don’t forget small items like your nose clip and lanyard. Be prepared for everything!
Calculate when to get ready
Once you get your official warm-up time and your official TOP (time of performance), do some calculations.
Work backward from your official warm-up: Look at the boat schedule and determine which boat you must take to get to the competition setup. Know the competition location and how long it takes you to get there. Try to calculate when you need to start putting on your wetsuit so you’re not rushing, with enough time to relax, listen to music, or meditate beforehand. Remember, try not to spend longer than an hour in your wetsuit before you get into the water to avoid overheating.
Then, think about how much time you need to stretch in the morning and how long it takes to brush your teeth and get ready for the day. Factor in a little wiggle room in case something unexpected comes up. There’s your time, now you can relax for the night!
Relax before bed
Do something that gives you utter relaxation the night before your competition.
Don’t mindlessly scroll social media–read a good book, watch an ‘easy’ movie (but avoid screen time an hour before you sleep), or do a nice meditation session in front of the sunset. Anything that calms your body and mind works because this is YOUR night!
Competition Day
Keep the same preparation routine – don’t overdo it
This morning is not the time to suddenly squeeze in meditation, visualization, stretching, and dry breath-holds!
Do what you’ve been doing every time before you dive, and don’t deviate. The more you stick to your usual schedule, the more you can remind your brain that this is just another dive on another day–just with more people watching and extra safety!
Write your start times on your hand
Jot down your official warm-up time and your official TOP on your hand so you can check it whenever you need.
If you have a coach, their job is to keep you on schedule… but it’s still nice to be able to glance down for a quick reminder instead of having to ask!
Have fun…and smile!
Remember that Natalia Molchanova once said, “Birth and death are important, but freediving competitions are just games for adults.”
This is a new experience, a game, and you’re here to test the waters and see how you feel. Competitions are fun (at least non-championship ones are)–everyone is supportive and friendly, and seasoned competitors remember what it was like to compete for the first time. No matter what card you get, everyone will have your back and some words of encouragement or congratulations.
So even if you’re feeling a little nervous–smile. And if you feel a little less confident, they say, “Fake it until you make it!” By smiling, we can trick our brains into actually feeling the emotion we want to feel and dial down nervousness or anxiety.
So smile. Smile at your competitors on the shore or boat, smile before or during your dive, and smile after you get your card–whichever color. Because you just did a big, big thing!
You tried something new, overcame personal boundaries, and came out smiling.
