Description

The term “apnea” (sometimes written also as “apnoea”) is used to describe the suspension of breathing.

In water sports the terms refers to voluntary breath-holding keeping the face below the surface of the water.

In underwater sports, the term free-diving is also commonly employed referring to all aquatic activities involving breath-holding.

Common, recreational, free-diving activities are snorkelling, spear-fishing or underwater hunting (non-competitive) and underwater photography, to name but a few.

The terms apnea and free-diving are used interchangeably but most often the term free-diving is reserved to open water activities.