diving () dates from
ancient Greece
Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of Classical Antiquity, classical antiquity ( AD 600), th ...
, when it was used by
sponge
Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate throug ...
fishermen, and has been re-discovered in recent years as a
freediving
Freediving, free-diving, free diving, breath-hold diving, or skin diving is a form of underwater diving that relies on breath-holding until resurfacing rather than the use of breathing apparatus such as scuba gear.
Besides the limits of breath-h ...
discipline.
It was in this discipline that the first world record in freediving was registered, when the Greek sponge fisherman Stathis Chantzis dived to a depth of 83 m (272 ft) in July 1913.
It consists of a variable
ballast
Ballast is material that is used to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within a boat, ship ...
dive using a tied to a rope. A companion on a boat recovers the diver by pulling the rope up after the descent, and keeps a watch on the diver from the surface.
Origins
A skandalopetra dive known to contemporary divers is that of Stathis Chantzis, a Greek sponge fisherman who, on 14 July 1913, in the
Karpathos
Karpathos ( el, Κάρπαθος, ), also Carpathos, is the second largest of the Greek Dodecanese islands, in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Together with the neighboring smaller Saria Island it forms the municipality of Karpathos, which is part o ...
port recovered the lost anchor of the
Regina Margherita Regina Margherita ("Queen Margherita") may refer to:
* Margherita of Savoy (1851–1926)
*
** Italian battleship ''Regina Margherita'' (1901)
* Regina Margherita (Naples Metro)
Regina Margherita is a metro station under construction that will se ...
, a ship of the
Italian Navy, at the depth of 83 m. That feat is considered the first depth record in apnea diving.
The , or simply (), is a stone, usually of
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
or
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
, weighing between 8 and 14 kg, with rounded corners and hydrodynamic shape.
It was the only tool used by divers, since the time of
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...
.
[
The fishermen, naked, were secured to the stone with a thin cord. The itself was secured to the boat with the same rope. This link allowed fishermen to dive safely for centuries.][
]
Competitive
In recent times diving has become a discipline of competitive apnea.[ It is a team sport — the only true team event in freediving.]noseclip
A noseclip or nose clip is a device designed to hold the nostrils closed to prevent water from entering, or air from escaping, by people during aquatic activities such as kayaking, freediving, Pelizzari, Umberto & Tovaglieri, Stefano (2001) ''‘ ...
, but other equipment such as a wetsuit
A wetsuit is a garment worn to provide thermal protection while wet. It is usually made of foamed neoprene, and is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports and other activities in or on water. It ...
, mask
A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...
or fins
A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...
is not allowed.[
In this discipline, there is no waste of energy, and activity is comparable to the descent in ]variable weight apnea
Association Internationale pour le Développement de l'Apnée (AIDA) (English: ''International Association for the Development of Apnea'') is a worldwide rule- and record-keeping body for competitive breath holding events, also known as freedivi ...
diving.[ The athlete prepares for the dive while on the boat, holding the stone, then dives, remaining motionless and as vertical as possible.][ After reaching the maximum depth of the dive, the diver moves their feet onto the stone and is pulled to the surface by their companion. It is essential that the diver and assistant are co-ordinated; the latter should at all times know the depth of the diver, feel when they slow down to equalize, leaving the stone when it arrives at the bottom, and finally when it is the right time to pull the diver back up.][ During the descent the diver can handle the stone in different ways, serving as a drag brake, to steer, and as a ballast.][
AIDA's no limits discipline is in a sense a contemporary version of skandalopetra diving; instead of a rock the diver uses a weighted sled running down a shotline, and the line attendant is replaced by inflated lifting bags.]
See also
*
*
*
References
External links
Description of Skandalopetra by CMAS - Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (World Confederation of Underwater Activities)
{{Underwater diving, frediv
Underwater diving procedures
History of underwater diving
Sponge diving
Competitive apnea disciplines