diving () dates from
ancient Greece
Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
, when it was used by
sponge
Sponges or sea sponges are primarily marine invertebrates of the animal phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), a basal clade and a sister taxon of the diploblasts. They are sessile filter feeders that are bound to the seabed, and a ...
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 mode 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 breat ...
discipline.
It was in this discipline that the first world record in freediving was registered, when the Greek sponge
fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish.
Worldwide, there are about 38 million Commercial fishing, commercial and Artisan fishing, subsistence fishers and Fish farming, fi ...
Stathis Chantzis dived to a depth of 83 m (272 ft) in July 1913.
It consists of a variable
ballast
Ballast is dense material used as a weight 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 ...
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. On 14 July 1913, in the
Karpathos
Karpathos (, ), 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 of the regional unit ...
port, Chantzis recovered the lost anchor of the
Regina Margherita, a ship of the
Italian Navy
The Italian Navy (; abbreviated as MM) is one of the four branches of Italian Armed Forces and was formed in 1946 from what remained of the ''Regia Marina'' (Royal Navy) after World War II. , the Italian Navy had a strength of 30,923 active per ...
, at the depth of 83 m. His feat is considered the first depth record in apnea diving.
The , or simply (), is a stone, usually of
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
or
granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, 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 coo ...
, 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 (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
.
[
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.]mask
A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and often employed for rituals and rites. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, ...
or fins
A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foil (fluid mechanics), foils that produce lift (force), lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while travelin ...
is not allowed.[
In this discipline, there is no waste of energy, and activity is comparable to the descent in variable weight apnea 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
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References
External links
Freediving Center
{{Underwater diving, frediv
Sponge diving
Underwater diving procedures
History of underwater diving
Competitive apnea disciplines