Welcome to the British Freediving Association Website
F reediving is the sport of breath hold diving in which the freediver descends under water on a single breath of air. Freediving includes leisure activities such as spearfishing and snorkelling as well as competitive disciplines: Constant Weight, Free Immersion, Variable Weight, No Limits, Dynamic and Static Apnea. Freediving has many benefits and can be compared to a martial art. It promotes increased lung capacity, deeper levels of awareness and perception and control over your body.
The British Freediving Association (BFA) is the UK governing body of the international freediving organization AIDA. We promote recreational and competitive freediving, ratify freediving records, and sponsor events for our members. The BFA also supports a growing network of affiliated freediving clubs throughout the UK.
If you are interested in learning to freedive safely, the BFA recommends that you take an AIDA freediving course. A list of AIDA instructors can be found in the education section of our website. Remember that you should never freedive without an experienced buddy with you at all times.
When you join the BFA you gain many benefits: a freediving log book, dive insurance, and the use of the BFA freediving platform at Vobster Quay in Somerset. To join, visit our membership section.
Latest British Freediving News
10/03/2012: The Great Northern - UK National (with guests) Pool Competition 2012
Saturday 10th March: DNF competition (with the option to do DYN for ranking only) Sunday 11th March: UK National pool competition in the STA and DYN disciplines (with the option to do DNF in the 50 metre pool for ranking only)
We are extending the dynamic no-fins competition on Saturday 10th March to accommodate more people after the successes of last year. It was an exciting competition which John Moorcroft of Apneists UK winning for the men and Liv Philip (with a National record no less) winning it for the girls. It is again to be held at the Liverpool Aquatics Centre, Wavertree. This has kindly been sponsored by Lifestyle leisure who are also helping us host the main event. We have invited Male and female divers capable of breaking the UK record with that intention and we will open it up to divers from abroad to get their respective NR's in Dynamic No Fins. Also it will be an opportunity for some elite divers and also newbies to get their AIDA ranking points.
On the Sunday we wish to increase the numbers of those competing in those disciplines too. The Great Northern will provide the ideal opportunity for athletes in the UK and from the continent to gain AIDA ranking to be counted for their National Team selection. It's also the perfect place to meet other Freedivers and meet some of the personalities in the sport. A compilation of pictures from last years event:
www.youtube.com Convinced? Please visit our website for your enrolment form www.freedivers.co.uk
Still not convinced? Turn up anyway, there is a free viewing gallery come and cheer the rest on or you can come and help we need around 30 - 40 helpers over the weekend to make it run as smooth as years gone by. This is the pool event of the year, all clubs come to compete, with a friendly relaxed atmosphere it is a great event.
05/11/2011: Liv Breaks Dynamic No Fins Record at Camberwell Pool!
On Saturday 5th November, Fusion Lifestyles' Camberwell Swimming Pool in South London played host to a Freediving National record attempt. Once the light had faded and the swimmers had gone home, a team of judges, videographers, coaches and safety team congregated at the pool to prepare for UK Freediving Champion Liv Philip to attempt to beat her current record of 111m in Dynamic No Fins.
Over 40 members of the general public attended the event, watching from the upstairs viewing gallery of the beautifully refurbished pool, and were given handouts to introduce them to the sport of competitive freediving.
Watched over by Judges David Tranfield and Sam Kirby, Liv made a swim of 116m breaking the previous record she set at the National Freediving Pool Championships in Liverpool in March 2011 by 5metres. A representative form Fusion Lifestyle said 'Fusion are thrilled that Liv Broke her record and that she bought it back to her training centre here in Camberwell.
Contact Liv at www.livphilip.com
24/10/2011: Georgina Miller keeps British womens' static record moving
Monday 24th October 2011 : - Georgina Miller has increased her lead on the other British women in static breathhold with a stunning performance at the Indoor Freediving World Championships in Lignano, Italy on 16th October 2011, when she set a new British Record of six minutes 11 seconds.
George, as she is known to everyone, said: It was seven seconds over my old record but felt comfortable and strong. I had a good deal of help from my coach and training partners Liv Philip and Daan Verhoeven, which has given me confidence to extend my breathold. I hope to keep up with my training in this discipline over the next year.
This performance brought Georgina in at fifth place overall against some of the strongest indoor freedivers in the world. Georgina previously held the record at six minutes and four seconds. She was coached by the wife of multiple World Record holder William Trubridge, Brittany, who is herself making waves in the freediving community with her yoga teaching. (www.brittanytrubridge.com)
Georgina attended both the Indoor and Depth World Championships this year demonstrating her commitment to the sport across the board. She trains at Richmond pool with Londonfreediving. The BFA congratulates her on her performance and wishes her well for her training and many more records to come.
Congratulations to all four British athletes attended the Indoor Worlds.
Georgina Miller STA NR 6:11
Liv Philip CNF 114m
Anna Parayiar first major comp, DYN 134m
Chris Crawshaw first major comp, STA 6:46, DYN 173m
For more information contact press@britishfreediving.org
10/10/2011: British men trash own records at Worlds
Monday 10th October 2011 : - The British men faced their toughest competition for records this year, with three strong athletes fighting for the No Fins title; Dave Tranfield, two-times holder of the title, newcomer Ed Wardle who took the record from Dave this summer at his first event; and Dave Kent, new to competitive freediving, who came through and surprised everyone, including himself.
At the 4th Mediterranean World Cup 1st-14th September athletes gathered from around the world to compete and prepare for the World Championships, taking place from 15th-25th September. Liv Philip shone for the women by taking Silver Medal overall in the women's with CWT 61m, FIM 62m and CNF 46m.
Liv, who coaches and trains at London Freediving Club in Richmond, said: I've been working long hours back home to allow me to compete this summer and it's been tough to fit training in, so I'm doubly pleased to have got a Silver Medal with so many strong athletes around.
On 14th September, the final day of the first comp, Dave Tranfield, or Tranny as he is affectionately known, although he prefers 'Sheffield Steel', and Ed Wardle who had ambitiously announced 65m, went head to head to push Ed's 55m record deeper. Tranny, due in part to his greater experience, kept his cool and successfully dived to 56m in two minutes 25 seconds, breaking Ed's former record by one metre.
Dave said: My dive started badly with a poor duck dive due to nerves and then my neck weight nearly knocked off my nose clip which barely hung on during the entire descent. But luckily equalisation went ok to the bottom and as soon as I took the tag I knew I had the dive. Unfortunately Ed didn't make his dive, having announced 10m deeper than his former record, and making an early turn.
On 19th September, the first comp day of the AIDA Depth World Championships, Dave Kent joined the action, putting further pressure on Tranny and Ed, and the tables turned in Ed's favour. Tranny made the most conservative announcement with 58m, followed by Ed with 60m and Dave Kent with 62m. Tranny was up first but didn’t make it. Ed completed a 60m dive, claiming his second National Record in two minutes 19 seconds. Ed said: I trained hard this year and it paid off, I managed to focus and it was as close to a perfect dive as I could have wished for, a solid 60m. Ed's glory was short-lived as minutes later his record was broken by a Dave Kent, who made a clean and easy dive to 62m in two minutes 20 seconds. Kent, at his first ever major comp said: The world's were awesome, it was great to meet so many athletes that up until then had just been names from hours of watching YouTube footage. My time in Kalamata has only reinforced my desire to attend further championships, and improve as a no fins freediver.
The other disciplines at the event were Free Immersion and Constant Weight. In the Mediterranean Cup on 13th September Mike Board did a 77m FIM to regain the National Record from Dave King who had set it at 73m in June in France. But on the 24th September the final day of the AIDA World Depth Championships, Mike extended this record by a further six metres setting a new record in FIM of 83m in a dive time of two minutes 55 seconds.
Mike said: "It's been a fantastic month of training and dive performances for me that far exceeded my expectations. Training went well and I felt strong and confident enough to try new depths on the competition days."
The team was sponsored by Elios wetsuits (www.eliossub.com) who donated the full team a brand new wetsuit each for the Worlds. Thank you, Elios!
Congratulations to all nine British athletes attended these two amazing events.
Dave Tranfield
Sara Campbell
Dave Kent
Liv Philip
Dave King
Georgina Miller
Ed Wardle
Mike Board
Gary McGrath (Med World Cup)
For more information contact press@britishfreediving.org
For images contact Hungry Eye Images: www.hungryeye.co.uk, email - matt.green@hungryeye.co.uk , tel - 07767 848133
09/10/2011: A new British record in constant weight, no fins free diving set by David Kent at Dahab's Blue Hole
Only twenty days after setting the British Men's Constant Weight, No Fins Free Diving record at 62 meters (204 ft) at The World Championships in Kalamata, Greece on 19th September, David Kent, 41, broke and reset his own record by comfortably diving an impressive 66 meters (217 ft) in 2.32 minutes in The Blue Hole, Dahab, Egypt, on 9th October.
To set the Constant Weight, No Fins Free Diving record, Kent was required to descend to a pre-announced depth and return to the surface on a single breath of air and present the bottom-tag to the judges to qualify; He did this without incident and looked clear and focused as he resurfaced, a good indication that there's still deeper depths he can reach over time.
The discipline Kent specialises in (one of the three major competition disciplines) is often referred to as 'unassisted free diving', as the athlete swims to their depths and resurfaces without the aid of fins, sleds, airbag, or any other supplement - using only the combined power and discipline of the body and the mind.
41 year old Sussex Police Sergeant David Kent was given a mini career-break to train for and compete in the World Championships this year. He was coached by Brian Crossland of Blue Ocean Free Diving in Dahab, Egypt, leading up to the Worlds, then returned to train up for and carry out his record breaking attempt, organised and overseen by Crossland. He will no doubt be welcomed back to The Force with a huge round of well-deserved applause as the UK Men’s World Record holder.
Kent has now set his sights on competing in the 2013 World Championships to medal-winning standard.
04/09/2011: Phil Clayton sets new DNF record
On Sunday the 4th September, at the Auckland Freediving Club Deep Obsession competition Phil Clayton beat his standing UK DNF National Record of 138m with a dive of 144m. What makes this achievement remarkable is that the dive was done on exhale (slightly beyond a passive exhale). Phil has been training exhale DNF around one day per week as part of his training regime as it was much easier to train while travelling for business without 4+kg of weights!
As time went by Phil (and his dive buddies) were repeatedly surprised by longer and longer exhale dives with no apparent hypoxia. Following the Wellington Winter Champs in June it became apparent that an attempt on the National Record was possible on exhale.
The first attempt on Sat 3rd was unsuccessful with the dive terminated at 110m, thought to be due to excess CO2. Changing the breathe-up on the Sunday lead to a successful result!
Phil is now keen to get back in the sea and the local lake to start constant weight training after all this 'exhale craziness' and is rumoured to be thinking that Nice would be Nice....
21/08/2011: NoTanx Dive Off Sept 17th/18th
Every Year since 2005,NoTanx have run a Freediving Comp in Vobster Quay. It has grown, now taking place over 2 days. There are 4 different competitions, such as the guess your depth comp on Sunday. But the main event is the NoTanx depth Comp. Of course, NoTanx is based on experience rather than performance... (enjoyment rather than depth) so it is only right that the winner is voted on by the other competitors. So it is "The Best Dive" rather than the deepest that will win.
This year 1st Prize = an all expenses paid Summer Vacation to Marsa Alam!!!!(Courtesy of Oonas Divers)
With 50 spaces for freedivers and various other activities, this year is even more of a spectator event. The Team Static is always a favourite with the crowd, where teams of apneists attempt to perform a "relay" of breath holds whilst being "distracted" by the other teams. (Pouring ice cold water on their backs was deemed as legal, as long as it was done from inside the water).
Although the largest UK freediving comp, the entry fee is always low as NoTanx Freediving Club is a non-profit organisation, dedicated to widening participation in this fun and healthy sport. 
06/07/2011: Ed Wardle sets new National Record in Constant Weight no Fins
Ed Wardle, aged 40, a newcomer to competitive freediving, has taken his first National Record 55m in Constant No Fins (CNF swimming breaststroke down and back) in a special event in Santorini, Greece on 21 June 2011. The dive took him 2 minutes 11 seconds.
Ed's personal website: www.edwardle.tv 
Photo by Will Winram
10/06/2011: Dave King does it again! New National Record in Free Immersion
Free Immersion seems to be popular recently, barely a month has passed since Mike Board reclaimed this record, it has been broken by Dave King. Pulling himself down to 73m in France last weekend where he was diving to acquiring points for the up coming World Championships. 
11/05/2011: National Record in Free Immersion 3rd May 2011
On the 3rd May 2011 British freediver Mike Board, 40, a former Royal Marine who now lives in Gili Trawangan in Indonesia, reclaimed his National Record in Free Immersion (pulling himself down and up a submerged, weighted rope) with a faultless dive to 72m. The dive, held at the 'Freedive International' Minicomp in Dahab's Blue Hole, took 2 minutes and 41 seconds. Mike was again coached by four-times World Record holder Sara Campbell. 
Photo by Jan Windszus
02/04/2011: LIDS winning BFA lotto ticket draw 2011
The winning ticket for the BFA Raffle is: 
Please would the winner contact us by clicking Info.
02/04/2011: UK National Indoor Championships 2011
The weekend of 11-12 March saw the UK freediving community congregating in Liverpool's fabulous state of the art Aquatics Centre for the annual indoor national championships. 
Saturday saw an unusual dedicated day of no fins diving, with 15 athletes invited to compete. With the movable boom in place to provide the ideal 25m pool, things were all set for the no finners. Newly qualified from the BFA's sponsorship programme, Dave Tranfield, was joined poolside by the experienced Sue Pugh to judge the day's events and some hopeful record attempts.
First up were some solid dives by some new freedivers, including many new to no fins an encouraging sign for the growth of this often overlooked discipline. In the men's event John Moorcroft came out on top with an impressive 130m swim, getting close to a new UK record. In the women's event, Liv Philip extended her national record by 5m, setting a new mark of 111m.
Day 2 of the event brought the UK Championships proper, with athletes competing in static and dynamic. The dive of the day in the men's competition was undoubtedly Dave King's new UK dynamic record of 226m. Dave took the overall men's championship for the second year running. Runner-up was Chris Crawshaw from the local Northern gang and in third place was Tim Money from London Freedivers in Richmond.
Liv Philip followed up on her DNF record by taking the women's championship with two solid dives. London Freediver George Miller was second, and third in the UK championship was newbie from Apneist UK, Nikki Bream.
The highlight of the weekend however, was a courageous and successful dynamic from Mandy Buckley of 150m. Mandy has recovered from a serious illness over the last year and to see her back to her best was an inspiration for everyone present. Mandy will be swimming the Great North Swim on June 18 in aid of CLIC Sergeant and the RNLI. You can sponsor her by going to here. Last word of thanks goes to Steve Millard and his team for organising another very successful competition. The facilities at Liverpool are first class, the staff were incredibly helpful and everyone was made to feel very welcome. We look forward to competing in a major international event here soon, and fingers crossed even more sponsors will see the appeal and we will entice some continental divers over :-)
We thank our current sponsors for helping this happen
Lifestyles Leisure
Sean Peters www.sppv.co.uk
George Stoyle www.earthinfocus.com
Orca wetsuits www.orca.com
Urban Gastropubs
Electrical lighting superstore
No-Tanx
Free divers
03/03/2011: NoTanx 5th Birthday Competition
This year NoTanx is holding its 5th annual Birthday competition on 19th March at Tooting Pool in South West London. It will include static and dynamic events, with a capacity for up to 45 athletes – both seasoned and newbies. The event is open to all freedivers, not just NoTanx divers. 
NoTanx likes to focus on enjoyment and involvement as well as specific freediving skills and performance. Everyone is encouraged to coach other athletes as well as do their own dives, as buddying is a key aspect of all forms of freediving.
The competition will be held in two pools; it kicks off with the first official top in static at 4pm, followed by dynamics in a 33m pool starting at 7pm. Both pools have spectator areas, so bring your friends and family to watch and cheer you on. Registration is between 2-3pm. £15 for NoTanx members and £25 for non-members.
With two major pool competitions in March, the official British Open 'ooop norf' and the NoTanx 'daaahn saarf' there are no excuses this year for everyone not joining in the fun!
To register click here. Good luck everybody!
26/01/2011: Liv Philip named World's Absolute Freediver 2010
Liv Philip, the 35 year old freediver from South London, was the surprise winner of the 'World Absolute Freediver Awards 2010'. Liv claimed the award based on highest overall scores internationally across all six competitive disciplines. She clocked up a massive 346.1 points, which included a static breathhold (STA) of 5 minutes 43; 105m in dynamics no fins (DNF, underwater breaststroke); and the long-sought-after round number of 60m in constant weight (CWT depth with a monofin).
Photo by Emma Critchley
Liv is one of the big names of British freediving, having secured eight National Records in five of the six disciplines. On the international circuit she is a regular and popular competitor, and it is her consistency and determination as an athlete that has brought her this top accolade.
Liv said: I'm motivated first and foremost by my love of water and that spurs me on to continue. Anything else is an added extra, but the improvement in my results motivates me to keep working hard to fund my training. I'm keen to see what lies ahead in 2011, but the main thing will be to continue having fun.
Liv is expected to compete at the Indoor Nationals being held in Liverpool in March, as well as many of the depth competitions, including the Worlds in Greece in September.
Liv added: Freediving is an amazing sport we get to hangout in the blue training in pools and the ocean and they give us lovely awards just for doing what is incredible fun.
Liv is currently looking for sponsorship so if anyone is interested in contacting her, please email her at liv_ok@hotmail.com
The BFA congratulates Liv for her awesome performance, wishes her much success for 2011 and looks forward to making further announcements about her, and other athletes incredible dives this year.
Thanks to Fusion Lifestyle for their support of Liv's training in London.
25/01/2011: The Great Northern - UK National (with guests) Pool Competition 2011
Apneists UK are delighted to be able to announce that once again we will be holding the BFA UK National Pool Freediving Competition. We are holding a small showcase dynamic no-fins competition on Saturday 12th March and be held at the Liverpool Aquatics Centre, Wavertree. This has kindly been sponsored by Lifestyle leisure who are also helping us host the main event. We have invited Male and female divers capable of breaking the UK record with that intention and we will open it up to divers from abroad to get their respective NR in DNF. Also it will be an opportunity for some elite divers to get their AIDA ranking points for this years World Championships later in the year so hopefully we will be well represented. The main event will be on Sunday 13th March 2011. The event will once again be called 'The Great Northern' because we can't be bothered thinking of anything better and we liked that name anyway. We will be hosting the Static (STA) and Dynamic with Fins (DYN) or Dynamic no-fins (DNF) but being a 50m pool it is better suited for DYN.
Everybody is welcome!
The spaces are for seasoned athletes and also those new to the sport. I will ensure all the information you require if you are a 'newbie' is given to you and we will make sure you are welcomed and look after you. Everyone starts somewhere! There are around 40 spaces over the two days (this can be increased) to compete and you will receive an AIDA World ranking. Last year we saw many personal bests set and a NR at the venue because of the excellent facilities, relaxed atmosphere and.. I suppose the athletes themselves. The 'with guests' tag means that although it is the UK National competition that even if you are not a UK citizen you can compete, and in fact we would encourage it, Liverpool is next to a major city, and itself has an airport / trains for easy access. You could be amongst the next generation of successful Freedivers, or maybe you already are! What are you waiting for? We are also welcome those wanting to help. Some jobs are essential, the whole competition is set up to support the competing athletes so if you want to help let me know, we need at least 15-20 people to make it run smoothly. If you can help please contact Steve Millard
The Liverpool Aquatics Centre was the perfect venue last year for a Great competition. At the heart of the state-of-the-art facility is an Olympic sized pool with moveable floor, which is used as a training camp by some of the world's best swimmers in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games. Aside from the main pool (which can be divided into two if required) there is also an additional 20 metre training pool. For the Great Northern 2011 event the 20 metre training pool will be used in the morning to host the STA event and the 50m Olympic pool to hold the DYN event.
The Great Northern will provide the ideal opportunity for athletes in the UK and from the continent to gain AIDA ranking to be counted for their National Team selection. Focusing on STA and DYN. It's also the perfect place to meet other Freedivers and meet some of the personalities in the sport. Please click click for pictures, testimonials and any other information from last years competition. I will update this soon.
Convinced? Please click here for your enrolment form.
Still not convinced? Turn up anyway, there is a free viewing gallery and after you have seen what its all about we will probably see you competing at next years event
18/12/2010: Wanted - new AIDA Judges!
The BFA is looking for up to 8 people to qualify as AIDA Judges. We have a few judges in the UK but sometimes struggle to find judges who are available to support our competitions so it seems to make sense to make a few more. To make this happen, the BFA have decided to organise a course in the UK and subsidise the cost to bring it within reach of more UK freedivers.
What is the judge course? The judge course is a two day programme conducted by an AIDA Judge Instructor. It will cover theory and practice of judging AIDA Record attempts. You'll use videos, pool and open water mocked-up scenarios to learn how to judge surface protocol, go through the AIDA Rules in intricate detail in the classroom and also learn how to stretch a rope and set up a site for a depth record attempt. It is a full-on weekend, you'll learn loads and you'll have a lot of fun.
Where and when is it happening? The judge course will take place on the 5/6 February 2011 using the Saltfree facilities at the National Diving and Activity Centre in Chepstow. It will start at 9am on the Saturday and finish around 4pm on the Sunday. (Yes, you may well need to get in the lake in February - consider it a test of keenness!).
What will it cost? The BFA is subsidising this course so the course that you will have to pay is only £100. You will also need to cover any accommodation and travel expenses for the weekend.
Who can apply? All candidates must be able to provide proof of:
Minimum age of 21 First Aid and CPR Certificate not older than two years (at the course date) Resident in the UK Experience as a competitor, coach or safety-freediver at an official AIDA competition (Start and resultlist and/or other records) and be medically fit to freedive At least AIDA** Freediver certification or equivalent Current member of the BFA (at the time you apply for the course) Scuba Diver Level PADI Open Water (or equivalent) highly recommended. Mandatory for Judge's levels A, B & C. What are you looking for? We are looking for a good geographic spread of judges, people who are likely to be available to judge over the next few years, and who probably have some competitive freediving experience - but most importantly you need to be keen!
How do I apply for a place? If you'd like to be considered for a place on the course, please send a copy of your freediving CV and a brief email explaining why you think you'd be a good AIDA Judge and why we should select you to the
Competitions Officer and
Records Officer before the end of December 2010. We will let you know in early January if you have been successful.
Any questions? If you have any queries before applying or would like to talk to someone about their experience as a judge, please contact
Sam Kirby who will be more than happy to try and help.
29/09/2010: BFA AGM Announced - Sunday 14th November
It's that time of year again. This year's British Freediving Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place at the National Diving and Activity Centre, Chepstow (www.ndac.co.uk for directions) from 1pm until about 4pm on Sunday 14 November. You are all very welcome to come to the AGM, listen, take part, give your views and if you wish, to join us for a freedive in the morning.
The AGM is your chance to find out what the British Freediving Association has been up to over the past year and express your views on what it should be doing in the year ahead. Most importantly, it is your chance to stand for a Committee position and get involved!
We need to fill quite a few gaps in the BFA Committee this year and really hope you will use this chance to give something back to the sport you love. Without the BFA, we may not be able to compete at International or organise recognised competitions, will struggle with teaching insurance and won't get our records recognised properly. If the Committee positions are not filled, then there is a good chance the BFA won't be able to continue - so please consider whether you might be able to give an hour or so a week to give something back. To continue, according to our Constitution, we must appoint at least a Chair, Membership Secretary, Training & Safety Officer and a Treasurer. At the moment, only one of these posts has someone who definitely wishes to stand for election.
The Committee posts can all be managed wherever you live, as long as you have internet and email access a couple of times a week. Whilst it would be helpful, to us and to you, you do not need to attend the AGM to stand for a position.
03/09/2010: New UK Record - 100m passed!
The British Freediving Association is delighted to be able to announce that it today ratified a new British Record in the No Limits discipline.
Jim Lawless successfully dived to 101m using a sled and lift bag in Sharm El Sheikh on 28 August 2010, with the dive lasting 2 minutes and 7 seconds. Jim's record exceeds that of Paul Whincup set at 77m back in 2005.
The first Brit to outdive his D4 - Photo by Deborah Metcalfe, Blue Eye FX
Jim is the first British Freediver to officially break the 100m mark but others are following swiftly behind. The BFA is looking forward to more 100m+ dives in the next year or so - and with our Constant Weight records for men and women now both in the 90s, it may not be long before someone does it without a sled!
The BFA would like to extend hearty congratulations to Jim and many thanks to the judges Marco Nones, Angela Ambrosi and all at Only One Apnea Centre for making this possible.
15/07/2010: Dave King breaks UK record with a 91m CW dive!
On the 12th July 2010 Dave King dived a stunning 91m CWT at the Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt setting a new UK record.
To read the editoral and watch the BBC interview with Dave's dive please visit the BBC by clicking here.
22/06/2010: 3rd Mediterranean Freediving World Cup
Seven British athletes attended the 3rd Mediterranean Freediving World Cup, between 6th and 20th June 2010, hosted in Kalamata Greece by Stavros Kastrinakis. Liv Philip, Georgina Miller, Maria-Teresa Solomons, Sue Pugh, Tim Money, David Tranfield and Mark Harris all competed.
In addition, Long-standing BFA committee member Ben Noble competed, representing Australia.
Photo provided by Laura Storm
A summary of their key achievements follows:
2nd place for Maria-Teresa Solomons in the Women's overall results 3rd place for Liv Philip in the Women's overall results 3rd place for Mark Harris in the Men's overall results 2nd place for Maria-Teresa Solomons, Sue Pugh and Georgina Miller in the Women's team results A new British record in Constant-Weight No-fins of 53 metres for David Tranfield A new British record in Free Immersion of 70 metres for Mark Harris A new Australian record in Variable Weight of 100 metres for Ben Noble A new Australian record in No-Limits of 105 metres for Ben Noble 25/05/2010: Sponsors of Team GB at the 2010 World Championships
The British Freediving Association (BFA) is very proud to announce that Team GB will be sponsored by Elios, Fourth Element and Suunto.
To visit any of our sponsors please click on the logo's below.
23/05/2010: BFA selects Freediving Team for World Championships Okinawa, Japan
The British Freediving Association (BFA) has made its selection for Team GB to represent the UK at the 2010 Freediving Team World Championships in Okinawa, Japan. The event will take place from 30th June until 10th July,and Team GB will be sponsored by Elios wetsuits, Fourth Element clothing, and Suunto.
The UK will be represented by three of the most experienced athletes in the country: Sam Still, Maria-Teresa Solomons and Suzanne Pugh, making up a mixed team, which will compete in the men's category.
To find out more about this or to download our offical press release please click here
12/05/2010: NoTanx freediving display in the Dubai Mall
The 12 guys and girls have just returned from performing in front of over 10,000 people in Dubai
The display was intended to raise awareness of our sport and the conservation efforts of the Dubai Aquarium. It was full supported by Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd.... "We [Sea Shepherd] are not invited to Aquariums, so your shows are a great opportunity to pass on our message to a new audience"
With over 1000 people coming to the Mall especially for the show it was a great success and gained TV coverage all over the Middle East and Europe.
We would like to thank Immersion and 4th Element for supporting us, as well as Paul Hamilton and his team in the Aquarium itself.
08/05/2010: Mike Board claims his first British Record 68m FIM - Friday 26th March 2010
The British men's Free Immersion freediving record has fallen to a new-comer. Mike Board, training with Sara Campbell at her Discover Your Depths training camp in March, set the new record of 68m with a dive time of two minutes 39 seconds on Monday 22nd March.
Mike, already a freediving instructor, runs his own school near Bali on the idyllic island of Gili Trawangan. He completed the dive on the second day of competition.
Mike said: I didn't really have any goals when I came to train with Sara in Dahab, simply to improve my own diving and become a better instructor as a result. However, my progress was so fast once she taught me the mouthfill properly, the British FIM record suddenly came into view.
Sara said: Mike trained with me for three weeks and am thrilled by his progress he arrived a 43m diver and leaves with a really impressive National Record, and is more or less touching 70m. He absolutely deserves this result and I look forward to seeing his name at the top of results lists in the future.
At the same event, Sam Still, who became World Champion in static five years ago, made an impressive come-back to the competition circuit after four years out, with two strong dives, racking up a total of 124 points to put him in first place in the competition overall. Mike came a very close second with 121 points after equalisation problems forced him to turn early on his attempt at 70m Constant Weight on day one.
Most of the divers were competing with a hope of qualifying for the British Team going to the World Championships in Okinawa, Japan later this year. However, many were less successful, several competing for the first time ever and learning valuable lessons in terms of the rules for international competition and the surface protocol.
Sara added: Many divers forget that a successful competitive dive is 50 percent the dive, 50 percent technical details and rules, which must be studied and practiced ahead of a competition as much as the actual depth and breathhold training.
To contact Mike please click here
25/04/2010: A thank you to the sponsers of the Great Northern 2010 - by Liv Philip
As the clocks sprang forwards on the 28th March, the Liverpool Aquatics Centre was the beautiful venue of the UK National Freediving Pool Championship and marked the day when UK Freedivers came out of hibernation after a long, cold winter. As one of the 20 athletes I'd arrived at the competition grateful for an occasion so early in the year. After a slow start to my 2010 season, it had motivated me to train and get me out of all the bad habits of the winter.
Great Northern 2010 womens winners - Photo by Jean-Marc Kuffer The day bought an interesting array of UK athletes from a broad selection of UK clubs together. Both the static and dynamic pools were perfect for the events, and the organisation, with Stuart Bond and Steve Millard both from Apneists UK (www.freedivers.co.uk) at the helm, left us athletes happy and relaxed to concentrate on our dives. There were some nice performances from newer divers and you could almost hear the rust falling off some of us more experienced ones. I was feeling a bit light on training so was really happy to take first place with 2 solid dives of 5.32 static and 133m dynamic putting some confidence in for later in the year. With many athletes achieving pbs, eye catching 150m dynamics from Stuart Bond and Mandy Buckley, & also with best newcomer Chris Laycock with a nifty 123m dynamic, Steves Northern Club Apneists UK looked on fine form on home turf with the men finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th and two great swims from the ladies.
There was also good performances from George Miller and Sam Still who finished second winning trygon nose clips, and Stuart Bond and Sam Kirby receiving mono fin bags from No-Tanx for their third place but swim of the day had to go to Dave King with a groundbreaking dive of 217m dynamic for a new UK record, which not so long ago would have been a world record. He not only did a great swim, but he has such a fantastic attitude and is a great role model for other divers, that to see him do a dive like this was really fantastic.
As UK Champion, Id like to thank ORCA WETSUITS for supplying Dave & I with new suits, and on behalf of all the athletes to the entire dive team for all their hard work on a day which left you feeling very excited about UK Freediving.
02/04/2010: Great Northern 2010 - by Emma Farrell
On Sunday 28th March 2010 I, along with Matt Kitchen were the AIDA Judges for the BFA Great Northern Pool Competition at the Liverpool Aquatics Centre. For me, competitions are always an experience, but being out of the water made it a lot more fun.
Being pool side and watching the athletes compete meant that not only did I have the benefit of seeing all the preparation, performances and technique, but I was also given an amazing snapshot of the state of UK Freediving in the run up to the team world championships in Okinawa and the world cup in Greece and it's looking really healthy. This competition was all about unifying the various groups around the UK to put forward a united front.
First place for the men was taken by David King with a storming 6.58 static and 217m dynamic swim creating a new British record. He was coached fantastically by George Miller who came second in the women's comp, their electric blue suits marking them out as team Smurf. The only thing missing was Papa.
Sam Still of Apneists UK training at the moment in London, came second for the men, since his phenomenal position as world champion just a few short years ago, and then semi-retirement after the Dahab bombings, Sam was poolside demonstrating Qi Gong and an incredible physique, and back in the water 'just taking it easy' with two solid white card performances. Stuart Bond of Apneists UK was just behind him in third with a lovely 150 dynamic.
The competition was organised by Steve Millard of www.freedivers.co.uk, assisted by Stuart Bond of the BFA. Steve has been instrumental in growing British Freediving in the North West and in a few short years has an active club of over 50 and great new talent including the Buckley mermaids (Mandy with a 150m dynamic and her sister-in-law Alison with a solid 100m in her first competition) and also Chris Laycock who won 'best newbie' with an easy 123 dynamic swim.
Even though the ladies were thinner on the ground and we were missing big hitters such as Sara Campbell, the competition was very close with great performances from Liv Philip who came first in front of George Miller and Sam Kirby.
As a judge, my job was made all the easier by incredible organisation and facility, support from a great team and well drilled athletes. click here to watch Daves amazing swim.
Sponsors:
Liverpool Aquatics Centre
BFA
First Prizes - Orca suit
Second Prizes - Trygon
Third Prizes - No Tanx monofin bags
31/03/2010: NoTanx Freediving Competition results
Saturday 13th March saw the UK's Biggest Freediving Competition. 32 Clean performances by BFA members (Ady Hamilton did get a a technical red card for pushing on the bottom.... but then again he did walk 38m carrying 16Kg of weight!!)
Results...
1st place Lee Sheward (Biggest smile - Immersion Watch)
Joint 2nd Alan Barber (170m 98% grade - O'Neill Wetsuit)
Joint 2nd Jack Dybczak (Most relaxed dive - Immersion Stream Watch)
3rd Place Shared - Freya Greatwood, Ginny Kennedy, Bev Warner NoTanx would like to thank all those who gave up their dive to help run the event.
03/03/2010: Great Northern Comp
Apneists UK are proud to announce they are hosting the BFA National pool competition on the 28th March 2010. The event will include both the Static (STA) and Dynamic with fins (DYN) disciplines. It has been officially recognised by AIDA International as a National with guests competition so all athletes will receive an AIDA worldwide ranking. This is important as many of the athletes are using the competition to gain points for the upcoming World Championships in Japan. Many of the UKs most respected freedivers will either be competing or providing services for the smooth running of the event so it will be a great opportunity to meet some really good people. If you would like to come and support the event or spectate everyone is welcome. Directions to the event and further details can be found by clicking here.
03/03/2010: NoTanx at the London Internional Dive Show
NoTanx will be repeating the Fantastic Dive' off Competition at London International Dive Show 27th/28th March at ExCeL. 
A "features" video of this event can be viewed here Try your luck to win an O'Neill wetsuit or an Immersion Dive Computer by guessing the winner of a Static Breathold or just pick up some tips as the how The NTStyle can improve your diving... Information about the only complete freedive training system will be availible on stand 558 As always they will have a complete stock of freediving Equipment: including Elios Wetsuits, Cressi fins and the Incredible, new NoTanx Monofin bags.
03/03/2010: COMPETITION HOTTING UP FOR WORLDS TEAM SELECTION.
Six British athletes will be battling it out for a place on the Team going to Okinawa later this year, at two competitions being held in Dahab by Sara Campbell, supported by Freedive Dahab. Athletes listed to attend are: Jay Cluskey Chris Holmes Mike Board Anna Parayiar Charlie Edwards Sam Still Static will be held on 18th March at the Swiss Inn Hotel, followed by two depth days on 21st and 22nd March in the Blue Hole for athletes to improve their rankings in Constant Weight. Sara will be coaching the athletes in the run up to the competitions and all are hoping that her 'magic mouthfill' will rub off on them to get deep enough to qualify! Good luck to everyone hoping to get on the squad!
