As cricket continues to hog the sporting limelight, diver Dinesh Saundappa is quietly making history for India. He made a new national record in freediving, achieving a depth of 34.5 metres in the Variable Weight category. This milestone marks a significant moment for the sport in India, highlighting the growing presence of Indian athletes in less conventional sporting arenas. Dinesh’s journey into the world of professional freediving began almost by accident. While scuba diving in the Maldives, he found himself so captivated by the underwater world that he decided to pursue freediving seriously. Today, he has transitioned from a curious diver to a certified freediving coach and a national record holder.
Speaking to NDTV, Dinesh mentioned that he wasn’t even aware he had broken the record at the moment it happened. He has dedicated this achievement to his mother.
Why Freediving?
Freediving is often described as a meditative experience rather than just a physical challenge. Unlike scuba diving, which relies on heavy equipment, freediving is about exploring the depths on a single breath. For Dinesh, the sport acts as a form of “medicine” that offers a sense of absolute freedom and tranquility.
According to Dinesh, the sport is as much about mental discipline as it is about lung capacity. As a diver descends, the increasing pressure causes the oxygen in the lungs to compress. To conserve oxygen for vital organs, the mind must remain perfectly still. Training allows a diver’s heart rate to drop significantly.
While a typical resting heart rate is around 75-80 bpm, a freediver’s heart rate can plunge to 40-50 bpm during a dive. Meditation is a crucial part of his training, helping him maintain the focus required to manage the body’s oxygen consumption effectively while diving.
Dinesh also emphasised the critical role of a coach in this high-stakes sport. Because a diver must trust their life to the person on the surface or accompanying them, the bond between the athlete and the coach is paramount. He credited his own coach for providing the support necessary to reach these record-breaking depths.
Since 1992, the International Association for the Development of Apnea (AIDA) has been the global governing body ensuring that such competitions are held under strict safety protocols. While many enjoy freediving for recreation, competitive categories — such as Variable Weight, Static Apnea, and Constant Weight — continue to push the limits of what a human body can do.