Competitiveness in freediving: when to motivate and when to harm
The psychological aspect of competing in freediving and how to balance ambition and safety.
Competing in freediving is a double-edged sword. Where appropriate, it leads to development, and incorrectly, it leads to danger.
Healthy Competition in Diving
Healthy competition is your competition with yourself. The goal is to beat your personal record last week, not to beat someone else.
Risks of false competition
When a diver wants to pass another person, he begins to ignore his body's signals and takes on more tension than necessary, and this is a sure way to an accident.
Competing in official competitions
In official competitions there are rules, safety, doctors and observers. This is the right place to compete with others.
The role of the partner in managing competition
A good partner encourages you but doesn't push you past your limits. A partner who tempts you with statements such as “You are worth more” without truly knowing your limits is not a good partner.
Your best diving competitor is your copy a week ago. Overcome it and you will always win.