Instead, freediving training in Lake Dunstan and Moana Pool earlier this month was all about the golden rules of the underwater sport: keeping it safe, and in perspective, those leading and taking part in the programme said.
Dive Otago instructor and marketing manager Virginia Watson said it was vital to educate the public about the reality of the first Professional Association of Diving Instructors (Padi) freediver programme to be held in the region.
Eight Dive Otago students took part in the programme - run by New Zealand freediving instructor Bryan Bailey, of Blenheim - at Moana Pool and Lake Dunstan on August 5-6, and those people would then do more advanced training and become instructors themselves, Miss Watson said.
Then the training would be able to be delivered to the public in Otago for the first time, she said. Padi had been doing scuba training for more than 50 years, but the freediver programme was only launched worldwide in November 2015.
She said freediving training - which involved diving without the aid of scuba equipment, on a single breath - was all about safety, and ``not about holding your breath''.
Instead the focus was on ``extending your breath hold'' and ``safely and slowly increasing your tolerance to carbon dioxide'', all the while combating any competitive nature, and ``turning it into a personal adventure'', Miss Watson said.
She said freediving was increasing in popularity as a sport, as was its ``close neighbour'', spearfishing, and the Padi course delivered standardised techniques that would keep divers safe while in training, as well as out in the ocean.
``There are inherent risks in concentrating on extending your breath hold and recent incidents during pool training sessions, along with spearfishing fatalities, have highlighted the need for further training among the community. While there are risks, these can be easily managed when correct procedures are followed.''
Those who took part in the Moana Pool and Lake Dunstan programme reiterated it was about ``learning safe techniques, not pushing your limits''. The skills could be applied to other sports such as spearfishing, and were ``pretty cool'', students said.
Miss Watson said freediving was a ``peaceful and very quiet'' discipline.
``It's actually really relaxing. Compared to scuba, you're a lot more free, not having all that equipment. It's quite meditative.
