Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 278

2nd Yogyakarta International Seminar on Health, Physical Education, and Sport Science (YISHPESS 2018)
1st Conference on Interdisciplinary Approach in Sports (CoIS 2018)

The Analysis of Diving Resistance by Using Dry

Static Method for Freediving Beginners
Syamsul Bakri Suharjana
Master Program in Sport Sciences Faculty of Sport Sciences
Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta, Indonesia Yogyakarta, Indonesia
itakoreso7@gmail.com suharjana_fikuny@yahoo.com

Abstract—diving is an integral part of freediving. Diving By considering the human respiratory system, while diving,
skills are techniques carried out by freediving athletes to survive heartbeat rate decreases more when lung volume is held at 60%
in the water for a longer estimated time more than a regular compared to 85% of vital capacity. This happens because as a
swimmer. Static dry is a method employed by swimmers to last result of smaller lung volume, activity in the lungs adapts
longer in the water. This research was conducted to analyze slowly to minimal or no stretch receptor. Furthermore, it is
resistance duration of freediving beginner athletes diving speculated that in a larger lung volume, intrathoracic pressure
through the use of dry static method. This research used hampers the venous return and reduces stroke volume which
quantitative research method which was tested on 20 subjects. will partly be compensated by an increase of heartbeat rate [4]
The data collection techniques employed were tests and
.
measurements which were carried out by using a stopwatch.
Then, the data were analyzed by quantitative descriptive Freediving is one of the extreme sports carried out in water.
analysis. The results showed that the resistance of freediving Every freediving athlete has the opportunity to experience
beginners was categorized in the low category with duration of blackout (inability to survive in the water) which can cause
only 51: 10" up to 55: 45". Then it was found that the mistake of death. Nonetheless, freediving can be used to bring about the
freediving athletes in diving was due to environmental improvement of the mental capacity as well as increase the
conditions, fitness, body composition, nutritional status, capacity of the lung. The main characteristic that distinguishes
psychophysical relaxation or reflex diving.
freediving to other sports is that, in frediving, the performance
Keywords—dry static, dive resistance, freediving, beginner
of underwater athletes is related to their own physiological and
psychological limits. In addition, the athletes do not have direct
athletes. contact with their rivals. In other words, freediving athletes
depend on themselves when diving [2].
I. INTRODUCTION Special Region of Yogyakarta, for example, has some
Diving has emerged as an increasingly popular competitive freediving communities, such as Jogja Freediving Unit (JFU)
sport in the past 30 years [1]. Freediving is a sport where and Ambifi. The two communities’ activities have been used
individuals dive freely by holding their breath in water [2]. as a place for beginner athletes who desire to learn and improve
Millions of people around the world enjoy snorkeling. Many diving achievements in DIY. Based on the initial observations
of them take one deep breath then dive for a few moments. that the researchers conducted on both freediving communities
Humans also show a similar behavior, but generally not including Jogja Freediving Unit and Ambifi, the researchers
popular, compared to the water mammals. The individual found that when the athletes dive, their respiratory resistance is
difference of the decrease in heartbeat rate were observed in not optimal. This can be seen from the inability of athletes to
the human range from insignificant to 70-80% change from survive in water for a long time. In order to support the finding,
pre-diving heartbeat rate [3]. In addition, there is need for the researchers conducted interviews with two freediving
consideration of some important things when we dive and trainers to ask what obstacles occurred during their training.
those things are related life. Respiration is directly related to Each of the trainers said that the obstacles that often occur in
oxygen in the body. When diving, available oxygen is beginner athletes are their respiratory capacity and short
channeled to the most sensitive organs of the body including duration while diving which causes the athletes’ resistance in
asphyxia, heart and brain as well as the functioning of the diving not to be optimal. Based on the existing gaps, the
muscle [3]. researchers were interested in analyzing dry static techniques
on diving athletes’ diving resistance.
Good respiration is important when practicing freediving
so as to easily balance the oxygen needed with CO2 that enters This research was aimed at analyzing the diving resistance
the body. But in reality, many athletes are not too concerned through the use of dry static method for beginner athletes of
with good breathing techniques when they start diving. freediving. The purpose of this study was evaluated through
Unnoticed, this will have effect on their respiratory system in field testing, the duration of diving resistance time, and other
the future considering the fact that health must be considered factors that influence the dive resistance of freediving
by a freediving athlete. One of the best ways by which beginners.
freediving athletes can be helped to maintain good respiratory
system is by providing breathing training methods for them.

Copyright © 2018, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

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 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 278

II. METHOD TABLE I. THE DATA OF DIVING RESISTANCE

A. Type of the research Diving

Club Average Percentage
This research made use of quantitative descriptive method Duration
Difference (%)
̅)
Average (𝒙
which has been defined to be a research based on data from
systematic empirical reality that can be measured by numbers JFU 55 : 45”
which are then described in narrative form. 4 : 35” 7, 25 %
Amfibi 51 : 10”
B. Time and place of the research
This research was conducted for four weeks, precisely in
July 2018. The research location was the FIK UNY swimming Based on the test which was conducted on 20 people who
pool. Ideally, four weeks is enough to measure the diving were classified into two freediving beginner athletes clubs, the
resistance of a freediving beginner athletes, considering that researchers found that the average diving durations are 55:45”
the activities do not require long time for the collection of data. and 51:10”. Moreover, the average difference between the
The research was conducted every Sunday at 4:00 p.m. clubs is only 4:35". This result is far from the standard for a
freediving athlete who has dived for over a year. This can be
C. Subject of the Research seen by using the following normal curves:
The population used in this research was Yogyakarta
beginner athletes of freediving. The entire population in this
Example: Minimum Score = 1 Maximum Score = 3
research had some similar criteria; training in the same pool,
having an age susceptibility that is relatively the same 𝑥̅ = ( min. score + max. score)/ 2
(between 20-40 years old), having practiced together regularly = (1+3) / 2
for more than a year, and willing to be a research subject. The =2
subjects used in this research were 20 people from Yogyakarta Category:
beginner athletes of freediving. Not meet (Low) = 0 – 1’
Partially meet (Fair) = 1’ – 2’
D. Procedure of the research Fully meet (High) = 2’ – 3’
This research employed the use of quantitative descriptive
design where researchers observed the behavior of freediving
beginners. The researchers directed the subjects to hold their
breath on land, a process that is also known as dry static.
E. Technique for the collection of data
The techniques used in collecting the data that was used in
this research were tests and measurements to obtain objective
data about the diving resistance of freediving beginners. Tests
and measurements in this study were conducted four times and
the test results were recorded in the form of time or duration. 0 1’ 2’ 3’
K1 K2 K3
F. Instrument of the research Not Meet Partially Meet Fully Meet
This research was measured based on diving resistance Fig 1. Normality Curve
indicators and using stopwatch to find out how long the each
of the subjects was able to dive. B. Discussion
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The biggest reason why dry static was applied as a strategy
in the measurement of diving resistance is because the results
Apart from the methodology and procedures performed on gotten from the use of dry static technique is believed to have
freediving beginners to measure diving resistance, various the ability of influencing the limit of diving resistance of a
results and discussion of dry static related theories were also freediving beginner athlete. Based on this research, it was
applied to the subjects. The results and discussions in this found that all the diving resistance test results and
study are presented as follows. measurements were in the low category (not meet). This can be
A. Results seen from the average duration of diving of only 51: 10" to 55:
45". This duration is very low for a freediving beginner who is
In the previous section, researchers have conducted tests always in contact with water. A beginner athlete should be able
and measurements on the application of static dry techniques to show progress in terms of controlling himself/herself while
to measure dive resistance in freediving beginners. Data were in the water considering the fact that the subject has been
obtained using diving resistance indicators and analyzed using freediving for more than a year. Various factors influence the
quantitative descriptive techniques. The data on diving ability of a beginner athlete to hold his/her breath while diving
resistance value for freediving beginners are presented in the and they may be either internal or external factors.
table below.
The research found that environmental conditions, fitness,
body composition, nutritional status, psychophysical relaxation
or reflex diving are some of the factors that can affect an
individual's metabolic rate during diving [6]. When a person is
relax, there will be stability of thoughts and actions to perform
such a complex action (diving). Besides, lack of sleep also
affects a freediving athlete in diving as the body is not ready to

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 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 278

do activities that are quite complex and it may cause inability ACKNOWLEDGMENT
to dive longer in the water. Special thanks to my beloved campus, State University of
Dry static method is not the only way that can be used in Yogyakara and the Postgraduate Program which have been
measuring the diving resistance of a freediving athlete, there helpful in the completion of this thesis. Moreover, many thanks
are some other methods and techniques that are also quite to the thesis supervisor, Mr. Suharjana, who has guided me to
interesting to be applied. One of them is by using the static finish this research. And the last, I present this thesis to my
apnea method. Static apnea is also closely related to everything parents who are my greatest inspiration in everything.
that must be considered in freediving.
REFERENCE
IV. CONCLUSION [1] Bain, A. R., Drvis, I., Dujic, Z., MacLeod, D. B.,z & Ainslie, P. N.
The result of the research were analyzed and related to the Physiology of static breath holding in elite apneists. Experimental
physiology, 103(5), 635-651. 2018.
theory, and it can be concluded that the diving resistance of the
freediving beginners is still in the low category. This is shown [2] Alkan, N., & Akış, T. Psychological characteristics of free diving
from the average yield of diving resistance for freediving athletes: A comparative study. International Journal of Humanities
and Social Science, 3(15), 150-157. 2013.
beginners to be only 51: 10" up to 55: 45". These numbers are
still in a low standard for a beginner athlete who actually have [3] Schagatay, E., van Kampen, M., Emanuelsson, S., & Holm, B. Effects
of physical and apnea training on apneic time and the diving response
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diving athletes are related to their lack of relaxation before 2000.
diving. In addition, lack of sleep also affects a freediving [4] Foster, G. E., & Sheel, A. W. The human diving response, its function,
athlete in diving, which causes the inability of athletes to and its control. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports,
control themselves to dive longer in the water. 15(1), 3-12. 2005.
[5] Sugiyono, Metode penelitian kuantitatif kualitatif dan R & D,
Based on this research, it is recommended that the readers
Bandung: Alfabeta, 2015.
and subsequent researchers develop concepts and ideas about
[6] Fernández, F., González-Ravé, J.M., & Juárez, D. Breath-hold diving
freediving so that the community will know more about performance factors.
freediving, and even benefit from it. A concept that might be Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 12(3), 582-592. 2017.
done is to try to apply the static apnea method for freediving
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develop this idea in the form of scientific research and writing.

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