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Freedivers: Mountaineers of the Sea / Apnée sportive : les alpinistes des profondeurs

  • July 22, 2021
  • Mountain Life Media
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For French-language text, scroll down or click here.

Exploring the ocean’s deepest depths and scaling the world’s tallest peaks have much more in common than you might think.

Those who practise these sports learn to thrive in an environment where the atmospheric pressure is extreme, and oxygen is at a premium. Although at opposite ends of the spectrum, the drastic variation in atmospheric pressure experienced in both sports can produce the same results: a lack of oxygen, a loss of consciousness and, in some cases, serious injury or even death. 

“At sea level, the average atmospheric pressure is equal to one bar (unit of atmospheric pressure). For every additional 10 metres deeper you dive, the pressure on your body increases by one bar,” explains François Leduc, president and co-founder of ApneaCity, the only freediving school in the greater Montreal area. “This is extremely taxing on the body as the oxygen from your last breath becomes compressed in your lungs as you move deeper.”

Freediver-Alex-Sinclair-surfacing-Kahnawake-Quarry-Felix-renaud
Alex Sinclair surfacing from a 30-metre dive in the cold waters of the Kahnawake Quarry.  Photo: Félix renaud

This causes an immense amount of pressure to build in your ears, which must be equalized before going any farther. “You have to master certain techniques such as the Frenzel manoeuvre, which consists of forcing air from your mouth toward your ears to equalize your body’s internal pressure,” says Sylvain Desaulniers, a member of the Club d’apnée sportive de Québec. 

“It’s impossible to cheat. If you push too hard, your eardrums will burst,” warns the man who holds the Canadian freediving record at 7 minutes and 14 seconds. Similar to altitude sickness, the best way to deal with this phenomenon is to know your limits and get used to a hostile environment. 

But the similarities between mountain climbing and freediving don’t end there. Once you reach your target depth—which can be more than 100 metres and 11 times the standard atmospheric pressure (for the best freediver in the world)—you must turn back and begin the arduous ascent to the surface.

Freediver-Jean-Philippe-Dandenault-bubble-Flintkote-Quarry-Thetford-Mines-Felix-renaud
Freediver Jean-Philippe Dandenault passing through his own ring-shaped bubble at the Flintkote Quarry, Thetford Mines. Photo: Félix renaud

As you near the surface, your heavily compressed chest cavity and lungs slowly regain their shape, while the unrelenting desire to breathe fresh air becomes impossible to ignore. This is a critical moment. 

“As you ascend, the water pressure slowly dissipates, and the gases in your lungs return to their original volume. These variations, whichbecome even more intense the closer you get to the surface, can lead to a sudden loss of consciousness,” says François Leduc. The purpose of this protective mechanism is to put the body to “sleep” when it encounters extreme stress. However, this can lead to drowning. And that’s why you must practise freediving under proper supervision.

“Blacking out isn’t part of a healthy recreational practice,” adds the certified instructor. As with mountain climbing, freediving is all about going farther, and that’s where the danger lies.  – Maxime Bilodeau


Flirter avec les profondeurs des mers en apnée et gravir les plus hauts sommets de la planète ont bien plus en commun qu’on ne le pense.

Les adeptes de ces deux disciplines évoluent dans un environnement où la pression exercée par tous les gaz de l’atmosphère, dont l’oxygène, n’est pas celle du plancher des vaches. Dans un cas comme dans l’autre, les variations de pression atmosphérique engendrent mutatis mutandis les mêmes conséquences : manque d’oxygène, perte de connaissance et, dans certains cas, accidents graves. 

« Au niveau de la mer, la pression atmosphérique moyenne est de un bar. Sous l’eau, une pression d’un bar supplémentaire s’additionne à chaque tranche de dix mètres de profondeur, explique François Leduc, président et cofondateur d’ApneaCity, la seule école d’apnée sportive dans la grande région de Montréal. Cela représente un grand défi pour le corps : les gaz inspirés à la surface se retrouvent eux aussi écrasés dans l’organisme au cours de l’immersion. »

Cela a notamment pour effet de compresser les oreilles, que le plongeur en apnée doit équilibrer en y faisant passer de l’air. Le tout la tête en bas, dans de l’eau froide et alors qu’il gruge ses précieuses réserves d’oxygène. « Tu dois apprendre à maîtriser des manœuvres comme celle de Frenzel, qui consiste à pousser l’air contenu dans la bouche vers l’oreille pour rééquilibrer la pression interne », indique Sylvain Desaulniers, membre du Club d’apnée sportive de Québec. 

« Il est impossible de tricher. Si tu pousses trop la machine, tu te brises les tympans », prévient celui qui détient le record canadien d’apnée statique, soit 7 min et 14 s. Comme pour le mal des montagnes, le meilleur traitement consiste donc à respecter ses propres limites et à s’accoutumer à un milieu hostile. 

Mais l’analogie eau-montagne ne s’arrête pas là. Une fois la profondeur cible atteinte – plus de 100 m chez les meilleurs au monde, soit l’équivalent de 11 fois la pression au niveau de la mer –, l’apnéiste doit rebrousser chemin et entamer sa pénible remontée à la surface. Sa cage thoracique de même que ses poumons fortement comprimés à l’aller reprennent tranquillement leur forme, alors que le désir de respirer de l’air frais se fait sans cesse plus pressant. Le moment est critique.  

« Lors de la remontée, la pression de l’eau s’efface et les gaz reprennent leur volume initial. Ces variations, d’autant plus intenses que la surface est proche, peuvent mener à une perte de connaissance soudaine », affirme François Leduc. Ce mécanisme de protection, qui vise à mettre le corps en sommeil face à la situation de détresse, peut mener à la noyade.

C’est pourquoi il est nécessaire de pratiquer l’apnée sportive sous supervision adéquate. « La syncope n’est pas synonyme d’une pratique récréative saine », estime d’ailleurs l’instructeur certifié. Comme en alpinisme, en apnée, c’est la folie des profondeurs qui est à craindre.  – Maxime Bilodeau

Vie en montagne édition été-automne, disponible dès maintenant / Summer-Fall Issue Out Now

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