US National Freediving Championship set for April 22 through 25, 2010 at Freedive Paradise event.

Online, February 24, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The United States Apnea Association (USAA) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the U.S. National Freediving Championships from April 22 through April 25, 2010 in Kona, Hawaii. This competition will consist of six exciting events; Dynamic Apnea, Dynamic Apnea without Fins, Static Apnea, and Constant Weight, Free Immersion and Constant Weight without Fins, The Constant Weight, Free immersion and Constant Weight without Fins event will be held off the coast in the scenic Honaunau Bay, Hawaii.

Event Details are as follows:

Event Organizers: Freedive Paradise: freediveparadise.com
Annabel Edwards: [email protected] 808 756-1372 (h) 808 328-2307
Jessica Wilson: [email protected] 530 515-7977
Hiko Ito: 808 333-1811
CW, FI, or CNF April 22 & 24, Honaunau Bay, meeting time: 8:30 AM
Static: April 23, Jack's Diving Locker, meeting time: 8:30 AM
Dynamic with and without fins: April 25, Kona Aquatic Center, meeting time: 8:30 AM

USAA will be fielding both Men's and Women's Freediving Teams at the AIDA Team Freediving World Championships that will take place at the end of June in Okinawa, Japan. Competitors who want to try out for these teams are strongly encouraged to participate in the U.S. National Freediving Championship. Additional information on team selection criteria will be released shortly.

The U.S. National Freediving Competition has no minimum performance requirements and is open to anyone wishing to compete. Competitions are an excellent way to learn more about freediving, show support for USAA and fellow freedivers, and to witness performances by some of the country's top freedivers. USAA is also seeking volunteers to assist in the logistics and safety operations of this competition. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the organizers.

All competitors must be members of an AIDA National and are required to have either DAN membership with Master Insurance or above, or similar insurance that covers freediving. Additional forms, such as signed medical and liability releases, will also be required. This competition will be subject to all USAA and AIDA rules and regulations.

Competition freediving disciplines are divided into tests of maximum breath hold time, depth dived, and distance swam. Constant Weight challenges the athletes to swim to depth and return under their own power aided by the use of fins. Constant Weight without Fins challenges the athlete to swim to depth and return under their own power without the use of fins. Free Immersion challenges the diver to pull their way to depth by hand using the competition line and return to the surface on one breath. Static challenges the athlete to hold their breath while floating on the surface of a pool for as long as they can while still surfacing in control of their performance. Dynamic Apnea challenges the athlete to swim as far as they can in a pool with the use of fins on one breath. Dynamic Apnea without Fins challenges the athlete to swim as far as they can in a pool while not using fins.

The USAA is a nonprofit association founded on the democratic representation of freediving within the United States and internationally. Founded in 2003, the USAA consists of an active membership dedicated to furthering freediving in the United States and abroad. For more information about the USAA, the U.S. National Freediving Competition, and membership please visit www.usfreediving.org.

The International Association for the Development of Freediving, AIDA, is the international sanctioning body for freediving, individual and team competition, and freediving world record attempts. For more information about AIDA please visit http://www.aidainternational.org. For additional information regarding the 2010 AIDA Team Freediving World Championships please visit www.aidainternational.org

-END-