In freediving, if you do it long enough, you eventually reach a level or state where you start challenging yourself to see how deep you can go. I’m not there yet, but I have many friends who are. They keep increasing their maximum attempts — and what is a “maximum attempt”?

Over time, every freediver, faster or slower depending on the individual, reaches that point. Some stop at a certain depth, while others constantly push their limits — sometimes increasing, sometimes decreasing. Obstacles like equalization, technique, mental factors, injuries, and squeezes stand in every freediver’s way. But with consistency, patience, and good instructors, anyone who challenges themselves will eventually try to find their own maximum.

It’s quite different from other sports because it’s basically a dive to the edge of life — to the moment just before death. Many such attempts, without having someone to rescue you if you black out, may end in drowning and death.

So, what is a maximum attempt? A maximum attempt is a dive to your deepest possible depth, followed by an ascent without blacking out — or, if you experience an early motor control (EMC) issue, managing to breathe through it on your own before losing consciousness.