Pre-Freediving Meals: What to Know

To Eat or Not to Eat?

To eat or not to eat? That is the question. 

There is no correct answer for this, as everyone is different and our bodies react differently. There are some questions each one of us should answer before answering this question.

• Do you regularly intermittently fast?
• Are you able to eat just a small meal?
• Do you get nauseous or seasick in the water?
• Does your ability or inability to eat affect your mood?
• Do you have low blood pressure or feel dizzy if you don’t eat?
• How long after you have finished freediving are you able to get a meal?
• At what time are you planning on going for your freediving session?

It is not uncommon for freedivers to dive on an empty stomach. A very simple explanation is that when we freedive, we dive head first. If we have abundant food before getting deep, we might feel discomfort from it turning up and down in our stomachs in our descents and ascents. Having said this, it is not true for everyone, and it won’t necessarily affect your diving. One of my best dives was after a morning that I had been stress-eating the whole morning because I knew I had to beat my personal best that day.

How I Did My Best Dive

I got up that morning and told myself I would not eat until after completing my dive. I broke my promise as fast as I made it. I won’t even list everything I ate and didn’t need… The fact was, I got into the water at Lake Echam and felt terrible. All the excuses started arising in my mind. I had already set up my mind that if I didn’t dive up to 30 meters, it wasn’t my fault: it was not only because I ate, but because I had over-eaten. Maybe it was the fact that I had that excuse, but I did beat my PB that day. Sure, it didn’t feel great in my stomach, having dubious contents turning around a few times, but I dove, I dove deep, and it didn’t matter what I had or hadn’t eaten. Maybe I needed an excuse to feel better if I didn’t make it; maybe I was just nervous,… I could think of 100 different reasons for and against it. The fact is: it didn’t matter.

Heavy Meals

Some divers I know are not comfortable going for a dive without eating anything before. And to that, many instructors often say don’t eat anything too “heavy”. What is heavy? My friend Pete always eats a banana before diving, and I would consider that to be a “heavy” food. A bacon and egg roll would be considered heavy for some, and maybe not for others. It’s a subjective concept… once more.

Don’t get Hangry

Another factor to consider is, do you get hangry? I know many that get angry or can’t focus when they haven’t eaten. If this is you, don’t let something like this throw you off your game. Only you know what is best for you. If you are not used to intermittent fasting and are not eager to try, if you have low blood sugar or low blood pressure and you feel having a snack before diving will do you some good, by all means, eat! (I don’t mean stress-eat all the contents of your fridge, as I did that one time).

Freediving is all about being comfortable and relaxed in the water, that is the main goal. We shouldn’t adopt eating patterns that don’t agree with what we are used to, because we don’t know how our bodies will react to it.

Common Sense: Should I Eat Before Freediving?

My Mum always says that common sense is the least common of the senses, and I think she is right. Pay attention to what your common sense tells you. Also, the fact that one day you dove on an empty stomach and it felt great, doesn’t mean that if you dive after eating any other day it will feel bad. If you have the time and space to try different methods, by all means do! Trial and error is the best  way to find out.

But, most important of all: trust your instinct. Before making any decisions, just think, what do you think is best for you today? To eat or not to eat? A large or a small meal? A banana or an omelet? Don’t let anyone tell you how you’ll feel, what you already know, is most likely what is right.

Learn more about freediving here.