III.

Breathing

Breath-hold, (also called lung-power) diving enables a swimmer to move freely, without the encumbrance of special breathing equipment, at depths of 10 m (33 ft) and beyond. Most breath-hold divers can remain submerged only for relatively brief periods, usually less than 2 minutes. Experienced divers, however, have been known to remain beneath the water for several minutes at a time.

Training by professional instructors is recommended for both skin diving and snorkeling. These activities are becoming increasingly popular as leisure pastimes. Commercially, skin diving is important in the pearl industry.

See also Diving (underwater).