Fascination apnea diving - with just one breath into the depths

Interview with world record holder Jennifer Wendland

Diving down 93 metres with only one breath - what sounds unbelievable has been accomplished by Essen-born apnea freediver Jennifer Wendland. This set a new world record in the Constant Weight with Bifins discipline (CWT Bifins). And that isn’t her only title and record: She is also holder of the World Champion Bifins 2021, World Champion No-Fins 2021, the German record (AIDA) in Constant No-Fins with 58 m and the No Li-mits with 117 m, to name but a few. How is it possible to achieve such top performances and what is so fascinating about apnea diving? We talked to Jennifer Wendland.

Jennifer, first of all congratulations on your world champion titles! What looks so elegant and effortless is obviously the result of years of training. So how did you get into this particular sport and what’s the non-stop fascination for you?

Jennifer Wendland: „I’ve always loved the water. When I was looking for a new hobby during my studies, I definitely wanted to do water sports. So I first played underwater rugby for a couple of years and from there I found my way into freediving. In my beginner's course it turned out that I can hold my breath very well. What fascinates me about freediving is how much you can learn about yourself. For example, I myself have learned through this sport how to relax and focus in any situation.“

Such top performances must certainly require a lot of preparation. How often do you train and for how long? And how do you keep yourself motivated?

Jennifer Wendland: „Depending on the seasonal phase, I train 3-4 hours a day: swimming, strength training, cycling, breath-hold stamina, stretching and pressure equalization. My motivation is my constant desire to learn. In my sport you’re always learning and I find the training an exciting journey of discovery. As long as I find enough opportunities to improve and learn something new, I feel motivated. After the season, I like to take a few weeks off from intensive training, but after four weeks tops, my fingers start tingling and I want to get back in the water.“

Not all diving is the same - can you explain again the main differences between apnoea diving and scuba diving? What are the disciplines of apnea diving?

Jennifer Wendland: „In scuba diving, the breathing apparatus gives the diver a constant supply of air underwater. Apno divers, on the other hand, take their last breath at the surface and have to make do with it throughout the entire dive. Apnea diving is divided into four disciplines: Constant Weight (with the monofin), Constant Weight Bifins (with two fins), Constant Weight No-Fins (without fins) and Free Immersion (holding a rope without any fins).“

Doesn't it also cost you a lot of effort to dive into the depths without a breathing apparatus? How do you deal with that?

Jennifer Wendland: „For me, this isn’t about overcoming but rather a question of proper preparation. When apnea diving you should always stay within your physical and mental limits and push them bit by bit. I never go down deep unless I'm 100 percent ready for it. If you feel like you have to force yourself, then you're not ready.“

What would you advise others who want to try apnea diving? What’s the best way to get started? What are the prerequisites?

Jennifer Wendland: „You should be generally healthy and feel at home in the water. That's all you need at the beginning. I would definitely advise every beginner to take a course. Because there you learn the most important basic techniques and especially how to be safe underwater. This will save you a lot of time in the end – and you might even find some dive buddies to train with. Plus you’ll know which rules must be observed for safe freediving.“

Do you have a favourite dive spot?

Jennifer Wendland: „Oh, that's hard to say! There are too many beautiful dive spots to choose just one. The most beautiful blue I’ve seen was in Cyprus, the most reliable diving conditions can usually be found in Egypt, the most relaxed diving group was in Corsica and the best food in Greece.“

What was your best experience on a dive so far?

Jennifer Wendland: „My most beautiful dive of all was in the bifins discipline at the 2021 World Cup. It was perfect from beginning to end and I was completely relaxed. I really enjoyed the dark blue in the depths and even finished by setting a new world record with 93 metres. Apart from that, I’ve had many incredible moments, for example diving with sharks, in a swarm of jellyfish at 70 metres or in complete silence at the bottom of a frozen lake.“

Dear Jennifer, thank you very much for the interview!

If you’re interested in apnea diving, you can find an excellent overview of the VDST (Association of German Sport Divers) with all important information about this wonderful sport at:

Info about apnea diving