SINGAPORE – local freediver and owner of freediving school FDXQ Fu Xingqiang, broke his own previous national record in the dynamic no fins (DNF) discipline at the July 2 Ultimate Freediving Challenge (UFC) event in Singapore.

The DNF discipline involves swimming the furthest distance possible under water on a single breath, without the aid of any fins or other diving equipment. A modified breast-stroke is used in order to propel the diver forward in the most efficient and hydrodynamic method possible so as to conserve oxygen.

Fu, who trains three times a week between coaching his students said: “I’m happy to get this national record, it was one of my goals for 2022.” 

His previous record of 156m was set at a Singapore competition on September 19 2021 in a 50m pool at the SFA X FDXQ Octoberfest Challenge. This new record of 172m took place in a smaller 25m pool.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to diving in a smaller pool, where roughly twice as many turns are required. This interrupts a diver’s flow and momentum, but also allows the diver to use different muscle sets when kicking off the wall before gliding and resuming the arm and leg strokes; this can reduce muscle fatigue a little. 

The Ultimate Freediving Challenge (UFC) is a new competition series set up by Fu in order to promote competitive freediving in Singapore. He told the Apnea Association of Singapore (AAS) that he hopes to give new and experienced divers alike the opportunity to gain competition experience and develop their diving practice on a regular basis.

Currently organised by FDXQ, Fu expects that the UFC series will eventually become independent and sustained by the community of divers in Singapore. The July 2 competition was the first competition in the series and a total of three national records were broken.

His current achievements in the four pool disciplines include personal best dives during training of 180m in DNF, 225m in dynamic (DYN), 211m DYNB and a breath hold time of 6:05 in the static apnea discipline (STA).

Fu said that he will now focus on diving with a monofin in DYN and hopes to surpass his 225m personal-best distance this year.

AAS congratulates Fu on his new national record and is delighted by the progress and enjoyment that competitive freedivers are experiencing throughout the Singapore community.

Press contact

Contact person: Afiza Affandi, President AAS

Email: Apnea.Association.Singapore@gmail.com

Original copy and photos for press can be found here.