Attention Deconcentration for Freediving

Curtis Tredway
Jun 19
5 min read

Let me preface this article by saying — if you’re a certified Wave 2 or Wave 3 freediver, have heard of attention deconcentration, and still don’t quite get it… you’re not alone. Honestly, it wasn’t until my Wave 3 Instructor course that I really learned how to teach it properly. Even in conversations with other experienced instructors, most admitted they didn’t fully grasp it or weren’t confident they could actually do it. Hopefully, this article breaks it down in a way that finally makes it click for you.

Relax your body. Quiet your mind. Go deeper.

When it comes to freediving, most people obsess over technique, gear, and numbers. But what separates the good divers from the truly great ones isn’t just how long they can hold their breath — it’s how well they can manage their mind.

One of the most underrated tools for improving your mental state during a dive is something called attention deconcentration. And once you learn how to use it, it can change everything.

What Is Attention Deconcentration?

Attention deconcentration is the practice of holding broad, relaxed awareness, instead of focusing on any single thought, object, or cue.

Think of your attention like a light source:

A flashlight = focused attention — sharp, useful for detail, but narrow.
A lantern = deconcentrated attention — soft, wide, and evenly spread.

In freediving, deconcentrated attention means you’re not fixating on time, technique, or bodily sensations. You’re simply present, tuned into your environment without clinging to anything.

This mental state helps you:

Let go of anxious or distracting thoughts
Stay relaxed throughout your dive
Manage unexpected sensations or discomfort more calmly
Conserve energy and oxygen by reducing mental and muscular tension

Why It Works (and the Science Behind It)

When you narrow your focus, like checking your dive computer or concentrating hard on your equalisation, you activate your sympathetic nervous system (your “fight or flight” mode). This raises your heart rate, speeds up metabolism, and increases muscular tension, all things we don’t want during a dive.

But when you broaden your gaze and use your peripheral vision, studies show it activates the parasympathetic nervous system - your “rest and digest” mode. This state:

Lowers your heart rate
Promotes a calm, balanced emotional state
Helps conserve oxygen and energy
Makes it easier to enter a flow state

In fact, sports psychology research has found that athletes in high-pressure environments perform better when their attention is wide and diffuse, rather than hyper-focused. This helps them stay adaptive, relaxed, and mentally fluid, especially under stress.

In freediving, this means you’re more likely to flow through equalisation, sink phase, and deep dives without fighting yourself mentally or physically.

You’re Already Doing It (Without Realising)

If you’re new to freediving, you’ve probably already experienced moments of attention deconcentration, you just didn’t have a name for it.

Think about that feeling when you're:

Floating on the surface, gazing at the sky
Watching your buddy descend from the corner of your eye
Sinking in freefall, with everything around you blurring slightly
When time dilates, and goes by in an instant.
When you enter that 'flow state'

In each of those moments, you weren’t hyper-focused on anything in particular, yet you were fully aware. That’s attention deconcentration. The next step is learning how to access it on demand.

How to Practice Attention Deconcentration

Here are two simple drills from Molchanovs to help you train this skill both in and out of the water:

Drill 1: Move Your Attention Independently from Your Eyes

Goal: Learn to shift awareness without moving your gaze.

Look to the right, but try to notice what’s in your left peripheral vision.
Keep your eyes to the right, and slowly shift your attention from left to right — like scanning with your mind.
Now move your eyes from right to left, while moving your attention in the opposite direction.👉 Do this 5–7 times.
Look to the left, and focus your attention on the right side.
Move your eyes in a slow clockwise circle (up → right → down).
At the same time, move your attention counterclockwise (down → right → up).👉 Repeat this 5–7 times.

This drill is great for developing body–mind separation, and helps you react more calmly to shifts in depth, pressure, or technique during a dive.

Drill 2: Expand Your Visual Field

Goal: Access a calm, parasympathetic state using your peripheral vision.

Sit comfortably and stare at a single spot on the wall.
Without moving your eyes, focus your attention on the left side of your vision.
Then notice the right side as well. Hold both for 1 minute.
Add in awareness of the top and bottom of your vision. Hold all four for 2 minutes.
Try to sense everything — without looking directly at any one thing.👉 Hold this soft gaze for 5–10 minutes.

This is especially helpful before a breath-hold or deep dive. You can also practice it lying on your back in the water during breathe-ups.

How to Use This in Your Freediving

Start using attention deconcentration in these key moments:

During your breathe-up: Shift into a soft gaze to calm your mind and body.
On the descent: Especially during freefall, release all focus and let awareness spread wide.
During mouthfill or equalisation: Observe sensations without obsessing over them.
If anxiety or tension kicks in: Use your peripheral vision to down-regulate your nervous system.

With regular practice, attention deconcentration becomes a tool you can switch on whenever you need it — helping you dive smoother, calmer, and with less effort.

Bonus Freediving Benefits of Attention Deconcentration

On top of helping reduce tension and improve mental calmness, training in attention deconcentration can unlock a range of performance and safety benefits for freedivers:

Better Peripheral Awareness = Better Marine Life Spotting

By widening your awareness, you’re more likely to notice sudden movement or subtle changes in your environment. This can help you:

Detect marine life you might otherwise miss (especially camouflaged species).
Anticipate animal movements for better photography or interaction.
Avoid hazards or entanglements through enhanced spatial awareness.

Enhanced Adaptability Underwater

In a state of deconcentrated attention, your reactions become more intuitive and automatic. This means:

You respond more fluidly to equalisation changes or gear issues.
You’re less likely to panic if something unexpected occurs.
You stay relaxed during freefall or deeper phases where sensory overload can otherwise kick in.

Improved Oxygen Efficiency

Slower breathing patterns, reduced muscular tension, and calmer internal dialogue all contribute to:

Lower metabolic demand.
Improved CO₂ tolerance.
Longer, more relaxed breath-holds.

Greater Access to Flow States

The reduction of internal monologue and shift into observer mode helps:

Create meditative-like mental stillness.
Deepen your connection to the dive.
Make dives feel smoother, longer, and more enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be a meditation master or a yoga teacher to train your mind for freediving. All you need is awareness - and a willingness to let go of control.

Attention deconcentration is one of the most powerful mindset tools you can learn. It’s simple. It’s free. And it could be the missing link between where you are now and where you want to go in your diving.

Want help mastering mindset, technique, and training strategies? Work 1-on-1 with Curtis — Molchanovs Wave 3 Instructor, freediving athlete, and competition safety diver for world and national records.Join our Online Coaching Program and take your diving (and your headspace) to the next level.