What is a strategy for reducing the risk of hypoxia during freediving?

Maintaining regular practice of breath-hold techniques is a key strategy for reducing the risk of hypoxia during freediving. This practice helps divers develop better lung capacity and control over their breathing patterns, which in turn can enhance their body's efficiency in utilizing oxygen. Through consistent training, divers learn how to manage their inhalations and exhalations, allowing them to extend their underwater duration without depleting their oxygen reserves too quickly. Furthermore, such practice can increase their awareness of their body's signals, enabling them to recognize when they are approaching hypoxia and to begin their ascent before it becomes a critical issue.

While diving only in shallow water, using dive tables, and limiting dives to short durations can mitigate some risks associated with freediving, these strategies do not directly enhance the diver's physiological adaptations and skills which are crucial for managing oxygen levels effectively during deeper or longer dives. Regular practice of breath-hold techniques builds the necessary confidence and competency to dive more safely, as it fosters an understanding of one's body’s capabilities and limitations in regards to oxygen usage.