What is one of the primary risks associated with freediving compared to scuba diving?

Freediving involves holding one's breath while diving, which places divers at a significant risk of hypoxia, or a lack of oxygen in the body. This risk arises primarily from the duration of breath-holding, especially as divers descend deeper and exert themselves. When oxygen levels drop too low, it can lead to fainting or even loss of consciousness underwater, which is particularly dangerous.

In contrast, scuba diving uses tanks filled with air, allowing divers to breathe continuously while underwater, thus mitigating the risk of hypoxia. The other potential risks mentioned, such as barotrauma, decompression sickness, and equipment malfunction, are more closely associated with the specific dynamics of scuba diving rather than freediving. In freediving, since the diver relies on their own breath, the concern of oxygen depletion becomes the central risk factor during the dive.