Start with Manual of Freediving for a technical reference, Breath for a general account of breathing, or One Breath for narrative journalism about competition and risk.
Choose a freediving book for a particular purpose: a reference alongside lessons, a broader look at breathing, or a story about the sport. These three starting points do different jobs.
Manual of Freediving: a reference for lessons
Umberto Pelizzari’s official site lists an English fourth edition of Manual of Freediving from 2023. Its coverage includes equalization, training, relaxation and water safety. Check the edition and language when buying a copy; an older listing may describe a different version.
Use it to revisit vocabulary and prepare questions between lessons. Ask your instructor how the material fits your course rather than assuming it follows every agency’s syllabus. View the official edition information.
Breath: popular science beyond freediving
James Nestor’s Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art was published in 2020. It explores breathing practices and research for a general readership. Choose it for the broader subject, not as a manual for preparing a breath-hold dive.
The author’s page describes the book; it is not independent validation of every health claim. Keep a popular account separate from current clinical guidance and the breathing routine taught in your freediving course. Read the author’s description.
One Breath: a reported story about competition and risk
Adam Skolnick’s One Breath follows Nicholas Mevoli and the competitive freediving world around his death at Vertical Blue in 2013. Published in 2016, it is a narrative about a person and a sport, rather than a technical training text.
Choose it if you want a longer account of ambition and risk than a record headline provides. Read the publisher’s description.
Choose a book by its job
| Purpose | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Technical reference | Manual of Freediving — ask which edition fits your course. |
| Popular science | Breath — broader context, not a freediving protocol. |
| Narrative and risk | One Breath — a reported story, not a training plan. |
Bring the reading back to your course
Mark the passage that raised a question and bring the book or page reference to your instructor. This is especially useful when two sources use different equalization cues or describe different course structures.
A reading list does not need to be long. Begin with the title that answers your present question, and keep notes about what remains unclear. For another format, browse the podcast starting points.
Common questions
Which book should I buy before a first course?
Ask the instructor whether course reading is included and which edition they use. You may not need a separate manual before starting.
Does a book about breathing teach freediving preparation?
Not necessarily. General breathing practices and the preparation for an in-water breath hold have different purposes. Use the routine taught in your course.
