ABOUT THE USFF
The official national governing body for freediving in the United States — building a safe, thriving community from Alaska to Florida.
Our Mission
The mission of the U.S. Freediving Federation is to bring awareness to freediving across the United States and to support everyone who engages in the sport — the adventurer exploring the unknown, the athlete chasing records, and the individual who finds healing and peace beneath the surface. Whether your path is self-exploration, therapeutic benefit, or the pursuit of competition, we are here to support you.
Safety is not an afterthought.
It is the foundation of everything we do.
Our Affiliation
PART OF A
GLOBAL FAMILY
Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques
Founded in 1959 by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, CMAS is the worldwide underwater sports federation — recognized by the International Olympic Committee and UNESCO, comprising over 130 national federations across the globe.
The USFF is the youngest member of the CMAS family and proud to continue the legacy started by Mr. Cousteau. As the official US federation, USFF membership grants you access to CMAS competitions, world rankings, national records recognition, and the global freediving community.
What We Do
THE USFF WAS
ESTABLISHED TO:
We work to help you understand and learn about the world of freediving — from your first breath-hold to advanced competitive techniques, with safety at the center of every lesson.
We build a community of like-minded people who love freediving — from state-level training groups and dive buddy networks to the US National Team competing on the world stage.
We support the community in all aspects — competition eligibility, national records recognition, athlete funding, event sanctioning, and access to the global CMAS network.
We work in collaboration with partner organizations to protect the marine environment that makes freediving possible — because the ocean is not just where we dive. It is what we are here to protect.
Leadership
THE PEOPLE
BEHIND THE
FEDERATION
The USFF is led by a dedicated team of volunteers who bring expertise across sports administration, medicine, technical standards, and competitive freediving. Every director serves the community — not the other way around.
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Jeremy Stephan
Founder & Executive Director
-
Dr. Juani Valdivia
Medical Director
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Francesca Koe
Technical Director, 2025–2026
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Christina Molina
Fundraising Director, 2024–2026
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Avi Kleyman
US Team captain
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Matthew LaRonge
Pool Committee Chair, 2026
History of Freediving
FREEDIVING IS AS
ANCIENT AS HUMANITY
ITSELF.
History shows that humans have been freediving for food for about 8,000 years. Freediving is sometimes called apnea — a Greek word for "without breathing" — and has been an important livelihood in cultures around the world.
The Bajan people, the "Sea Gypsies of Malaysia," fish underwater for up to five minutes at a time. The Haenyeo of Jeju Island, Korea — featured during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics — dive for seafood without tanks or modern equipment. The Ama of Japan carry on an age-old pearl-diving tradition. Off the Greek island of Kalymnos, sponge diving was practiced as an Olympic sport by the ancient Greeks.
"From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free."
Today, freediving as a sport is not about raising adrenaline or racing hearts. It relies on the ability to relax completely — mentally and physically. A relaxed body consumes far less oxygen than a tense one. The greatest obstacle freedivers face is the urge to breathe — driven not by lack of oxygen, but by rising carbon dioxide levels. Accepting that sensation is the key to depth.
It was not until the 1970s that formal competition was developed by CMAS. The intense rivalry between Italy's Enzo Maiorca and France's Jacques Mayol — the first to break the 100-meter barrier — inspired director Luc Besson to make his 1988 film Le Grand Bleu (The Big Blue), which in turn inspired the current generation of freedivers worldwide.
As a freediver, you are part of a time-honored tradition — connected to the underwater world in a way that only a small percentage of humanity will ever experience.
BC
"
“As a freediver, you are part of a time-honored tradition — connected to the underwater world in a way that only a small percentage of humanity will ever experience.
You are one with water.”
Membership
READY TO BE
PART OF THIS?
Join the official national governing body for freediving in the United States. Compete on the world stage, connect with the community, and have your achievements recognized.
U.S. Freediving Federation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Photo by Daan Verhoeven
The U.S. Freediving Federation (USFF) is part of the worldwide underwater federation, the CMAS organization.
Started in 1959 by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and recognized by the International Olympic Committee and UNESCO, CMAS comprises over 130 federations including the United States as one of the charter members. CMAS is a prestigious organization dedicated to the development of all underwater activities and sport disciplines on a worldwide basis.
The U.S. Freediving Federation is the youngest member of the CMAS family and happy to help continue the legacy started by Mr. Cousteau.
““From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free...”
”
Our Mission
The mission of the U.S. Freediving Federation is to bring awareness to freediving across the United States and support the efforts of all those that engage in the sport, whether it be for self-exploration and adventure, therapeutic benefits, or purely competition – in the safest manner possible.
