Home / Latest / Freediving Lanyards: A Powerful Safety Tool for Your Depth Diving
Lanyards are essential safety tools for freediving and are mandatory for depth training and competitions. Unbelievable but true: until 2001, freediving athletes weren’t required to use lanyards in competitions. This meant that the lanyards people used were mostly homemade and not very dependable from a safety standpoint. Once competitions began highlighting their essential safety role, the focus shifted to developing lanyards with improved function and purpose.
But let’s take a step back: what exactly is a lanyard and why is it crucial for freediving?
Lanyards may be small, but they are undeniably mighty. In fact, Molchanovs freediving courses require divers to wear one if they’re diving in poor visibility, in current, or on dives deeper than 20m (66ft).
Additionally, freediving in currents is inevitable—sometimes they can quickly pick up suddenly and without warning, even in the middle of your dive. But diving with a lanyard means that no matter how strong the current becomes, you’ll always stay connected to the line. Once you manage to pull yourself closer to the dive line using the lanyard, you can work your way up to the surface and back to safety.
If you black out while wearing a lanyard, you’ll stay on the dive line—you may sink down, but you won’t drift away. This allows your safety diver to quickly pull up the line—along with you—from the surface, especially if a pulley system is in place. Once you’re at a manageable depth, your buddy can dive down and perform the rescue.
Want to learn more about freediving equipment and essential safety practices? Join a Molchanovs freediving course and discover a new way of exploring the underwater world – and your full potential!
Freediving Lanyards: A Powerful Safety Tool for Your Depth Diving
What are freediving lanyards? Do you need one on your dives? Discover what makes a lanyard a freediver’s most reliable friend at depth.
A freediving lanyard is a must-have equipment for deep diving.
Lanyards are essential safety tools for freediving and are mandatory for depth training and competitions. Unbelievable but true: until 2001, freediving athletes weren’t required to use lanyards in competitions. This meant that the lanyards people used were mostly homemade and not very dependable from a safety standpoint. Once competitions began highlighting their essential safety role, the focus shifted to developing lanyards with improved function and purpose.
But let’s take a step back: what exactly is a lanyard and why is it crucial for freediving?
What’s a freediving lanyard?
A lanyard is one of the most important safety tools in the freediving world. Essentially, a lanyard functions like a “leash” for freedivers, keeping them connected to the dive line. On one end of the lanyard is a carabiner that clips onto the line, while the other end is strapped to a freediver’s wrist, ankle, or a waist belt at all times during their dive.Lanyards may be small, but they are undeniably mighty. In fact, Molchanovs freediving courses require divers to wear one if they’re diving in poor visibility, in current, or on dives deeper than 20m (66ft).
In poor visibility or strong currents, a lanyard prevents you from drifting into the blue.
Keeping your bearings
If you’re diving with a nose clip or in low-visibility conditions, losing sight of the dive line can quickly become dangerous. However, if you’re wearing a lanyard and lose your orientation, you only need to gently tug on your lanyard or run your hands along the cable to find your way back to the dive line easily! This is much safer than struggling to spin your body around at deeper depths in search of the line.Additionally, freediving in currents is inevitable—sometimes they can quickly pick up suddenly and without warning, even in the middle of your dive. But diving with a lanyard means that no matter how strong the current becomes, you’ll always stay connected to the line. Once you manage to pull yourself closer to the dive line using the lanyard, you can work your way up to the surface and back to safety.
The Molchanovs CORE Freediving Lanyard is specifically designed for beginner freedivers.
Safety line: Rescuing an unconscious diver
Trouble can arise when you’re out of your buddy’s reach, whether you encounter a serious issue at deeper depths or your safety diver being unable to descend due to blocked ears or sinuses. While these situations are uncommon, if they do occur, how can your buddy help you back to the surface?If you black out while wearing a lanyard, you’ll stay on the dive line—you may sink down, but you won’t drift away. This allows your safety diver to quickly pull up the line—along with you—from the surface, especially if a pulley system is in place. Once you’re at a manageable depth, your buddy can dive down and perform the rescue.
Every freediving lanyard should have a quick release system.
What should I look for in a lanyard?
If you’re in the market to buy a freediving lanyard, pay special attention to three key components: the carabiner, cable, and wrist/ankle cuff or belt.
Carabiner:
- Lanyard carabiners can be made of aluminum, stainless steel, or carbon fiber
- Stainless steel carabiners are heavier and sink with you while diving (ensure they are marine-grade to prevent rust)
- Aluminum and carbon fiber carabiners are lighter, trailing behind you during dives
- The carabiner must be large enough so that it moves freely up and down the line
Cable: Cables typically range from 90-120cm (35-47in) long:
- Ensure a stainless steel cable is marine-grade
- The cable must have a protective casing or coating to prevent kinks and breakage
- There should be at least one swivel point at the end of the cable to allow it to straighten freely and avoid entanglement
- Length is a matter of preference: taller freedivers may prefer longer cables for greater reach and allow more distance for longer limbs
Wrist/ankle cuff or belt:
Lanyards include a velcro strap that can be worn around the wrist or ankle. If you’re doing Constant Weight No Fins (CNF) dives, which involve diving using arm and leg strokes rather than fins, you can opt for a CNF lanyard. This type of lanyard comes with a separate belt, attaching around your waist (separate from a weight belt) and leaving your arms and legs free to do no-fins movements.
Consider the following:
- Ensure the cuff is wide and comfortable
- There should be an attached D-ring for you to clip the carabiner to when not in use
- The cuff should be long enough so you have the option of wearing it on your ankle
- There must be a minimum of one quick release: either a tab on the cuff that can easily be pulled in case of entanglement or a snap release (a pin that can be pulled out to disconnect the cable from the cuff)
The CORE Freediving Lanyard includes a 100cm (39in) cable, an aluminum carabiner, and a thick stainless steel wire for extra resistance against accidental damage.
Molchanovs Lanyards
Whether you’re already a freediver or just dipping your toes into the sport, remember that wearing a lanyard is essential when diving in currents, low visibility, or deeper than 20m (66ft). Take a look at the Molchanovs CORE Freediving Lanyard — a reliable choice for training and recreational dives.Want to learn more about freediving equipment and essential safety practices? Join a Molchanovs freediving course and discover a new way of exploring the underwater world – and your full potential!