Agenda of the moment
Guided tours
Groups and events
Shop and ticket office
From Thursday, May 29 to Sunday, June 1, 2025, Limoges will host the finals of the French Elite Unified Underwater Sports Championships, a must-see event for aquatic sports enthusiasts. For four days, the city will host high-level competitions, highlighting the diversity and richness of underwater sports.
The French Underwater Sports Championships
In a few words
The French Underwater Sports Championships bring together the best national athletes in various aquatic disciplines: swimming with fins, freediving and sport diving in the pool. These are thus a little more than 40 clubs, 800 competitors and 400 support staff which will take place in Limoges from May 29 to June 1. These competitions offer a unique opportunity to discover sports combining performance, technique and passion.
_
The different disciplines
Apnea
Freediving, once essential to the survival of certain peoples and rediscovered in France for underwater fishing, is today a discipline in its own right. Popularized by The Big Blue, it has evolved beyond extreme performance to offer a varied practice: competitive, contemplative or simply fun. Adaptable to all environments (sea, lake, swimming pool), it appeals to a public in search of unique sensationsSupervised by trained instructors, it combines technical mastery, safety and passion.
- Static apnea : consists of holding your breath for as long as possible. It is generally practiced on the surface and allows you to work on relaxation and concentration.
- Dynamic apnea : consists of covering the longest distance underwater. It is practiced with monofins or bifins.
- Dynamic apnea without fins : also involves swimming the longest distance underwater using a particular type of breaststroke focused on gliding, so as to save effort.
- The endurance sprint or 16 x 50 meters : Swimmers must swim 16 times 50 meters in apnea as quickly as possible. They are allowed to breathe and recover for as long as they wish between each length.
_
Swimming with fins
Recognized by the International Olympic Committee since 1985, swimming with fins has allowed the Underwater Sports Federation to develop one's sporting character. Water sports, it is undoubtedly the most spectacular discipline, with speed peaks at 13 km/hIt is practiced in a swimming pool or in a natural environment, with a monofin or bifin.
_
Sport diving in the pool
Developed since 2011, this is a series of underwater events taking place in a pool. Performed individually or in teams, they aim to combine the physical, recreational, and technical aspects of scuba diving.
4 individual events:
- 100 meters immersion : travel 100 meters underwater as quickly as possible
- Night diving suit : the diver must recover submerged objects with an occulted mask
- 200 meters stripping : cover 200 meters as quickly as possible, alternating between scuba diving, freediving and swimming
- Emergence of a 6 kg object : the diver must cover a distance of 25 or 50 meters as quickly as possible, then bring up a 6 kg object with the help of a parachute
4 team events:
- The octopus : two divers must cover 50 meters in immersion with a single bottle, breathing in turns into the octopus
- Combined : two divers must complete a 100-meter course as quickly as possible while carrying out safety exercises
- The 4 x 50 meter immersion relay : 4 divers take turns underwater with a handover
- The 4 x 50 meter Torpedo relay : do a 4-person relay underwater while towing a buoy on the surface
_
Practical information
come watch the competition!
Spectators will have access to the stands and giant screens to follow the athletes' performances and cheer on their favorites. Admission will be free, without reservation. The detailed competition program is available on the official website of the FFESSM Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
The events will take place in two emblematic locations in Limoges:
- From Thursday to Sunday atAquapolis : with its 50-meter Olympic pool and its 25-meter multi-purpose pool with variable floor, this aquatic center is the perfect place for freediving, fin swimming and elite sport diving competitions.
- Saturday and Sunday at the Beaublanc municipal swimming pool : located in the Beaublanc municipal sports park, this swimming pool has a 50-meter Olympic pool uncovered in summer, providing an ideal setting for the clubs' competitive swimming pool diving championship.
Don't miss this unique opportunity to discover the elite of underwater sports in action. See you at Limoges from May 29 to June 1, 2025 to experience intense moments and support French athletes in their quest for performance.
And even more sport!
27 September 2025 17 mai 2026
08 August 2005 06 June 2026
Practical information
Prepare your stay
You may also like...
08 August 2005 06 June 2026
18 April 2025 09 Mar 2026
