No Limits for The Women of Free Diving An elite group of female free divers is capturing attention in the competitive arena of breath-hold diving. The first to grab the spotlight was Megan Heaney-Grier, a 19-year-old fashion model who stunned the free diving world in 1991 by establishing a record dive to a depth of 155 feet in the Constant Ballast category. Shortly thereafter, three more arrivals -- Cuba's Deborah Andollo, Cayman Island's Tanya Streeter and French national Audrey Mestre-Ferreras -- demonstrated that women also can push the limits in deep apnea competitions. Tanya Streeter began her career at the age of 25, uprooting the women's world record for Constant Ballast with a breath-hold dive to 175 feet in her home waters on January 16, 1998. Less than four months later, Streeter again surprised the free-diving world by besting unseating Deborah Andollo's world record in the women's ''No Limits'' category with a dive to 370 feet. In addition, she reclaimed the Constant Ballast record, held briefly by Andollo, with a new salt-water record dive to 220 feet. On Dec. 4, 1999, Tanya became the first woman to break the men's world record in the freshwater Constant Ballast category with a descent to 181 feet at Hal Watt's Forty Fathom Grotto in Florida. What makes this particular event so grueling is that the dive is completed by pulling hand over hand down and up a weighted line. Big Air: Tips for Maximizing Apnea -- Avoid hyperventilating before the dive. Packing in 25 breaths or more a minute does nothing to efficiently oxygenate the cells in the body. -- Instead, make ventilation cycles long and evenly spaced. To maximize the carbon-dioxide purging process, utilize the diaphragmatic muscles to draw the deepest part of the inhalation. This will slow both breathing and heart rates, lower the metabolic rate and create a relaxed, oxygen efficient state. Lowered metabolic (oxygen burning) activity and increased relaxation allows for longer periods of breath-hold diving. -- Rest on the surface for three to six minutes between dives to normalize oxygen levels.Equipment -- Fins: fin should feature a blade length between 1/2 and 2/3 of your leg's length. For diving deep quickly, the more rigid the better. For long swims on the surface, look to varieties offering more flexibility in the blade surface. Brands to consider: A.B.Biller, Cressi (Rondine and Garas), Esclapez and Mares. -- Masks: Models that fit close to the face -- the smaller and lower the volume, the better. Most serious free divers prefer masks with black silicone skirts due to its comfort and ability to block unwanted light through the sides. -- Snorkels: Typically, the simple wide bore ''J'' shape is most effective. Staying away from models with multiple purge valves and flexible hoses is suggested. ''Pipin'' Sets Record Francisco 'Pipin' Ferreras, 38, broke the world No Limits free-diving record Jan. 18 by descending 531 feet on a single breath of air. The record-setting dive, which lasted three minutes and 12 seconds, took place from a dive boat called Club Diver I off the coast of Cozumel. Pipin, a Cuban born free diver who now lives in Miami, endured a shallow-water blackout two days before breaking the record previously held by Italian free-diver Umberto Pelizzari.