skin diving

American  

noun

1. an underwater sport in which the swimmer, equipped with a lightweight mask, foot fins, and either a snorkel or a portable air cylinder and breathing device, can move about quickly and easily underwater, as for exploring or spear fishing.

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skin diving British  

noun

1. the sport or activity of diving and underwater swimming without wearing a diver's costume

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Other Word Forms

• skin-diver noun

Etymology

Origin of skin diving

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The next two monsters — each, more than two feet long — required 40 minutes of skin diving.

From New York Times • Dec. 16, 2019

Competitive spearfishing is done either with scuba gear and air tanks or by free diving, also called skin diving.

From Washington Times • Jul. 28, 2018

A wiry, intense man with a head like a parchment-covered cannon ball and a passion for skin diving, Ferrer was born in Santurce, P.R., in 1933.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Princess, once known as Shy Di, has been transformed into "Dynasty Di"; and Prince Charles, once dubbed Action Man for his intrepid sky- and skin diving, has become a hermetic, mystical crank.

From Time Magazine Archive

He found Ollie one day while skin diving off the coast of Greece.

From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli