Talk to a free diver and a scuba diver and you will quickly understand the two are inherently different sports. One is about exploring the underwater world while the other is about pushing personal limits. Many free-divers are also scuba divers and vice versa, their love for the underwater world transpires through various sports and activities.
With less equipment, free divers are able to move more freely, faster and quieter in the water, making it easy to keep up with the shoals of fish that swim past. Scuba divers are able to stay longer under the water to observe marine life but the loud breathing from the tank scares some marine life away.
In scuba diving, the emphasis is what can be seen, monitored in forms of depth, time and duration as well as how much air is left in your tank. The mind is focused on what is going on around you. For free-divers, the awareness is more inward in the form of what can be felt and the sensations of the body. The mind is usually reflective, trying to understand how the body is reacting at depth.
For free-divers, there is always a way to improve and enhance the underwater experience, whether it be reaching a new depth or staying down for longer. Working and improving technique is what’s important. This positive willingness to become a better overall diver can be beneficial when it comes to scuba diving in terms of positioning and trim. It is about competing with yourself to achieve new personal bests.
A free-diving course will teach you how to remain calm under pressure, using breath retention and mindfulness techniques to reduce stress. They would be extremely useful as a scuba diver in an emergency scenario where gear malfunctions or you run out of air. It will also teach you how to rescue a diver that has had a shallow water blackout or lost motor control. These basic rescue techniques could help you lend a hand to save a life in an emergency situation.
When free-diving, you learn how to move efficiently in the water, conserving oxygen and using only the muscles necessary. Basic breathing and finning techniques will help improve performance. These techniques can be adapted to consume air more efficiently and move more effectively through the water.
Free-divers must use advanced equalization techniques to reach depths quickly. Scuba divers usually only learn the Valsalva maneuver, pinching your nose, closing your nose and exhaling causing air into the Eustachian tube. It requires more air and causes strain on the lungs. The Frenzel technique which requires you to pinch your nose and push air into your Eustachian tube with your tongue. Scuba divers who know this method are at an advantage and it can help them to handle equalization issues at depth.
Learning to free-dive first can help students get comfortable in the water, do a few basic skills, without all the scuba gear. For instance, how to clear your mask at depth is a skill taught to both. Finning techniques and how to kick efficiently is covered in both courses as well. A free-diver will also be immensely more comfortable doing a scuba diving certification than a regular person as they have experience being in water and know some basic skills.
The breathing and meditation techniques taught during a free-diving class can be adapted to scuba diving but also to many aspects of your life. It is both a mental and physical sport. With the help of breathing techniques, learning to quieten the mind is an extremely powerful tool whether in the water or on dry land. As you develop you will become more aware of your body, mind and personal limits.