Have you ever wanted to dive below the surface without the heavy scuba gear? Become one with the fish as you learn to freedive.

Learning to freedive is part mental preparation and meditation. It’s about being able to relax and slow your own heartbeat. Only in this state can you achieve great depths when you freedive. Setting personal goals and exceeding personal limits is what freediving is all about. Work your way up to different depths and while freediving is about pushing limits, it’s about doing it in a safe way. One of the main attractions of freediving is being able to get close to wildlife that would otherwise be impossible to see. Moving slowly through the water without expelling bubbles allows you to get right up and close to marine life.   

Freediving is both a recreational and competitive sport. In the 1990’s, freediving became a competitive sport and has continued to rise in popularity ever since. While freediving, you will meet people with similar interests and lifestyles. The freediving community is very supportive of one another and their shared love of the sport. Freediving is more than a sport, it’s a way of life and has proven benefits on your mind and body.

You can literally freedive anywhere with the right training, equipment and a buddy. It requires minimal equipment. Some freediving purists even believe that freediving without any equipment is the only way to freedive as you are the closest to water relying only on your own capabilities. Others believe equipment helps you achieve depths that would otherwise be difficult to achieve.

Freediving fins are longer than scuba diving and snorkeling fins. They are also made of multiple materials of varying levels of stiffness. Masks are another important piece of equipment allowing you to see at depth. Freediving masks tend to have less volume than scuba diving masks. They are fitted close to your face meaning you will have to use minimal air to equalize the mask to avoid a  mask squeeze. 

Take a Freediving Course

Even those with basic freediving knowledge will greatly benefit from taking a beginner’s freediving course. Before you start the course, you may want to improve your swimming skills and try out some breathing techniques. During the course, you will learn basic freediving techniques, breathing and visualization techniques, safety procedures and buddy procedures. While you can learn on your own, a qualified instructor is there to show you the way. A freediving instructor is there to guide you through the course. Learning how to read weather and water conditions is vital. Learn the right techniques from the beginning to help save time and dive safely. 

During the course, your instructor will cover equipment, rescue techniques, how to read the weather and tide, managing risk and more. Learning from a friend may seem like the easy thing to do, but an instructor has vital knowledge that will help you be a better freediver from the beginning. Equalization techniques are important when freediving. There are different techniques that can be used. Learn when to equalize and never force an equalization. Once you obtain your certification, it is best to carry out your first few dives with a qualified instructor. 

Buddy Up

The number one rule of freediving is to never dive alone. Shallow water blackouts can occur and being part of a buddy system helps you save others if necessary. One of the rules of freediving is to never freedive alone. Always dive in pairs. One of you acts as a rescue diver as the other does the dive. When picking a buddy, select one that has similar experience and goals to you. Your buddy is your support system during the dive. 

Learn to Breathe 

Breathing while you freedive is completely different to breathing out of the water. Before you get in the water, learn different techniques for how to breathe and start practicing before you start the course. Training how you breathe at the surface will improve the amount of time spent under the water. The physical benefits of freediving are numerous. It extends your breath-hold time, calms the central nervous system and extends endurance as you learn to breathe.

Learn How to Move

Movement and body position are important when freediving. Try to move slowly, expending as little energy as possible to use the least amount of oxygen. Body position in the water plays an impact on how much energy you use trying to get down. Your aim is tuck your chin underneath your chest to be as straight and streamlined as possible. It’s important that you’re not looking up or down, making it easier to relax and equalize. Perfecting the duck dive is no easy task and will take several in-water sessions to master. Practicing your technique in a pool can be all you need to identify potential problems. It’s a great way to train. 

Conclusion

Freediving is gaining popularity around the world and rightfully so. It’s a great way to explore the ocean while having proven benefits for your mind, body and soul. Breathing techniques and in-water practice will help you get better at diving deeper for longer. Remember to always dive within your limits.