Freedive courses

[atomichaggis]

Are there any recognised freediving courses that are solely based on depth disciplines?
I noticed that all the courses endorsed by CMAS and AIDA require pool disciplines to be learned to progress, which is all well and good if Your interest is based on freediving as a sport but for a recreational freediver with an aversion to pools and the art of following a rope it kinda sucks.

Would it not be right to gain a recognisable qualification whilst concentrating on open water depth techniques and other open water skills?
or does something already exist that I missed?

 

[trux]

There are 39 freediving courses listed in the Media Base, and if I remember well, I think some of them are depth specialized. Try browsing through them: courses @ APNEA.cz

 

[atomichaggis]

I've looked through the English language ones but can't find anything that really appeals. I think some allow for selective training in an environment thats conducive to learning but they lack recognised certification that May help with things like insurance.

 

[trux]

I think that especially courses in diving pools (like SETT, Tauchturm Graz) and in open sea (i.e. Nice/France, Egypt, Bahamas, Mexico, Florida, ...) focus more on depth disciplines than dynamics or statics. Also, with many instructors you may be be able to negotiate individual training plan, so do not hesitate to contact them.

 

[atomichaggis]

I'm really not fond of warm or chlorinated water but... The SETT pool looks so cool! trouble again with that course is that it only covers the theory for the ** certification... which itself includes dynamic and static to be done again, in pools (correct Me if I'm wrong).

There seems to be no framework in place for developing purely recreational freediving by any recognised governing body. Nobody is really setting recogniseable standards in things like spearfishing or photography under freediving as well as My own discipline of Larking around in the sea.

I know more and more spearos are going on AIDA courses to benefit Their own recreational activities but I expect cost and time could be saved if it was more focused.

 

[monkeyhatfork]

from what the sites say both PFI and DIVEFIT will put together customized or private courses for interested groups, maybe you could get some like minded people together to pool recources and have them out for a class, as stated above you should contact these people directly not just look at the site, they all respond and are very helpful.

 

[trux]

You can also contact the Swedes at fridykning.se - they train also depth, and do sometimes invite exceptional freediving instructors such as Sebastian Murat. It is also close to you, and I believe you won't suffer from warm or chlorinated water with them

 

[atomichaggis]

I think most would tailor a course but these would no doubt be without recognised qualifications. I mean its not possible to be qualified through CMAS or AIDA without doing pool disciplines as far as I can see.

For example, most spearfishing courses available award either a CMAS/AIDA** qualification as a base for their course which includes doing dynamic and static in a pool (largely irrelevant) or just a certificate of completion of the course from the organisation (very little worth).

Qualifications might not seem important if You don't wish to pursue freediving in the usual disciplines but if You wanted to develop Your own courses and instruct it would be without any credibility unless You had some credible qualification or if as a group You wanted to hire facilities to train You might encounter issues about insurance.

If it was possible to climb the ladder only doing the usual depth disciplines then it would be at least a bit more relevant.

 

[trux]

I am afraid I do not quite understand your needs. Either you just want to learn deep freediving better and then you do not need to bother about any certificates, or you want to upgrade your cert, and then I do not understand why you try avoiding the pool disciplines. It is like trying to get a Triathlon certificate with just training swimming.

 

[atomichaggis]

You can also contact the Swedes at fridykning.se - they train also depth, and do sometimes invite exceptional freediving instructors such as Sebastian Murat. It is also close to you, and I believe you won't suffer from warm or chlorinated water with them

Its quite tempting, I quite like the idea of diving in Sweden or Canada... wouldn't involve any acclimatisation at all
I think the same problems arise tho... tailored course = no recognition and CMAS/AIDA course = pool and hanging on a rope.

I guess its a selfish Idea but I'd like to gain some accreditation in only the things I wish to learn (larking around in the sea to greater effect). I'm probably not alone in thinking that as competitive freediving still has that 'olympic walking' image

I think that CMAS/AIDA should put together some coastal diving course and fill the bits leftover by poolwork to learning about tides/wildlife and other real life stuff and give the course some parity with the standing qualifications... don't ya think?

 

[atomichaggis]

I am afraid I do not quite understand your needs. Either you just want to learn deep freediving better and then you do not need to bother about any certificates, or you want to upgrade your cert, and then I do not understand why you try avoiding the pool disciplines. It is like trying to get a Triathlon certificate with just training swimming.

I spear, observe and photograph in the sea and lakes. I'd like to be better at all of them going deeper, longer and seeing and doing more and being safer.

I like the models in place for competitive freediving and would like the same for purely recreational as I described.

I can't stand pools... I went a couple of days ago and feel ill... really don't wanna go back.

 

[trux]

I still do not understand what is the certificate good for if you just want to learn "larking around in the sea to greater effect"? Either you want to learn diving deep, or you want to become AIDA/CMAS certified freediver (which involves all three freediving categories). In the first case just take a specific or an individual course or find other means to learn it; in the other case get an AIDA/CMAS course to get certified. Or do both. I do not understand where the problem is with it. Why do you need an AIDA/CMAS cert for photographing or spearing?

 

[atomichaggis]

Most spearing courses are incorporated with a CMAS/AIDA certification and taught by CMAS/AIDA instructors and the ones that aren't lack credibility.
So I'm guessing the issue is largely about the credibility.

 

[trux]

It still does not explain why you could not contact one of the credible course providers and sign for an individual course. You wrote that you want a certificate but want to avoid pool disciplines altogether. It simply makes no sense. It's like trying to get a car driving license by learning to drive just a motorbike. If there is a reason for you to get the license, than you simply have to learn all what it involves (technique, theory, physiology, security, and all involved disciplines). If you do not care about all that, then I see no reason why you should get any certificate, and also do not understand what would it be good for.

 

[atomichaggis]

What certification is good for, as I touched on earlier... If You organise training or events and require insurance as has been discussed on other threads.

 

[trux]

Well, that's simple: if you organize trainings or events and need a freediving license to get insurance, then you need the overall knowledge and have to make a full featured course. Even if you dislike pools, you will certainly stand easily the very few sessions that such license requires (possibly not more than 3-5 of them). Nothing prevents you to take a separate course for depth only, if the first one does not satisfy you sufficiently.

 

[atomichaggis]

So in a nutshell, there's no avoiding the pool stuff. Think that answers My original question. I'm sure the AIDA courses would satisfy in terms of depth.

 

[wes]

Davie,

I have been thru the begginer, intermidiate and advanced PFI courses. The begginner one is not required so you can go right to the intermediate and advanced course. In these courses the primary focus is doing depth work on a line in the open ocean. The pool work is only used to do static practice and for practice with entries and safety rescues. The pool work is not a big part of the course at all. I am pretty sure even if you wanted to attend the intermediate course and not be in the pool that would be OK, you could do your static practice dry (on land) and your entry practice and safety practice in the water which PFI does too (they do it in the pool mainly as its easier to explain/see then in the open ocean). When you are done you have certificate for interemediate or advanced freediver from PFI. I am not sure how this would affect your insurance, that would vary by country. I do know that as an advanced PRI freediver I am considered to be a safety diver at AIDA competitions (I think anyway, have never done it). You are supposed to have current CPR training as well and you get that on your own (not thru PFI).

Cheers Wes

 

[Will]

Hi Dave, Vertical Blue courses target the depth disciplines.
Since they follow the Apnea Academy format there are still sessions of static and dynamic, but these are conducted in the lagoon next to Dean's Blue Hole, so no pools are involved.

 

[shoutatthesky]

Perhaps you should consider doing a beginners course if only to learn some of the formal aspects of freediving- eg. recognised safety precautions, breathing exercises, training tips, etc. If you can put up with a few hours in a pool or on a line then I think you will find it worthwhile in progressing with the "larking around" discipline.
You also may need to accept that being such a new discipline "larking around" may take some time to be adopted by the existing teaching agencies. If you have some qualifications from AA, AIDA, PFI, FIT, etc, then maybe you can start to develop your own program.
How you would decide the winner in a larking around competition is probably going to be your biggest problem though.:t