How to start Freediving

[Kars]

Spetsy,

Forgive me for saying this, but the experience you describe to me sounds like a rather uncomfortable, even clumsy experience. Very similar to my own semi dry suit experience, also comparable to my freedive introduction dive I enjoyed in a local cold lake, wearing scuba fins, boots, nylon weight belt, scuba mask, 7mm semi dry suit.

My recommendation's strength only grows hearing your and recalling my own clumsy beginning freedive experience.
Get a 5mm Freedive suit, rubber weight belt, and use some soft long fins in combination with 3 or 5mm socks.

Contact AIDA New Zeeland, ask around and maybe someone has some suit laying around idle. Freedivers like to use top quality stuff and usually have a heap of used stuff that is still very useful and much better than the scuba stuff available.

I've not seen freedivers using ankle weights, but maybe some spearfishing guys use them. But I imaging you're using open healed scuba fins with 5mm boots rendering your legs very buoyant. But instead of investing into ankle weights, I would safe it up for a some true freedive gear.

 

[cigarlung]

Kars is right on with his suggestions you will have a much better time and much safer time. You can justifiy the cost to because you can use the money smoking cost you to buy a nice kit which could last you a long time

 

[Spetsy]

hi cigarlung and kars.... clumsy and exhausting is what it felt like, usin 7mm bootys that r super worm, fins that iam using (plastic mirage nitros ) really bad , anyway it looks like i have wrong gear from the start, have to save up for few weeks again lol, which brand wetys do u favor and is 2 piece any good thx

 

[cigarlung]

I have Beuchat long fins comfortable aqua sphera mask is the so soft rubber weight belt cheap snorkle beuchat wetsuit open cell 7 mm great for several hours let some cold in if over heated i have dove for several years and have not needed to replace used cheap dive mittons my feet would get cold when the temp was 0 used five mil cressi dive socks so people think you need a custom suit i do not think so unless your to tall wide or narrow this kit cost me around 500 dollars several years ago now I live in Hawaii so wetsuit is optional I recommend Scuba Store thru Deeper Blue

 

[Arab-Fabolous]

hi you all nice site . here is my secret island i love it i go almost weekly

Hi matrixmo , what is that island , how to get there, what is the depth. am new to freediving and spearfishing and am bored with the place i go to , it almost near dorat al arrous & madenit el bohayeraat . Kindly advise

 

[gameel202]

i want to ask about the equivalent of the SSI level one freediver of the AIDA ??
and can i enroll myself to a level higher than the SSI level ! at the AIDA program ??

 

[Elduderinio]

Hi there!

The AIDA board wrote on the 10th of Sept: "The Education Commission is currently working to establish course equivalencies with respect to SSI freediving courses."

So, for now there are no set rules. You will have to see your AIDA instructor of your choice she/he will look at your diving and then recommend the appropriate course level.

Enjoy
The Dude - Oli

 

[gameel202]

thank you for the info .

 

[canuckfreediver]

Hawaii freediving?

Hi everyone.
I'm from Calgary and will be taking my first freediving course in Hawaii next month. I would like to connect with local freedivers in Hawaii and join them for some diving. Do any of you have freediving connections in Hawaii?
Thanks.

 

[Bill]

If the trip includes any time on the Big Island, let me know.

 

[Kars]

You can contact Deron Verbeck @
iamaquatic.com
<Phone etc on this website>

When you go for Kona island.

Furthermore Annabel Briseno comes to mind and her daughter Jessica Wilson.
Kevin Busscher is from Hawaii too. Maybe Leo Y Muraoka lives on Hawaii too.

 

[MikeS]

Excellent stuff, a great overview. Thanks Akoni.

 

[sai]

I've always been someone who gets nervous pretty quick and has a hard time to relax. I feel much more comfortable doing dynamics and deep dives than doing statics. It seems like the more I focus on my body and try to relax it, the more my heart rate goes up and my body tenses up. Even if I do really deep and slow belly breathing for minutes, my heart rate doesn't change at all or even goes up. Do you have any advices for me, that could get me in a relaxed mood before doing statics?

 

[trux]

Even if I do really deep and slow belly breathing for minutes, my heart rate doesn't change at all or even goes up. Do you have any advices for me, that could get me in a relaxed mood before doing statics?

Doing really deep and slow belly breathing for minutes equals to hyperventilation which induces tachycardia (fast heart rate), and muscle tension, so it is not at all surprising you can't get relaxed. Look up the term hyperventilation here on DB to learn more about it. Breathe normally.

 

[sai]

Just did a O2 Table and did normal breathing as preparation and while resting, then two super long deep breathes before starting. I raised my PB from 2:15 to 3 mins. Awesome!

 

[pingshui]

Congrats, you are on the right way! :friday
For me it was the same: the time I switched to normal breathing I raised my PB a minute as well, and even for 2 minutes after a week.

 

[sai]

Anyone else has a hard time to relax while laying on your back? I start to feel my heartbeat really strong and you can even see it beating from the outside. When doing a long exhale it's almost interrupting me with every beat. That's really keeping me from getting relaxed.

 

[Azrael3000]

Same for me. When doing dry statics I prefer to have my body at an angle. Stupid gravity.

 

[fabikp]

Sai, it's better not to lie flat, but with lifted upper half of your body (from waist up) in a small angle, or to sit (lie) in a very comfortable armchair. Pavel

 

[Apneaddict]

Why is that?