Question New freediver. Wondering about the value of a class and seeking other advice.

[ashoka232]

I love spending time in the ocean and recently have become increasingly interested in freediving. Im attracted by the “blue headspace” and the elegance and ease and by being less encumbered by tanks. I’m a Padi Divemaster for scuba.
As a teenager swimming down with a snorkel, I surprised myself at going to 40ft/12 meters. A decade later, trying again, I repeated that depth and then dove to 50ft/15, then 60ft/18 and a couple days ago I dove to 78ft/24. My breath holds have been usually no longer than 55 seconds or so. I’m using normal scuba fins and booties.
I’m not so interested in really pushing limits or the “extreme sport” end of things. I want to be safe and enjoy the ocean meditation. I do think it’s cool to to dive deeper down though and I’d love to go to 30 meters, for example. I found I dive deeper when most relaxed and shallower dives are sometimes less comfortable, anyway.
Questions:

1. is taking a class necessary for safety? I feel I’m being safe but on my dive to 24m I experienced my first chest contraction, and started to feel the whole “the surface is pretty far away” thing, don’t want to push it much more. Wondering if a course is more about headspace and technique vs really important for safety (like in scuba- diving without training would be very unsafe and stupid, seems to be more of a gray area with some basic freediving).
2. How much do freediving fins help? I understand you need technique and strength for advanced fins but could basic beginner friendly long fins have turned that 24m dive to a 30m dive for example?
3. Seeing how long I can hold my breathe and suffer doesn’t sound so fun, especially in a pool, etc. Again, I’ve focused on being calm and deep breathing, some gentle pushing it deeper before turning around. 55 seconds holding my breath on a dive is way more pleasant than on the surface. If I’m not into the intensity of the idea of holding my breathe in a pool for 3 or 4 minutes is this not the sport for me?
4. Which course school is the best or most standard? AIDA? Molchanovs? Performance Freediving International? Looks like I’ll need to go straight through intermediate to get past 20m.

Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions.

 

[Irishdiver]

I love spending time in the ocean and recently have become increasingly interested in freediving. Im attracted by the “blue headspace” and the elegance and ease and by being less encumbered by tanks. I’m a Padi Divemaster for scuba.
As a teenager swimming down with a snorkel, I surprised myself at going to 40ft/12 meters. A decade later, trying again, I repeated that depth and then dove to 50ft/15, then 60ft/18 and a couple days ago I dove to 78ft/24. My breath holds have been usually no longer than 55 seconds or so. I’m using normal scuba fins and booties.
I’m not so interested in really pushing limits or the “extreme sport” end of things. I want to be safe and enjoy the ocean meditation. I do think it’s cool to to dive deeper down though and I’d love to go to 30 meters, for example. I found I dive deeper when most relaxed and shallower dives are sometimes less comfortable, anyway.
Questions:

1. is taking a class necessary for safety? I feel I’m being safe but on my dive to 24m I experienced my first chest contraction, and started to feel the whole “the surface is pretty far away” thing, don’t want to push it much more. Wondering if a course is more about headspace and technique vs really important for safety (like in scuba- diving without training would be very unsafe and stupid, seems to be more of a gray area with some basic freediving).
2. How much do freediving fins help? I understand you need technique and strength for advanced fins but could basic beginner friendly long fins have turned that 24m dive to a 30m dive for example?
3. Seeing how long I can hold my breathe and suffer doesn’t sound so fun, especially in a pool, etc. Again, I’ve focused on being calm and deep breathing, some gentle pushing it deeper before turning around. 55 seconds holding my breath on a dive is way more pleasant than on the surface. If I’m not into the intensity of the idea of holding my breathe in a pool for 3 or 4 minutes is this not the sport for me?
4. Which course school is the best or most standard? AIDA? Molchanovs? Performance Freediving International? Looks like I’ll need to go straight through intermediate to get past 20m.

Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions.

1. Yes it is. The most important thing you'll learn is diving with a buddy (who knows what they're doing) is vital for safety. You will learn a lot more that i won't go in to here but, yeah, definitely do a course.
2. When you get used to them, freediving fins help a lot and will help you go deeper but other factors like equalising techniques are probably more important for getting those extra meters.
3. Personally I hate static breathholds in a pool. I just find it boring and never really switch off. This is no obstacle to enjoying freediving as a sport. When you do a course your instructor will likely do some static training just to get you used to contractions etc. Just make it clear you have no interest in it and don't want to spend much time on it.
4. In my opinion the agency doesn't matter, the instructor and location does. If your main objective is to enjoy deep dives in the ocean look for a school that has easy access to this i.e. deep water close to shore and preferably clear water. Talk to any Instructor before you sign up and tell them exactly what you are looking for. Freedive training works different to scuba as you don't necessarily need to progress in levels after the first basic course.

 

[WRPJR]

I love spending time in the ocean and recently have become increasingly interested in freediving. Im attracted by the “blue headspace” and the elegance and ease and by being less encumbered by tanks. I’m a Padi Divemaster for scuba.
As a teenager swimming down with a snorkel, I surprised myself at going to 40ft/12 meters. A decade later, trying again, I repeated that depth and then dove to 50ft/15, then 60ft/18 and a couple days ago I dove to 78ft/24. My breath holds have been usually no longer than 55 seconds or so. I’m using normal scuba fins and booties.
I’m not so interested in really pushing limits or the “extreme sport” end of things. I want to be safe and enjoy the ocean meditation. I do think it’s cool to to dive deeper down though and I’d love to go to 30 meters, for example. I found I dive deeper when most relaxed and shallower dives are sometimes less comfortable, anyway.
Questions:

1. is taking a class necessary for safety? I feel I’m being safe but on my dive to 24m I experienced my first chest contraction, and started to feel the whole “the surface is pretty far away” thing, don’t want to push it much more. Wondering if a course is more about headspace and technique vs really important for safety (like in scuba- diving without training would be very unsafe and stupid, seems to be more of a gray area with some basic freediving).
2. How much do freediving fins help? I understand you need technique and strength for advanced fins but could basic beginner friendly long fins have turned that 24m dive to a 30m dive for example?
3. Seeing how long I can hold my breathe and suffer doesn’t sound so fun, especially in a pool, etc. Again, I’ve focused on being calm and deep breathing, some gentle pushing it deeper before turning around. 55 seconds holding my breath on a dive is way more pleasant than on the surface. If I’m not into the intensity of the idea of holding my breathe in a pool for 3 or 4 minutes is this not the sport for me?
4. Which course school is the best or most standard? AIDA? Molchanovs? Performance Freediving International? Looks like I’ll need to go straight through intermediate to get past 20m.

Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions.

I and my dive buddies had been diving for over 20 years in the bahamas and Florida. We all thought we knew everything and I tried to skip the level one class. They would not let me and I am glad they didn’t. Nothing can replace someone who knows what they are doing watching you and telling you what you are doing wrong. My depth went from a very dangerous 40-50 feet to an easy 65 with time to spare. My friends noticed the difference and took the class. Those 20 years of diving caused me to develop some bad habits and I paid for both of my kids to take the class and watch out for me when we dive in the Bahamas. Take the class from a reputable instructor, you won’t be dissapointed. if nothing else, you will meet other potential dive buddies.
I used Freeding Instructors International. FII. I think they have classes all over the world at this point. I am going to a camp in Tennerife this summer.

 

[WRPJR]

Ps. I have since that first class taken the intermediate and advanced classes. Take them all they are fun and inexpensive.

 

[Scott Valentine]

I love spending time in the ocean and recently have become increasingly interested in freediving. Im attracted by the “blue headspace” and the elegance and ease and by being less encumbered by tanks. I’m a Padi Divemaster for scuba.
As a teenager swimming down with a snorkel, I surprised myself at going to 40ft/12 meters. A decade later, trying again, I repeated that depth and then dove to 50ft/15, then 60ft/18 and a couple days ago I dove to 78ft/24. My breath holds have been usually no longer than 55 seconds or so. I’m using normal scuba fins and booties.
I’m not so interested in really pushing limits or the “extreme sport” end of things. I want to be safe and enjoy the ocean meditation. I do think it’s cool to to dive deeper down though and I’d love to go to 30 meters, for example. I found I dive deeper when most relaxed and shallower dives are sometimes less comfortable, anyway.
Questions:

1. is taking a class necessary for safety? I feel I’m being safe but on my dive to 24m I experienced my first chest contraction, and started to feel the whole “the surface is pretty far away” thing, don’t want to push it much more. Wondering if a course is more about headspace and technique vs really important for safety (like in scuba- diving without training would be very unsafe and stupid, seems to be more of a gray area with some basic freediving).
2. How much do freediving fins help? I understand you need technique and strength for advanced fins but could basic beginner friendly long fins have turned that 24m dive to a 30m dive for example?
3. Seeing how long I can hold my breathe and suffer doesn’t sound so fun, especially in a pool, etc. Again, I’ve focused on being calm and deep breathing, some gentle pushing it deeper before turning around. 55 seconds holding my breath on a dive is way more pleasant than on the surface. If I’m not into the intensity of the idea of holding my breathe in a pool for 3 or 4 minutes is this not the sport for me?
4. Which course school is the best or most standard? AIDA? Molchanovs? Performance Freediving International? Looks like I’ll need to go straight through intermediate to get past 20m.

Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions.

I've been spearfishing since I was 12 years old, I'm now in my 60s, and I thought I knew everything but I did take a freediving course and it turned out to be very helpful. Coming from a military background I believe that you can never have too much intel to make the correct decisions, and although you may know a lot of things they teach you in the beginning freediving course you will learn something guaranteed to help you.
There is a huge difference between regular fins and freediving fins, I even use freediving fins for scuba now and they're helpful there as well, in fact since we're on the subject we should just get rid of all scuba style fins.

 

[OrcaOrca]

I think you need to let go of the idea that SCUBA translates to freediving, they're very different things. If I were you, I would also try to focus less on depth and more on laying down the basics. They may feel boring to someone who's already experienced in an underwater environment, but they are entirely necessary. Take a class, learn from others (can recommend 'Adam Freediver' on YT, he has a lot of helpful content), work on achieving an efficient finning technique, ingrain proper safety/rescue protocol into your mind, progress slowly to get to know your body and your limits under various circumstances. I'd argue that proper training is just as important in freediving as it is in SCUBA, if not more. Sure, we don't have all that technical stuff to worry about, but we're quite vulnerable in other ways -- think about how many people die freediving each year, even just recreational diving. I'd also argue that "headspace and technique" is about safety, too.

As for STA (static apnea), it's not riveting but it is a good way to practice relaxation, handling contractions, discovering and pushing limits without having to focus on anything else. I try to practice STA at least once a week. I think you'll find it has a very positive influence on your breath holds in dynamic diving, so in my opinion, it definitely pays off. You can also train O2/CO2 tables at home, there are phone apps that calculate and generate them for you. I can recommend STAmina.

As for fins, I don't think you need to rush. Equipment doesn't make up for what you might lack in practice and experience. The thing about "real" freediving fins is mostly about power transfer -- they're more efficient and help you conserve O2, and the material is much more responsive than regular plastic which also helps with efficiency, but again, they're worth nothing if you lack proper technique. But it's an investment you'll want to make eventually, for sure.

Just my two cents on the matter.

 

[7BDiver]

If you are in an area that has good instructor availability and is not greatly cost prohibitive they are certainly worth it. Once you start going past 75 feet or so you will need to be more careful and proficient with your equalization skills as to not get barotrauma injuries. At this depth beginners will find themselves swallowing the air they are trying to keep in their mask and sinuses to maintain equalization especially if not relaxed. Flexibility becomes more important and instructors can provide guidance there as well.

 

[cdavis]

If you are in an area that has good instructor availability and is not greatly cost prohibitive they are certainly worth it. Once you start going past 75 feet or so you will need to be more careful and proficient with your equalization skills as to not get barotrauma injuries. At this depth beginners will find themselves swallowing the air they are trying to keep in their mask and sinuses to maintain equalization especially if not relaxed. Flexibility becomes more important and instructors can provide guidance there as well.

What Irishdiver said.

I'd like to emphasis the safety aspect. My course(PFI) taught a long time freediver/spearo that I had a LOT more to learn, convinced me that I really did need to dive safe, and saved the life of my diving buddy not long after the course. Even given that, IMHO courses can be overhyped. I think its ok for newbies to just go do it and learn a little before they take a course. However, you already have the talent and experience to get great use out of a course and need one to protect yourself and those you dive with. The quality of the instructor is much more important than which agency. Any yes, freediving fins are MUCH better for most freediving. You don't have to get real expensive to get almost all the benefit, but they do take a bit of getting used to.