Understanding Freedive Course Equipment Requirements

[scott22]

I've looked into a couple freediving courses offered here in Hawaii and, first of all, I'm surprised at how few there are. But, the main thing really is the prohibitive equipment requirements. I understand why you would need a mask, snorkel, and long fins. These are pretty obvious. But why should I have to have a full hood wetsuit to take a course in Hawaii? Why does my mask HAVE to be low-volume? My mask is low volume, but I don't see why someone with a standard scuba mask couldn't take a freediving course. Why do I have to have a 300 dollar plus freediving computer? Aren't the depths carefully planned? Can't the instructor time the dive? If instructor can't time the dive, can't an ironman or something similar suffice?

Am I the only person who freedives without all the specific "freediving" gear? Honestly, no one I dive with has all that stuff. Why should we not be able to take a course? The cynical thing to assume is that, usually, these courses are offered through a dive shop and they want to sell equipment more than train safe divers. Tell me I'm wrong.

 

[laser500]

Sounds pretty ridiculous to me. I did my SSI level 1 & level 2 in Indonesia and I used normal fins, shortie wetsuit, mask(might have been low volume), snorkel, nylon weightbelt. I didn't feel the need for anything else either.

However, these were provided fully by the school for the duration of the courses.

I don't see why this couldn't be the norm, as it seems to be in scuba in most places in my experience. (or rentable for a small fee)

 

[scott22]

Well, though my post sounds whiny, I'm sincere about wanting to understand the reason -- not just rant. I've learned more from a guy who uses a classic oval scuba mask, 30 year old snorkel, and blunt cut fins. No dive computer, no wetsuit. Granted, when we go, we are more into exploring than diving as deep as we possibly can. But I doubt many folks in a beginning course are going particularly deep either; but they sure have about a grand worth of equipment on. The equipment is obviously optimum, but not exactly necessary. I want to have/use all of it -- but it shouldn't prevent people from learning the sport, in my opinion.

 

[cdavis]

Several reasons:

In a course, students don't move around much, and can get cold quick. A hooded suit can be pretty important as ice cubes don't learn very well. I thought my course's suggestion of a full freediving suit was preposterous for summer in Florida, until I started getting cold in my 3/2. I suspect that a diver with experience in Hawaii with a good no hood suit would be able to get an exception.

Its a freediving course and they mostly teach depth. South of about 40 ft a large volume mask becomes a problem for a variety of reasons, as I'm sure you know. Plus, if you are going to freedive, get a decent mask. If it is a beginners course and shallow, a large volume mask would work, but why?

I'm with you on the computer issue. a depth gauge with a max depth indicator should be sufficient.

Some other things ought to be required, like a rubber weight belt. I came to my course with a nylon belt. Took about 30 seconds with a borrowed rubber belt to see the advantage. Yes it was crazy expensive for a belt, but very much worth it.

Oh yeah,sometimes old is best. My snorkel was new in 1971, 5200 and zip ties keep it going. Still better than anything made today.

Final point, dive shops need to make a profit to stay in business so they can help you when you need it. Equipment sales during courses are a major way they do that.

Connor

 

[scott22]

Obviously, dive shops need to make money. I'm happy to support them, but that alone doesn't justify such restrictive equipment requirements.

Since I haven't actually taken the course I can now see how someone could possibly get cold treading water around the float for several hours, taking turns, analyzing each other's dives, etc. I'm used to the freedom of almost perpetual relocation. Thanks for pointing that out. Rubber weight belts just make sense, more so than long fins actually. I guess if basic safety courses were offered more frequently (with less emphasis on gear) I'd be content to wait until I own all the equipment to take a more comprehensive course, but the sport is still not popular enough to justify such frequency. Too me, that's alright. Thanks for the thoughtful response, Conner. This will be a slow development.

 

[monkeyhatfork]

I took the PFI course in Kona, they are traveling instructors not a shop they dont sell anything so no money is being made from the course gear requirements. FII would be a similar course, as connor mentioned there is good reason for the suite and they will show u in the course why the low volume mask when they show pics of people who burst capillaries trying to freedive with scuba masks I think they recommend a computer but i dont think it was mandatory u just needed at minimum a timing device. I would call and talk to whoever u want to take the course with tho nothings etched in stone most people are willing to accommodate some may even loan gear.

 

[JennyWren]

I've taken the PFI course a couple of times (once in Kona) and they had watches you could borrow. Also, you could rent wetsuits if you didn't have a freediving one (yes it is possible to get cold in Kona, remember you might be just resting and breathing up for several minutes before your dive). A low-volume mask makes life so much easier, if you have the intent to keep diving it's probably a worthwhile cost.

When I took the course I just bought a low-volume mask and long fins, and rented / borrowed the other gear I needed. This made deciding if I wanted to become a freediver reasonably affordable.

 

[Deep Six]

Well, I haven't taken a freedive course, but when I did my scuba there were only a few things we were required to provide: mask, fins, snorkel, and booties. Everything else was provided by the dive shop. They did offer a discount if you bought all those things through them, though. Creating more divers in their locale who would continue taking courses, continue to need gear, and continue supporting the very friendly shop they took the course through was a sufficient financial impetus - I can`t see that they could possibly have made a killing on the course itself. Their attitude toward the whole thing, however, will insure I go to them whenever I need something new. If I'd had to arrive with my own wetsuit, etc, I simply would not have been able to take the course. I don't have that kind of change laying around, and even a year later I still don't have all the gear I need.

 

[smellsfishy]

Most of the freediving classes out there pack a lot of information and skills into a short period of time. You want to take advantage of the limited time you have in the class and utilize it efficiently. If you're too cold to dive or focus on the technique, can't equalize below a certain depth because you don't have the proper mask, or can't get the proper finning technique and power to dive down to the depths required, you're going to be wasting the opportunity you have in the class.

I agree with Connor the freediving computer is definitely optional for a course but great to have for freediving safety.

Good luck with the course you'll learn a lot and love it !