Freediving is growing in popularity as a sport and recreational activity. But there are still a lot of questions the general population don’t know about. Here are the 10 most popular questions, which people ask before their first freediving course.
1. What is freediving? – Freediving is underwater diving that relies on breath-holding rather than scuba gear. Some do freediving for recreational purposes, while others do it as a sport. Freedivers are training both in the sea (the main goal is the depth) and in the pool (the main goal is the breath hold time or horizontal distance).
2. How long can a person hold their breath? – The world record is over 11 minutes, but most people can train to hold their breath for a few minutes after proper training. Breath-hold can be done dry or in the water. The main rule in freediving is never to train alone!
3. What are the dangers of freediving? – Dangers include blackouts from lack of oxygen and pressure-related injuries. To make freediving safe, you must follow safety rules like those mentioned above – never train alone. Other safety rules you can learn on your first freediving course.
4. How deep can freedivers go? – Elite competitive freedivers can go over 100 meters deep. For example, the world record for the monofin discipline is 136 meters. You can learn how to safely freedive deeper than 10 meters on your first freediving course.
5. What kind of training is involved? – Training involves breath-hold exercises, relaxation techniques, and physical conditioning. You will learn the general principles of freediving training on the more advanced courses, such as a Master Freediver course.
6. What equipment do you need? – You’ll need a mask, snorkel, fins, and wetsuit. If freediving becomes a big part of your life, you can consider other equipment such as a nose clip, neck weight or freediving lanyard.
7. Is freediving similar to scuba diving? – Freediving focuses on breath-holding, while scuba divers use tanks. While scuba diving allows you to stay longer underwater, it happens only because of the special equipment and compressed air in the scuba tank. On the other hand, freediving helps you increase your natural ability to explore the underwater world.
8. How do freedivers equalize pressure? – Freedivers use techniques like the Frenzel manoeuvre to equalise ear pressure while diving in the sea. This technique is the most effective for freediving; however, it requires some time to learn.
9. Can anyone learn to freedive? – Yes, with proper instruction and training. Learning freediving under the direct guidance of a certified instructor is highly recommended. You will learn all the necessary safety and relaxation practices in this case.
10. What are the best places to freedive? – Popular spots include the Red Sea, South East Asia, and the Caribbean. Check out Kaizen Freediving School in Koh Tao, Thailand, to learn freediving in Southeast Asia.