Unleash Your Inner Explorer – 4 Great Ways to go Freediving
September 6, 2023
Freediving is an up-and-coming sport/water activity that is growing in popularity all around the world. The best thing about it is that there are so many ways to go freediving and enjoy it. You do not have to get to extreme depths and compete in competitions if that is not your style. Instead, you can use freediving to explore the reef when you are on vacation, or as a way to calm your mind and turn off the noise and stress of everyday life. We are going to discuss the different ways that you can enjoy freediving so you can find the right style of freediving for you.
1. Exploring the reef
The main reason that most people decide to learn to freedive is so they can explore the exciting underwater world. The ocean holds weird and wonderful creatures and surprises that can be seen better if you are able to dive a little way under the surface.
From tiny shrimp and colorful nudibranchs, to huge whale sharks and enticing shipwrecks, there is so much to see in waters all around the world! These days there are incredible documentaries that showcase these wonders, but there is nothing that compares to seeing them with your own eyes when you go freediving.
Learning to freedive gives you the tools you need to go from snorkeling on the surface, to holding your breath and diving under the water. During a freediving course you will learn how to hold your breath for longer, how to stay relaxed during the breath hold, how to use your body efficiently to move through the water, and most importantly how to freedive safely.
2. Depth training
During a freediving course you will not only learn how to dive on the reef, but how to dive on a buoy and line. Diving following a line is a great way to add depth to your freediving in the safest way. You can practice diving on the line in different ways when you go freediving and see which you like the most.
There are three main disciplines in line diving:
- Constant weight bi-fins (CWTB): This type of freediving involves using a fin on each foot and using your legs to kick you down and back up the line.
- Free immersion (FIM): In free immersion freediving, you use your arms to pull yourself down and up the line.
- Constant weight (CWT): This monofin freediving discipline is a little more advanced. As the name suggests, it involves using a monofin (a dolphin-like fin that keeps both feet together).
If you want to get a little deeper, trying to do that on the reef can be dangerous as it is not a controlled environment. On the line, you have a buoy to rest on before diving, you are attached to a line (rope) set to a particular maximum depth, and you have a buddy following you back up to the surface. This is the safest possible way to train when you go freediving.
Depth training has many benefits. For starters, it allows you to see what you are capable of - you will probably surprise yourself! It is a great bonding experience with your dive buddies and will build trust between you as you go freediving together.
Depth training also encourages strength of mind, as you take yourself out of your comfort zone and have to make sure you stay calm and relaxed while you are there.
It is important to note that you should have basic freediving training before doing any kind of freediving, especially before trying to dive on a line. You should always add depth to the line gradually and ensure that you are 100% comfortable performing a depth before you add any more depth to the line. Never dive on an open line (a line set deeper than you have done before).
3. Pool training
Freediving in the pool is quite different to freediving to depth. You will experience some pool diving in your freediving course and learn the differences. Some people prefer to go freediving in a pool as they do not have to worry about equalizing their ears, and they feel comforted knowing that they can lift their head up for air at any time they like (as opposed to depth diving where you have to get yourself back to the surface).
Pool diving involves swimming as far as you can (lengths) in either the constant weight, constant weight bi-fins, or free immersion disciplines. Statics are also done in the pool (holding your breath for as long as possible while lying still on the surface).
Training static freediving can help you to gain confidence and add time to your breath hold. You can push your limits a little further than you can in depth because you are on the surface with a buddy, and it is a very safe environment.
Even though pool training is done very shallowly, this does not mean you can train alone. Always have a certified buddy follow you on your lengths and never go freediving alone.
4. Competition freediving
There are official competitions throughout the year in various places around the world that allow you to compete in both depth and in pool freediving. People compete for their country to try to become the best, or even to become the best in the world!
Other people might compete just to experience the competitive atmosphere and immerse themselves in the freediving community. Perhaps they compete to see how they get on diving under the pressures of having the spotlight on them.
Whatever your reasons, competition diving is not only for the elite. Anyone is welcome to sign up for a competition and see how they do.
Ready to go freediving? Start the adventure with these courses.
If we have convinced you to go freediving and you are thinking of signing up for a course, here are your options to get started:
SSI Basic Freediving:This program allows you to get a taste of what freediving is all about. You will learn all you need to freedive safely with a buddy in a pool/confined waters up to a depth of 16 feet (5 meters), with some diving theory too.
SSI Freediving Level 1:This program is the first certification level which will allow you to freedive with a buddy in open water up to a depth of 66 feet (20 meters). Online training, pool/confined water sessions, and open water dives are combined to help you become a confident and safe freediver.