Freediving culture (a bit of history)
Freediving is an activity ancient as humanity itself. More than any other sport, freediving is based on the subconscious reflexes written in Homo sapiens genome. From the moment of conception, human embryo lives in an aquatic environment that is very similar to seawater. When it is born, if submerged under the water, human infant will instinctively hold its b
reath for up to 40 seconds while making swimming movements. However, it looks like that we lose this innate ability as soon as we begin to walk. Waking up these natural reflexes is one of the most important elements of freediving; as a consequence, it will allow the freediver to be better protected at large depths. The word Apnea derives from the Greek word a-pnoia, which literally means “without breathing”. Although the origin of this word isn’t connected to water, in modern athletic terminology “Apnea” has become a synonym for freediving, i.e. diving on one breath of air, without the use of equipment that would make it possible to breathe underwater. Therefore, “Apnea” has put together a comprehensive and very detailed yet very involving reading about the history of Apnea and freediving itself. Freediving with our instrutor “Pete Botman":
I love being in and underwater. I love long distance swimming. I taught swimming to beginners, trained people to improve their stroke technique and was a lifeguard before I started teaching scuba diving 15 years ago. I have been teaching freediving for the past four years. I wish that you start to love being in the water as much as I do. I really don’t care how deep you will go or how long you will stay, as long as you enjoy your time underwater. Only after experiencing that enjoyment, you will surprise yourself at how deep you’ve gone and how long you’ve stayed. For me, freediving involves a lot of things but I particularly like the process of recognizing and releasing anxiety (especially the tension of needing air!). Other stresses in life are more complex, but I’ve found certain aspects of freediving to be a useful approach for dealing with them and calming down. Training up and down a descent line or back and forth lengths of the pool might be a bit meticulous, even boring sometimes, but you might end up finding it hypnotic. You might even become addicted to the physical challenge. I’ve helped send people on their way to national records. Next, there is the fun of diving to find out what is down there. Following my colleague scuba divers who have sufficient time to look for beautiful macro life, I can dive down through their bubbles to see the harlequin shrimp, ghost pipe fish, even sea horses that they’ve spotted. In return, freedivers have better oversight to see the mantas and whale sharks and are able to keep up with these big pelagic much easier. Sometimes freedivers have guided whale sharks back to our scuba diving buddies so all of us could enjoy! Freediving courses overview:
If you are totally new to freediving, then the easiest way to start with this activity is to enrol in a course. Even the beginner’s courses will take you beyond simple snorkeling and will provide you with a level of comfort in the water that you never thought it would be possible. Blue Planet Apnea teaches freediving according to the AIDA system. Find more details about AIDA freediving education system. Although the courses on the first 3 levels are focused on recreational freediving, it is good to know about different categories in freediving competition, since we also use these terms when teaching and training. If you have decided to become a freediver, then making yourself familiar with the competition disciplines and terminology would be a great beginning. AIDA Courses
AIDA One Day
- One Day introduction
First I explain basic physiology and physics, as they relate to freediving, while we take the boat out to a beautiful diving site. Then I tell you about breathing and relaxation and what you can expect when you breath-hold dive. On our first session, we practice in the water with a buoy along a descent line. There is no mandatory performance requirement. After a short break, we continue to our second session. We snorkel and dive, applying what you have learned along the line.
- One Day coaching (certified/experienced freedivers)
Experienced divers can come from any level and train with me. We discuss what your target for the day is and design a training table to achieve that target. We can do dry breathing tables during the boat ride, stretching exercises or meditate. Some freedivers like to continue training on the buoy and descent line for their second session, while others like to explore the reef for fun. AIDA*
The One-Star course lasts 2 days and involves a pool session and two same-day sessions in open water. You will learn techniques for preparing for a breath-hold and how to relax while holding your breath. Learning duck dives, finning technique, body positioning and safety procedures are also included in this course. There is no mandatory performance requirement to earn this certificate. AIDA**
In the Two-Star course, you receive a print-out of the theory necessary for a written exam. Relaxing theory sessions will be held in the classroom, before the breathing and pool sessions, and on the boat, before open water sessions. We do a breathing and breath-hold session on the land to prepare you for your 2 minute breath-hold in the pool. That will then make you confident enough for a 40m underwater pool swim. There are two days of open water sessions for practicing proper freediving techniques and safety procedures. By the end of these you will have duck-dived and finned down to 16m and also have performed rescues properly. After passing the written exam, you will earn your 2-Star Certificate. It takes 3 days to complete the course. AIDA***
The Three-Star course has much of the same structure as the Two-Star Course, although the content involves more details. It can be completed in 3 days also. The requirements for obtaining the certification are:
- passing the written exam
- performing your own training tables for pool sessions
- a static 2:45 minutes breath hold
- a 55m dynamic swim
- proper rescue of a buddy in the pool
- a constant weight dive down to 24m with fins and,
- a proper rescue of a buddy in open water. AIDA****
The Four-Star course focuses more on freediving beyond the recreational level. The theory lectures include all aspects of deep diving, from advanced equalization techniques to body preparation and applied physics. You will be taught to prepare for your sessions and train independently with a buddy. The requirements are to pass the written exam. You must perform a 3:30 min static breath-hold and 70m dynamic swim with fins in the pool. You will also have to demonstrate proper buddy coaching, safety and rescue techniques. In open water, you must perform more challenging self-rescues and buddy rescues than in earlier courses. You will be required to dive to 32m depth with constant weight and with fins and you will be introduced to a variable weight dive and go to 38m depth. The course will last longer than 3 days and the time for its completion depends on your progress exclusively. At the same time, the Four-Star course is the final step before becoming an AIDA Instructor!
