- Hydrate
- Get a good night’s rest
- Have an empty stomach or eat a small light meal
- Stretch
- Always have a buddy
- Evaluate environmental conditions before freediving
- Relax as much as possible
- Equalize your ears and mask before you dive
- Keep your chin tucked and look at the line as you dive down
- Practice proper recovery breaths
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between freediving and SCUBA diving?
Free diving is when you hold your breath and dive down below the surface of the water without using any breathing apparatus underwater. One free dive usually lasts between 1- 5 minutes, level one free diving will take you to depths of 10-20 meters. Scuba diving uses special equipment to breath underwater including air tanks, regulators, and other specific equipment and training. One scuba dive usually lasts between 30-60 minutes, and the entry level open water scuba certification can take you to depths up to 18 meters.
Do I need special equipment to be able to free dive?
Yes! You’ll need a mask, snorkel, fins, weight belt, and depending on the temperature of the water you are diving in, you may need a wetsuit. If you are just getting started with free diving, you can use the equipment you might already have, but once you decide you’d like to free dive more often, you will probably want to invest in some equipment that is specifically designed for freediving. You’ll probably want some free diving fins, which are longer and more flexible than scuba fins and usually made of plastic or carbon fiber. A low volume mask which makes equalization easier, and a flexible streamlined snorkel. As you get more into freediving, you might also want to get a two piece wetsuit and a dive computer with an apnea setting.
What should I eat before freediving?
Ideally you should free dive on an empty stomach, or eat a light healthy snack before freediving. Eat mostly fruits and vegetables; avoid dairy, caffeine, and anything that will take a long time to digest. It’s not a good idea to eat a big meal before freediving, this is because the blood in your body will go to your stomach to digest the food, which means that your body will have a more difficult time carrying oxygen to the rest of your body. It just means you won’t be able to hold your breath for as long.
Can I free dive after Scuba diving?
No! When you scuba dive, you absorb nitrogen into your blood stream and soft tissues. If you free dive with a high level of nitrogen saturation in your body, it is possible for the nitrogen to compress on descent and expand on ascent and could put you at risk for decompression sickness.
Are there any medical conditions that might prohibit me from free diving?
If you have any issues with your ears or sinuses you might not be able to equalize properly. If you have a cold or any congestion, you should not free dive. If you have any issues with fainting, or seizures, you should get a medical check before freediving. If you are pregnant you should consult a doctor before freediving, and you should not push your limits.
What should I bring to my first freediving course?
- Mask, Snorkel, Fins, Wetsuit, Water bottle
- Light healthy snack such as fruit, or a green smoothie
- If you have one, also bring a weight belt and yoga mat
- Positive attitude and a relaxed mindset
What are the benefits of freediving?
- You can interact with marine life in it’s natural setting, marine life tends to get closer to free divers than scuba divers because there aren’t any loud noisy bubbles.
- Freediving is almost like a form of meditation, you need to enter a relaxed state of mind and body. Many people enjoy the mental relaxation of freediving
- Challenging opportunity to push your mental and physical limits, try something new, and feel the triumph of setting and achieving new goals
Do NOT’s
- Drink caffeine
- Smoke cigarettes
- Eat a big meal
- Free dive with a cold or congestion
- Free dive after scuba diving
- Free dive alone
- Hyperventilate before diving
- Overweight yourself
- Continue diving deeper if you aren’t able to equalize your ears or sinuses
- Look down on descent or up on ascent
- Skip your recovery breaths!
- Hydrate
- Get a good night’s rest
- Have an empty stomach or eat a small light meal
- Stretch
- Always have a buddy
- Evaluate environmental conditions before freediving
- Relax as much as possible
- Equalize your ears and mask before you dive
- Keep your chin tucked and look at the line as you dive down
- Practice proper recovery breaths
- Drink caffeine
- Smoke cigarettes
- Eat a big meal
- Free dive with a cold or congestion
- Free dive after scuba diving
- Free dive alone
- Hyperventilate before diving
- Continue diving deeper if you aren’t able to equalize your ears or sinuses
- Skip your recovery breaths!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between freediving and SCUBA diving?
Free diving is when you hold your breath and dive down below the surface of the water without using any breathing apparatus underwater. One free dive usually lasts between 1- 5 minutes, level one free diving will take you to depts of 10-20 meters. Scuba diving uses special equipment to breath underwater including air tanks, regulators, and other specific equipment and training. One scuba dive usually lasts between 30-60 minutes, and the entry level open water scuba certification can take you to depths up to 18 meters.
Do I need special equipment to be able to free dive?
Yes! You’ll need a mask, snorkel, fins, weight belt, and depending on the temperature of the water you are diving in, you may need a wetsuit. If you are just getting started with free diving, you can use the equipment you might already have, but once you decide you’d like to free dive more often, you will probably want to invest in some equipment that is specifically designed for freediving. You’ll probably want some free diving fins, which are longer and more flexible than scuba fins and usually made of plastic or carbon fiber. A low volume mask which makes equalization easier, and a flexible streamilned snorkel. As you get more into freediving, you might also want to get a two piece wetsuit and a dive computer with an apnea setting.
What should I eat before freediving?
Ideally you should free dive on an empty stomach, or eat a light healthy snack before freediving. Eat mostly fruits and vegetables; avoid dairy, caffeine, and anything that will take a long time to digest. It’s not a good idea to eat a big meal before freediving, this is because the blood in your body will go to your stomach to digest the food, which means that your body will have a more difficult time carrying oxygen to the rest of your body. It just means you won’t be able to hold your breath for as long.
Can I free dive after Scuba diving?
No! When you scuba dive, you absorb nitrogen into your blood stream and soft tissues. If you free dive with a high level of nitrogen saturation in your body, it is possible for the nitrogen to compress on descent and expand on ascent and could put you at risk for decompression sickness.
Are there any medical conditions that might prohibit me from free diving?
If you have any issues with your ears or sinuses you might not be able to equalize properly. If you have a cold or any congestion, you should not free dive. If you have any issues with fainting, or seizures, you should get a medical check before freediving. If you are pregnant you should consult a doctor before freediving, and you should not push your limits.
What should I bring to my first freediving course?
- Mask, Snorkel, Fins, Wetsuit, Water bottle
- Light healthy snack such as fruit, or a green smoothie
- If you have one, also bring a weight belt and yoga mat
- Positive attitude and a relaxed mindset
What are the benefits of freediving?
- You can interact with marine life in it’s natural setting, marine life tends to get closer to free divers than scuba divers because there arent any loud noisy bubbles.
- Freediving is almost like a form of meditation, you need to enter a relaxed state of mind and body. Many people enjoy the mental relaxation of freediving
- Challenging opportunity to push your mental and physical limits, try something new, and feel the triumph of setting and achieving new goals