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How long does it take to get good at freediving?

Facts

People choose freediving inspired by different things. Some fall in love with it when listening to the friends’ stories, while others are attracted by sea animals. Someone else in their childhood held their breath in the bathroom, and now they want to learn how to do it longer. Someone dreams of learning not to be afraid of water.

Different goals, different approaches. There is just one thing that unites all those people – the desire to dive. Experienced freedivers feel balanced, calm, confident when diving. An hour spent freediving erases a week of worries and tension. So, how to start practicing freediving?

Basic course

You can learn freediving without injuries and panic if an experienced person helps you. An experienced instructor will show you the equipment and the main freediving elements, helping you with step-by-step training.

In any of the existing freediving systems, freediving begins with a basic course. Everyone who has reached the age of 18 can be enrolled in the basic course (as an exception, you can be enrolled from the age of 16, if there is parents’ permission). Besides, you should not have any contraindications (if you have chronic diseases or some developmental features, it’s better to consult your doctor). At the end of the basic course, you will have a theoretical exam and a fit test. If all tests are successfully completed, you will receive a certificate confirming your new status.

But how long will it take? As a rule, a basic freediving course takes three days. The requirements are the following:

  • 2:00 Static;
  • 40m Distance;
  • 16m Depth.

Nevertheless, having finished the basic course only, it’s impossible to become a true professional. To become really good, you should practice a lot.

Freediving disciplines

 

Freediving can be divided into 3 categories:

  • commercial freediving (diving to earn money);
  • recreational freediving (diving in order to enjoy the magical world under the water);
  • sport freediving (diving in order to set new records).

There are eight freediving disciplines that differ in time, distance, depth. People choose the discipline depending on what result they want to achieve. Freediving disciplines include Static Apnea, Dynamic Without Fins, Dynamic With Fins, Constant Weight Without Fins, Constant Weight, Free Immersion, Variable Weight, No Limit.

Interesting facts

  1. How long can freedivers hold their breath? – The average is 2-3 minutes.
  2. How deep can freediver go? – The world record for no limits discipline is 700 feet.
  3. The heart of the freediver beats especially low during deep immersion. In fact, some divers recorded heart rates as low as 10 beats per minute.
  4. The pressure that our bodies withstand underwater can cause injury outside.
  5. Freediving is a rather old sport. In ancient times, people were freediving in search of food, corals, pearls.
  6. Babies are better freedivers than adults: they hold their breath unconsciously.

If you are not going to professionally engage in freediving and break world records, you can make this sport your hobby. But to develop the skill to the proper degree, an experienced instructor is needed.

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