Beginner's Guide to Freediving: Everything You Need to Know

Before your first pool session, spend 2-4 weeks building basic CO2 tolerance on dry land:

Daily practice:

• 5 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing practice
• CO2 table training 3-4 times per week
• Progressive relaxation exercises before bed

What you are building:

• Tolerance to the urge to breathe (CO2 tolerance)
• Efficient breathing mechanics (diaphragmatic control)
• Ability to relax on command (parasympathetic activation)

The BreathHold app provides structured CO2 and O2 tables that automatically progress as you improve. This dry training phase gives you a significant advantage when you enter the water.

A proper freediving course is not optional. It teaches you:

• Safety protocols: Buddy systems, rescue techniques, blackout recognition
• Equalization techniques: How to equalize pressure safely during descent
• Proper breathing: Pre-dive breathing routines and recovery breathing
• Hydrodynamics: Efficient body position and finning technique
• Emergency procedures: How to rescue an unconscious diver

Major certification agencies:

• AIDA (Association Internationale pour le Developpement de l'Apnee)
• SSI (Scuba Schools International) Freediving
• PADI Freediving
• Molchanovs

A Level 1 / Freediver course typically takes 2-3 days and includes theory, pool sessions, and open water dives.

Pool training in a controlled environment is where you build confidence and technique before open water:

Static apnea: Floating face-down in shallow water while holding your breath. Your buddy watches you and is ready to turn you over if needed. This develops your comfort with breath holding in water.

Dynamic apnea: Swimming horizontally underwater for distance. Start with short distances (15-25 meters) and focus on streamlined body position and efficient movement.

Key pool safety rules:

• Always have your buddy within arm's reach
• Use a pool with lifeguards present when possible
• Start in shallow water (standing depth)
• Practice recovery breathing between every attempt

Equalization is the technique of balancing pressure between your middle ear and the surrounding water pressure during descent. Without it, you will experience pain at just 2-3 meters depth.

The Frenzel technique (recommended for freediving):

• Close your glottis (back of throat) to trap air
• Use your tongue as a piston to push air into your Eustachian tubes
• Practice on land first by pinching your nose and making a "T" sound
• Equalize early and often during descent (every 1-2 meters)

Your first open water dives should be:

• Supervised by an instructor or experienced freediver
• Along a line (vertical rope) for reference and safety
• Shallow (5-10 meters initially)
• Warm and calm (choose good conditions for your first dives)

Your first dive progression:

1. Comfortable floating and relaxation at the surface
2. Duck dive to 5 meters, equalize, and return
3. Gradually increase to 10 meters over multiple sessions
4. Focus on relaxation and technique, never on depth records

Never compare yourself to others. Depth progression should feel comfortable, not forced.

Consistent training across multiple domains produces the best results:

Weekly schedule example:

• Monday: Dry CO2 table (BreathHold app)
• Tuesday: Pool static and dynamic session (with buddy)
• Wednesday: Dry O2 table + stretching
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: Dry CO2 table
• Saturday: Open water dive (when conditions allow)
• Sunday: Rest + visualization/relaxation practice

As you progress, you will find your own balance between the training modalities.