What is freediving?
Freediving is diving underwater on a single breath-hold — no tanks, no regulators, no bubbles. You take one breath at the surface, descend, and come back up before you need to breathe again.
How it actually works
Three things make a controlled descent possible: a calm nervous system, an equalization technique that keeps your ears comfortable as pressure increases, and the body's own mammalian dive reflex — heart rate drops, blood shifts toward the core, and the urge to breathe arrives later than most beginners expect.
On a course you'll train all three on a vertical guideline, with an instructor at the surface and a certified buddy at depth. Depth comes from relaxation, not muscle.
Freediving vs scuba
Scuba uses compressed air so you can stay down for 30 to 60 minutes. Freediving is shorter — usually under two minutes — but quieter, lighter on gear, and gets you closer to marine life that scares off from bubbles. The two complement each other; many of our students do both.
What you learn on AIDA 1
AIDA 1 is a one-day introduction — breath-hold theory, relaxation, basic equalization (Valsalva or early Frenzel), and a confined-water session to practise duck dives and a static hold. No depth requirement, no prior experience needed. After that, AIDA 2 takes you to recreational depth on the line with safety protocols and a certified rescue.
Is it dangerous?
Solo freediving is — every fatality is essentially a variation of blacking out alone. Trained freediving with a buddy and proper protocols is statistically very safe. The whole point of an AIDA course is teaching the protocols that turn the risk into something manageable. We go deeper on this in our safety guide.
Freediving — common questions
Is freediving the same as snorkeling?
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No. Snorkeling stays at the surface breathing through a tube. Freediving is descending on a single breath-hold, usually with a mask, low-volume fins, and a weighted line for training.
Do you need to be a strong swimmer to start?
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You need to be comfortable in deep water and able to swim a short distance without panicking. You do not need to be a fast or competitive swimmer — relaxation matters more than fitness.
What's the youngest age to learn?
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AIDA 1 typically accepts students from 16 (or younger with parental consent and instructor approval). Most beginner courses set the same threshold.
Can you learn freediving in a weekend?
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Yes — AIDA 1 is a one-day introduction and AIDA 2 (the first full certification) is run over 2 to 3 days. That gets you certified to a recreational depth; comfort and depth come with practice afterward.
Try your first breath-hold dive.
AIDA 1 takes a single day. Send us your dates and we'll get you booked.
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