The first time that I’ve heard the term freediving was after seeing an episode about it on a local travel TV show some time ago. It seemed cool to be able to dive in the deep by just holding your breath without the aid of a breathing apparatus. However, during that time, it didn’t really pique my curiosity. I couldn’t even hold my breath for more than a minute while swimming under normal circumstances let alone while freediving. On the other hand, I was more inclined in taking a Discover Scuba Diving course (DSD).
The thought of taking a Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) course was inspired by (or more out of envy, really 🙂 ) the underwater adventures of Sir Gian and Ms. Sheila from Cebu, they are the power couple behind the travel blog Adrenaline Romance. I have never met them in person but I have been following their escapades not just beneath the surface but high up the mountains too soon after starting my own travel blog over a year and a half ago today.
Early this year, I asked my sister to search online for a Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) course in Batangas. A few days later, she tagged me on a Facebook post with the title (along the lines) of Freediving in the City Workshop instead. I said, why not give a try. As the title of the post implied, the freediving workshop was offered in a location somewhere in the metro but they also hold sessions in Batangas, which I preferred. As much as possible, I wanted to do a session in Batangas as we have a home in Bauan and I thought that it would be more convenient for us to travel to and from the site. The city session was to be conducted in a swimming pool but the session in Batangas was to be conducted out in the open sea. Although it was still within the limits of a controlled environment, I found it to be a bit daunting.
The big blue ocean has been a big part of my daily life (for nearly a decade now) but I have never really fully explored it. Truth be told, swimming is not one of my strengths. I know how to float on my back or on my belly but I do not know proper treading techniques. I can do some basic swimming strokes but just like many others out there, I am not that comfortable in the water and I easily go into “panic mode” the moment that I cannot touch the bottom of the pool or feel the seabed under my feet. So, the life vest has been my “go to guy” to at least enjoy wading in the deep.
As for the DSD course, it is on hold for the meantime as I figured that it would be expensive since I would be paying for two, my sister and myself. On the other hand, the freediving workshop was reasonably priced and along the next lines of the post, it stated open for non – swimmers. So, it seemed to be the perfect course for me (us) to take at that moment.
Freediving Lecture
Following the advice of our trainer, we arrived at the freediving workshop location in Camp Raya Resort, Binukbok Viewpoint, Balite, San Luis in Bauan just before noon. We met with our trainer, Ms. Val. We had an early lunch, took a quick rest, met the rest of the group (we were a small group of five trainees) then started the freediving lecture at 1 PM.
On the same table where we had lunch was where we held the class. Despite the informal classroom setting, we were very much comfortable with it and we were all attentive. Ms. Val introduced to us the elements of freediving along with some of the terminologies related to the discipline.
Prior to the day of the freediving workshop, I didn’t know much about it aside from what I have mentioned earlier regarding the TV show but I turned up at the workshop like an empty cup (with an open mind) ready to be filled to the top.
At first, I thought that it was just as simple as getting into the water, holding my breath as long as I can and then dive, BUT NOT QUITE. As our trainer was discussing the basics of freediving, I began to realize that there are so many technicalities involved in order to be able to do freediving effectively and SAFELY.
Breath Hold Exercise
Before getting our feet wet (literally), we did some of the freediving basics, one of which is the dry breath hold exercise. Dry breath hold simply means holding your breath out of the water.
We started with normal breathing, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Then we practiced inhaling through the mouth to fill the stomach with air first then to moving it up to our lungs, hold it for a bit then exhale. We also tried the “one inhale and double exhale” breathing, meaning if we inhaled for a duration of 3 seconds we should exhale for 6 seconds.
After the warm ups, we tried the breath holding part. In general, as we hold our breath, the CO2 levels in our body go up and our heart rate slows down and with the help of a finger pulse oximeter, we were able to see that in action.
Equalization is Life in Freediving
Another important thing that everyone should learn in freediving is the ability to equalize or equalization of the middle ear. We equalize to release the pressure trapped in our ears and to avoid having injuries.
Our coach taught us the two ways on how freedivers equalize.
The first way that she taught us was Valsalva. It is done by taking a deep breath and holding it while pinching the nose.
The next one was the Frenzel Maneuver. We took a deep breath and held it, pinched our nose and to release the pressure in our ears we needed to make a “K” sound without opening our mouth. I was able to do it but only on one ear. The proper way should be to release the pressure from both ears simultaneously. Experts prefer this technique as it assist freedivers to be able to make deeper dives with ease.
The breath holding exercises and the equalization techniques may seemed easy, but it was a bit confusing at first. To get a clearer picture on how to do it properly, you can watch some video tutorials in YouTube like this one.
Safety First
After gearing up, we moved to the shallow part of the beach for our next activity.
As a rule of thumb, one should not Freedive alone. Our trainer said that we should always have a buddy; someone who also knows freediving so we can look after each other. In that regard, she taught us the steps that we needed to do just in case a freediver passes out which can happen during dives due to oxygen deprivation of the brain.
One of the most common questions asked is if it is safe to do freediving. Just like any other activity or sport, freediving has its own risks if the protocols are not followed. That being said, freediving is very safe as long as it is done in the proper way.
The Struggle to be Calm – Relaxation is Key in Freediving
It was the moment of truth; it was time to put in to practice what we’ve discussed in the first part of our workshop.
The next exercise that we did was the Static Breath Hold (in water) or Static Apnea. Following the “do not dive alone” policy, we paired up to perform the activity. One will be performing the task and the partners will be the guide. The task was to hold our breath for as long as we could while floating steadily on our bellies and with our faces submerged in the water.
Our trainer gave us a simple tip to be able to hold our breath longer and it was to RELAX. We just have to be calm; be relaxed as we can be and think of happy thoughts and it will all be just fine. It all sounded so easy but for a first timer like me, it was not the case. 🙂
With my mask on, I took my time to breathe in and breathe out to relax myself and after taking that final huge breath, I then submerged my face in the water and held on to the buoy. My sister was beside me, her role was to wait for my signal and assist me in resurfacing and recovering my breath.
I was staring at the rocks at the bottom, trying to follow our trainer’s instructions.
Relax. Relax. Relax. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts.
The first few seconds was still ok then I started to feel that there was something blocking my throat; it felt like I was choking. I raised my hand to signal that I was already feeling some kind of discomfort. Although I didn’t resurface yet, I knew that my panic button was switched on.
I can hear our trainer whispering words of encouragement to keep me calm but it was very hard to relax and think of happy thoughts when you feel that your chest gets tighter. All that I could think of at that moment was I needed some air. I needed to breathe. I tried to push it further until I cannot hold my breath any longer and resurfaced slowly. After recovering my breath, our trainer told me my actual breath hold time. It was only at 40+ seconds but it seemed forever. 🙂
I tried the exercise one more time but I wasn’t able to break that one minute mark.
The main objective of the exercise was to measure how long we can hold our breath underwater and to experience how contractions feel like and how to fight the minor ones until we feel the real strong urge to breathe. Apparently, there are some contractions that are just minor that we can simply push past it and extend our breath hold to our limits. Just like what happened to me, had I stayed calm after feeling the first contractions, I would have been able to hold my breath longer. I had never thought that it could be such a struggle to keep calm. 🙂
Not all of us are created equal. Not all of us are in the same level of how long we can hold our breath underwater (or even out of the water). Not all of us react in the same way and deal with contractions but the good thing that I have learned during the freediving workshop was that it is a skill that can be improved overtime. With constant practice, our bodies will adapt to what we tell it to do and our mammalian diving reflex will eventually kick in normally resulting to longer breath holds with a calmer disposition.
Going Deeper – Line Depth Training (Free Immersion), Duck Dive and Dynamic with Fins
Just when I thought that we were already done with the activities, our trainer told us to put on our fins and hold on to the buoy as she led us further in the deep. I was panicking a bit at first because I have never been out at sea that far from the beach without a life vest on.
However, since our trainer was very confident to bring us to somewhere around 30 feet deep without a life vest, knowing that not all of us were swimmers, I felt secured eventually. Plus, she let us in for a secret that with our fins and masks on we will be able to float no matter what. I tried to let go of the buoy and it actually worked! Yes!
Next on our agenda was to practice free immersion or line depth training. After Ms. Val finished with the set-up of our next activity, she briefed us of what we needed to do and how to do it.
Basically, we had to dive vertically and try to reach the deepest distance that we can. It uses a line or a rope that we can pull to assist us with our descent and ascent.
In this exercise, we also applied the equalization technique that we’ve learned which was very important. Remember, that as we do deeper dives we are more prone to injuries if we will not be able to equalize properly. We did the exercise one at a time. While one of us was performing the line depth training, the rest of us waited for our turn holding tightly on to the buoy and watched as the sun set.
We did the same sequence for the duck dive training. In executing the duck dive, we didn’t use the line but we relied on the power of our hips and legs to push us down. Our trainer also told us that we can also fin horizontally before pushing our bodies down. You can check how it is supposed to be done in this video.
It was already getting dark but we still have one more exercise to complete. We moved to a shallower and sandy part of the water to practice the Dynamic with fins exercise. To perform the task, we had to do a duck dive, equalize then swim in a horizontal pattern as far as we can with one breath hold. This was the part that I enjoyed the most. I still need to work on my duck dive and equalization but I was more comfortable doing this exercise as a whole.
What’s next for me in Freediving?
As mentioned earlier, swimming is not one of my strong suits and honestly speaking, I wasn’t able to do all of the exercises like how it should be. There were only five of us in class and I was pretty sure that I was at the bottom half (together with my sister). Haha! Obviously, there were a lot of room for improvement on my part but I am not letting those failures to discourage me and give up on learning freediving the proper way. In fact, after having a taste of the struggles that I have faced during the workshop, it made me even more interested in pursuing the disciplines of freediving when I get back home.
Plus, my whole freediving experience for the first time was very pleasant. Thanks to the patience, encouragement and dedication of our trainer, Ms. Val. She genuinely wanted us, her students, to learn. It was just up to us if we will take freediving seriously after the workshop.
Things to Remember According to our Trainer
- Never dive alone, always have a buddy with you
- Buddy should also know how to Freedive / Dive
- Never dive when your stomach is full
- Do not consume milk/dairy 8 hours before diving as it might cause difficulty in equalization
- Have Confidence and Self Trust
Fun Fact – It’s A Small World After All
After the workshop, we had a chance to chitchat over dinner and I’ve found out that Ms. Val trained in Cebu with Freedive HQ. She was part of the team that organized the Freediving workshop in their headquarters last year. Sir Gian and Ms. Sheila, the couple from Cebu of the travel blog Adrenaline Romance, were two of those who were invited to participate in that workshop.
Contact
Ms. Valerie Bautista
Facebook Page: Azul Freediving
Mobile# +63 947 789 3113
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How about you? Have you tried Freediving? Did you have any challenges? How was your experience? We would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts.
Freediving seems so scary. I was afraid of the water. But finally, I was able to overcome my fear at Bali – my first dive. It was so amazing. Want to go diving again and again. https://www.vacationideaz.com
I have a fear of heights and unfortunately, it’s the same with the waters so diving for me is a no no! and so I can only admire people who can.
For now, I too can only admire people who can dive. I need to attend more training sessions to be able to do it properly.
Ha! Ansaya. Freediving ang pinakamasayang ganap sa buhay isla ko.
Nahirapan ako nung una. Hindi ako pumasa sa open water. Hindi ako marunong mag duck dive ng tama. Hindi ko nahahanap yung lubid. Para akong pusang ligaw sa ilalim ng asul na kalawakan. Pero pinagsikapan ko at binalikan ko yung instructor ko at di ako tumigil hangga’t hindi ako nakakapasa.
Yung Discover Scuba Diving ay yung diving para sa beginners at dadalhin ka lang sa maximum depth na 6meters pwro hindi ka macecertify. Yung course na mas bagay mong kunin ay open water. Once certified, makakadive ka anywhere.
Pero di pa din ako nacecertify. Freediving is everything kasi for me at dun ko muna gusto mag advance. Although advantaga pag OW diver ka. Kwentuhan tayo. Madami ako kwento pag free diving ang usapan. Haha.
Hirap magcomment pag mobile ang gamit. Dami popups. Lumiliit ang screen.
Nakikita ko nga mga dives mo eh. Nakakainggit.
Nag-enjoy din ako sa freediving workshop namin nun. Gusto ko nga umulit ng training para matutunan ko talaga. Bumili na nga ako ng sarili kong snorkel at mask pati na long fins may kasama pang bag kahit hindi pa ko marunong. hahaha!
Ang pinakamahirap sa kin eh yung pano kumalma pag nagbre breath hold. Kailangan ko siguro tumakbo ng tumakbo para pumayat at ma exercise yung mga baga ko. Sa sunod na bakasyon ko sana matupad. 🙂
kaya mo yan, practice lang. saka nakakatulong daw ang yoga.
Merong freediving apps aH para mapraktice mo yung breath hold, sabi ng instructor ko pwede daw yun gawin 2-3 times a week, sa umaga pagkagising after mag stretching ng mga 5-10mins
OK nga daw yung yoga. Sige check ko yung app na yan. Salamat.
We love your content. Regards from Pissouri Bay Divers from Cyprus.
https://pissouribaydivers.com/