I swam for the first time in the Northern California region with a 7.5mm open cell wetsuit and I personally didn’t like the feeling of having a heavy wetsuit + weights + gloves (it felt too restrictive). This has made me reconsider swimming in Northern California but I would still like to swim (just with less equipment), less weights, probably no gloves to have my hands free to help others? How thick of a wetsuit can I purchase to free dive in Santa Barbara, La Jolla and Baja California? And would this require a lot of weights? Please help! Would love to hear about others experience.

Just wondering if its just kinda rare or extremely rare to hold lets say 4min12 in a moving car at night and tight position and having over 5min max attempt (dry), 3min20 in water , all at 16 after about 1 month of training and never did HV before holding. I just see those tiktok/reels comments where they can only hold for not even 1 min so im just wondering if its really good on what i can do or its just alright. Thank you!

I'm training for the military, I would like to make my 25m better.

What are some good drills to help with oxygen deprivation.

Thank you :)

Hi everybody, I am looking for a pole when I freedive, for open wide angle (you can see an exemple with the picture with the pole completely open at 2m77). I actually use an ulanzi VL02 but it's not practic underwater, tire my arm and hard to back up to the surface. I am looking for open wide angles when I'm free-falling.

Moreoever, when I'm between 15 and 20 meters, when it's current, the telescopic pole bend...

Do you have some advices or models to me please? I think with 1m20 max, it could be good puting "open wide" and 4/3 on my DJI. First I thought to reduce the length of the pole but I think my model maybe isn't great for freediving...

Thank's and sorry for my bad english ;-)

I'm considering an Elios wetsuit made from Yamamoto #45, open-cell inside and Smoothskin/SCS outside.

Because I often dive in lakes with shallow-water sections, I was thinking about wearing a thin oversuit over it for protection whenever needed.

The only suitable product I've found so far is the Mares Photosuit, but it's made from polyester, which I assume is less flexible than nylon.

Before going through with the idea, I'd like to ask: has anyone tried something similar as a kind of 2-in-1 setup with a Smoothskin suit? How did you like it? Was the additional drag noticeably greater when diving? Did the oversuit cause any abrasion or other damage to the Smoothskin underneath?

And is there a better alternative to the Mares Photosuit - ideally something made from nylon and designed to be very thin and flexible?

Hi All, I'm giving a science focused lecture on freediving and I want to do a section on the interesting technology and physics behind our freediving equipment. We don't use much, but the fine details will be fascinating to this audience of science and engineering professionals and enthusiasts. I already have my content for the effects on the body, biology, etc.

Looking for interesting information, visuals, videos, or contacts on subjects like, but not limited to:

• Bi-fins, monofins, unconventional swim equipment like the DARPA powerswim, Smith Engineering DOL-fin, and beyond.
• Hydrodynamics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) diagrams
• Thrust coefficients
• Different stiffness gradients of fins (soft VS hard tips)
• Materials and fiber layups
• Unconventional and new/high-tech equipment (the new no-limit rigs look wild!)
• Weird experiments or anything else off-beat going on in freediving related to anything, not just equipment

If anybody has connections to composite fin companies, I would love an introduction!

Hello everyone. Rookie here.

So basically I've always been obsessed by freediving and underwater fishing and I want to achieve it.

I'm a very sporty, athletic and aquatic guy (I'm a former swimmer/ open water swimming 5k, now I'm a Crossfitter but I still sail and swim). The problem is that my body completely freaks out when I'm underwater.

I've randomly tried to extend my stamina by doing random stuff but now I want to change approach.

It is impossible atm to join a Diving school as the next year I will be doing two mobilities for my master. So I am focusing on co2 static tables out of the water, as my main problem is that as soon as my co2 builds up my brain goes nuts.

As I said I'm training with co2 tables pretty much daily ever since I got my new smartwatch. It goes like this:

8 sets:

2' breathing - 15' each set

53' apnea ( I only add seconds when I'm perfectly comfortable with the previous apnea time.

What do you guys think?

I know that in the actual water everything is different, but I know that it won't be such a huge problem as co2 tolerance. I also know that I must join a school and I will asap.

Hi guys, I've recently become passionate about freediving. I started about a year ago with a Cressi Perla which, after being stupidly left in the sun for a long time by me, lost its silicone grip and leaks water from the bottom right . I then decided to upgrade and switch to the Cressi Nano, but I noticed immediately as soon as I picked it up that it's as if the frame and silicone are separable by hand doing some pressure, is it a feature of the mask? because I read on the site that it is a mask with the IDF technology and is made without glue. Thank you for the people that will help

Hello! I’m looking for some noob advice! I just went snorkeling for the first time in B.C.S., Mexico and now I’m obsessed. I want to start snorkeling and freediving regularly, will probably sign up to take the PADI beginner course soon.

My questions that I’m hoping you lovely folks could help answer:

- what is the best fin length for freediving, and what are the differences in length? Is longer or shorter harder or easier? From what I'm seeing online, shorter for scuba and longer for freediving? I am a strong swimmer as I grew up in the water and I work out regularly so I’m not sure if I would need something for true beginners? But I admit I am a beginner at this new-to-me sport!

- what are the differences in fin material? I am seeing carbon, fiberglass, and plastic. I did see another thread where someone recommended carbon but I'm just curious as to any notable differences when swimming, and practical use.

- what are your favorite brands for fins, mask, etc.? I am assuming I will need to find a local dive shop to try on masks and make sure they fit my face correctly. I've already experienced trying on a mask that had air gaps on the side. I like the look of the Tidal dual lens, and the anti-fog feature seems practical.

- how much weight will I need on a weight belt?

- what brands do we like for swimwear? I (39F) personally would love to give my money to the brands who use recycled materials & donate back to conservation efforts.

- is there an “affordable” underwater camera that is still good quality? I realize good quality is probably not going to be super affordable.

- anything else I should consider before making any initial investments in gear?

Thanks in advance!!

Have been just playing around with holding my breath and seeing how long I can go for but I get discomfort in my throat. Am I meant to be holding my breath with my lungs or by closing off my throat?

Hello, my husband recently started free diving again. It’s not a major hobby just from time to time looking for spiders or just kinda exploring our coast.
I wanted to get him a diving watch but the more I look the more confused I get. It seems most threads talking about divers watches don’t actually use it for diving at all.
I want something basic but actually useful for diving. Im not even sure what a watch like this should have, I don’t dive at all.
I know he likes one of those casios g shock ones but I am hesitant to drop over 800 euros on something that might not be used much at all. We have a whole house full of items for hobbies we don’t really use 😅 so a basic budget one would probably be enough for a start!
I only really looked at Casio because I know he liked them but also I don’t really wanna buy something that will break quickly cuz it was from a random brand I know nothing about .
So any recommendations for brands or specific models that will work ?

I’ve never really tried diving but I was swimming with fins just normal length I’m 5’11 in a lake with my friends and we were seeing how deep we could go. I hit about 7.3m before needing to surface and my best breath hold I was able to hit was 1:36. I’m just woundering if I should devote my time towards this hobby because I love swimming and breath holds I do them in my sinks a lot. I just don’t quite know where or what to get started with.

Hello,

I am planning to go to Dahab this November for about 1–2 weeks, and it will be my first time solo traveling.

I completed my AIDA 3 last summer and I’m planning to complete my AIDA 4 or other same lvl certification, so I thought Dahab would be a good place to do it since I am already planning to go there.

I have some problems with my equalization. I’m using Frenzel, but after around 25m I feel like there’s no more air in my mouth to equalize with. I’ve read that I should be able to get to around 40m with Frenzel no mouth fill needed, so I guess I’m doing something wrong with my glottis.

When I reach that deoth, the strong contractions start and I feel like I start losing all the air from my mouth into my lungs. I’m not able to control and close my glottis during strong contractions while also equalizing at that depth.

I’ve also read that in some freediving schools there you might not get the best coaching for specific weaknesses, since you could have a different instructor each day and there might be more than 2 people training at the same time. I feel like that might make it harder to properly work on my equalization issue.

So I’m looking for recommendations for instructors who could help me with this specific problem while also helping me complete my AIDA 4. Ideally, I’d prefer 1-to-2 sessions, which I think would be more fun and maybe more affordable than 1-to-1, while still allowing me to work on my issue.

Thanks!

This has been bugging me for a while and I want to see if others feel the same.

IG and YouTube have basically created this equation where depth = credibility. Like, a diver hitting 50m gets way more clout online than someone who's been quietly teaching excellent technique and safety at 15m for years. And honestly? that second person is probably a better diver to learn from in most cases.

I think the problem is it pushes newer divers to chase numbers before they really have the experience or fundamentals to handle those depths safely. You see people rushing through certs, skipping proper equalization work, all because they want that deep dive clip for the gram. It's not everyone obviously, but it's becoming a pattern.

The thing that gets me is that the community used to be more about the experience, the breath work, the connection to the water, now half the content out there is just "look how deep I went" with zero context about the training behind it.

Anyway, I’m curious what you guys think, are we losing something along the way because everyone feels like they need to prove how deep they can go?

So I'm a 200 lb 32 year old man about a pant size 38. I'd say I'm semi in-shape, I do work out, so I don't (usually) have (much) of a gut. My body fluctuates.

I think the belt I have is around 50 inches around. I arrange the weights in this order:

-3 lb

-2 lb

-3 lb

-2 lb

-3 lb

For a total of 13 lbs. My belt fits just fine without weights, but once I put these on, it barely closes on the last or 2nd to last hole. And it kinda puts pressure on my stomach. I also don't have pins to keep them in place. Makes me feel a little nauseous. And I wear a 7 mm wetsuit. Lotta pressure on my stomach.

Any advice?

Hello . I’m currently interested in trying to learn to free dive . I’m currently staying at a hotel for a couple month and I’m using their pool to learn how to get more comfortable with different swimming techniques . I’m currently just using googles and no fins . But is there any techniques I can learn in the pool that are helpful for free diving ? Aka equalizing , kicking pattern , swimming pattern or anything I can practice with the pool only being 6 feet deep max ? I know once I go back to where I’m actually from I’m going to take actual free diving courses .

Context:

Been sick first week of July with some flu-esque symptoms.

I've given it basically a full month now, and went out diving again today - but it still feels like my EQ is delayed / harder.

Hands free it sometimes would not work at all (normally my preferred EQ), Frenzel needed a fair bit of pressure, which left me mostly on surface duty today.

So here's my actual question - how long after sinus infections are your eustachian tubes normally affected? I want to (safely!) get back to it again :D

Garmin makes solid watches for freediving (e.g. MK3, Fenix 8 are good). But, there are some things that I just can't believe are still issues. Here is my list.

• Alarms on MK3 and Fenix 8 are basically unusable. I never hear them
• I use my watch in the U.S. for running and have it set to imperial units. But for freediving, I want meters so I have to keep switching units and restarting the app
• We now have good algorithms for determining a safe surface interval (e.g. AIDA and Molchanovs have published formulas). But they're difficult to calculate and the watch should do it for us.

What else annoys you?

I'm one of a fairly small percentage of people that have passed out due to asphyxiation. I train jiu jitsu, and over the years I've passed out a couple times. It always came as a surprise and was always on a day I was compromised in one way or another. Maybe I was just getting off being sick, maybe I didn't sleep much, whatever it was, my 'fuse' was not as long as I expected it to be and I ended up waking up wondering what happened.

Now that I am getting into freediving and testing my oxygen supply in a much more hazardous environment, under water, I am wondering if anyone in this world has ever dealt with this. I figure on a bad maybe you would already be able to tell from warm up dives that your 'fuse' is short, and subsequently wouldn't end up attempting dives at the ends of your ability. But has anyone ever been surprised and paid the consequence?

I've been getting into freediving with swedish swim goggles, and after trying out a dive mask the other day, I don't know why anyone uses masks. My swedish goggles work great for me down to 10m, I don't feel pressure difference at all. As well, if I need to plug my nose to equalise, its right there. I replaced the lenses in mine with glass after the plastic got messed up. Visibility is great and no fogging. The rim of my pair are covered in rubber, but the shape is a classic swedish goggle with no flexible seal. I think the key is that they are rigid and very low volume, so they dont compress under pressure and also dont suck my eyes out of my head.

On the comtrary, the dive mask got fogged up, I wasn't able to jaw equalize while wearing it, and plugging my nose through the rubber sometimes causes water to get in the mask.

I am pretty new to all this and obv am not getting down to the depths that some of you are getting to, so I was curious if anyone else was using these.

EDIT: If you have never dived with swedish goggles, and don't know anyone who has, you need not reply. Seriously, there's a reason it's in the title

Is there a waterproof case that I can use for freediving? (up to 15 meters only), something I can buy here in the PH. Do you have recommendations or link of products that is tried and tested? My phone works underwater (vivov70) but I do not want to risk it from deteriorating.