Freediving basics, techniques, training and safety
52 articles
Yes, Sanya is one of the most concentrated freediving destinations in China. The water is comfortable and the dive shops are well established, but you should go out to sea with a qualified dive shop. Do not dive on your own.
If you follow the protocols, it is very unlikely. So-called lung burst usually refers to pulmonary barotrauma; in freediving, lung squeeze is the main concern, and training and discipline can keep the risk very low.
No. Exhaling during descent loses the oxygen and buoyancy you need most on ascent, and it also makes the lungs more likely to drop below safe limits at depth and suffer lung squeeze.
Freediving means no tank ā just the one breath you take before you go down. It is not about lung capacity; it is about relaxation, technique and safety procedures.
Descending relies on proper weighting, a duck dive, and a tight body positionānot on frantic kicking. Equalize before you go head-down; otherwise you wonāt be able to descend.
Entry-level courses cost roughly CNY 2,500ā4,500 in China and about the equivalent of CNY 1,500ā3,000 in Southeast Asia; however, equipment, travel, and make-up lesson fees are separate, so the total cost is usually higher than the listed price.
You can learn in domestic coastal areas, Southeast Asia dive sites, or local pools. When choosing where, don't look at how far you fly; look at whether the instructor is certified and whether the course includes open water and rescue.
The path is well defined: confirm your health status ā find an instructor for a structured course ā get your entry-level certification ā then train consistently with a buddy. The money saved by learning on your own is usually paid for with safety.
Not recommended. Most beginner courses have water-skill prerequisites (for example, swimming 200 m without stopping and floating on the surface for several minutes). It is safer to improve your swimming first, then learn freediving.
An introductory course usually takes 2ā4 days to get certified; but āgetting certifiedā and ādiving comfortablyā are two different thingsāfor the latter, most people need several months to a year.
Breath-hold is not about who can endure the longest. The urge to breathe is driven by carbon dioxide, and forcing your way through it only takes you to the edge of shallow-water blackoutāprogress comes from relaxation and tolerance training, not willpower.
You donāt breathe underwater. In freediving, you take only one breath for the entire dive. The breathing that truly needs practice happens in the few minutes before you enter the water, and in recovery after you surface.