I Tried Freediving Without Knowing How to Swim

One day, completely out of nowhere, I thought, “What if I take a freediving class?”

Halfway through the class, though, I realized it was not what I had in mind. I thought I’d be learning how to survive in deep water, like treading water. But instead, I was duck diving and finning.

To be fair, freediving was kind of cool. Swimming and being able to hold your breath for a long time like a turtle sounds amazing. It felt satisfying to dive down and kick my fins and to momentarily feel like I knew what I was doing but honestly, I was struggling mostly. My hair was a mess, my eyes were burning because of the sea. I’m pretty sure I swallowed some saltwater, my throat was scratchy from all the mouth-breathing, and I was burping like a carbonated sea monster. It wasn’t exactly the peaceful experience I imagined.

And yet… there was something kind of satisfying about not giving up. I didn’t suddenly become good at it, but I could tell that if I kept practicing, one day I would. If I ever go back, I’m definitely doing a proper certification.

Also, I’d take a one-on-one class next time. The group setup was chaotic. It made everything feel a little rushed and kind of overwhelming. Honestly, I wish the class had been longer. I was just starting to get the hang of things when it was over.

Tips from someone who has been through it (things I learned):

Just writing this down because I’m a girl who loves taking notes and I will forget otherwise:

– Bring. Your. Own. Snorkel and goggles. The goggles I was given were foggy and scratched, and the snorkel? Possibly several people have used it. I just gaslit myself into thinking that the soap and water was enough to disinfect it. Just bring your own. Side note: I swear my teeth shifted because of that snorkel.

– When buying goggles you should choose the one with low volume, so you can be able to pinch your nose to equalize as a beginner. For snorkel buy one that looks like a letter “J”. I can’t remember why or if the coach ever explained why but that’s what she recommended.

– Before diving try to relax yourself first by floating horizontally on the water with your face down and breathing with your snorkel.

– Take a full breath before diving but not too much that you would float.

– Before diving, remove your snorkel then hold both hands up.

– Keep equalizing as you go deeper. (That means pinching your nose and pushing air from your diaphragm until your ears makes a popping sound)

– Swing your legs when finning instead of bending your knees.

– Stop equalizing when going up. Your ears will do it naturally.

– If one ear won’t equalize, it might be because there’s water trapped in it. When you’re out of the water, tilting your head helps. That happened to me. When the water left my ear, it feels nice.

That’s it for now. I still can’t swim properly. But at least I didn’t drown.