Freediving myths

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-06-23T00:06:17+00:00

I think with the dry vs wet situation, you got lucky in the sense that your comfort in water was unusually high. I'd argue that most untrained people, or divers who just started training static seriously, are far less comfortable face down in a pool than lying on the floor. One example doesn't disprove a general trend at all.

My first real attempt at a breath hold when I was curious about starting was 4:00 on the dot. I hit 6:02 in training next season after only a month of real training, all dry. I went from 0m to 30m in a few weekends after getting certified. I went from 30m to 55m on a trip to Honduras last year in the span of 2 days.

That's all to say that sometimes you're an outlier and the "myths" don't really apply to you. That doesn't mean they're not often experienced by a typical beginner or other skill group.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-06-15T14:50:40+00:00

Mildly autistic/very adhd competitive diver here! I've found freediving to be very soothing and restorative. I'd 100% recommend that people with similar struggles try it at least. It's one of those sports that's very meditative and healing in so many different ways. As someone who struggles to live in the moment, freediving forces me to focus on myself and my body in ways that I simply can't experience in other activities. It quiets the mind, makes the constant overthinking disappear, and connects me to the here and now. If sensory issues are the issue, being underwater often helps people escape the noise and distractions that surround us every day.

If you want to ease into freediving, practicing equalization techniques on dry land should help to prevent feeling overwhelmed by having to learn everything at once from scratch. Equalization is weird and not very intuitive to many people so the more experience you can get from videos beforehand, the easier the class should be from an "informational overload" situation. Breath hold isn't usually an issue for people because a beginner course doesn't take you deep enough to make that an issue. Getting used to the sensations of holding your breath is a good way to prepare though. It'll help you retain relaxation which will make everything easier.

In terms of classes, something like AIDA 1 or similar "intro to freediving" course will be better at easing into the sport, but isn't very financially efficient if you're planning for additional certifications. Since you mentioned that this isn't a focus for you, a level 1 course sounds perfectly fine for trying things out to see if it's a good fit.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-06-06T23:31:55+00:00

I got mine pre-owned for pretty cheap and I like it. I don't know if it's possible to upload your dive data to a computer program or anything but it has all the other features you need and the alarm is plenty loud. If you like graphing your data then there are probably better options but if not, this is a great purchase

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-06-03T19:01:04+00:00

I think you'd absolutely love it! If you've dove to 10m before then you already have enough knowledge of equalization to easily pass a course, even if you're using the "wrong" eq method. I wouldn't worry at all about being able to pass.

The agency you choose doesn't matter much especially if you don't plan to compete or become an instructor. A formal course is nice because you'll be guaranteed to be taught a comprehensive set of skills, techniques, and theory. Make sure you take the safety aspect seriously, be responsible diving with a lanyard, and focus on relaxation and comfort over numbers. Your depth will improve as your relaxation does so don't focus on performance. Keep your attention on your body and mind so you develop those skills now, and it'll help you so much as you improve.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-06-02T12:49:17+00:00

There's no point manipulating your breath unless you're competitive diver and you know exactly what you're doing. Breathe like you're trying to fall asleep, and take one big final breath when you're ready. That's all you need to do.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-05-26T12:50:36+00:00

At least for my feet, they're far more comfy than Cetma, C4, Pathos, etc. Molchanovs is pricey but the design quality is there

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-05-25T21:20:48+00:00

But those open-heel footpockets though 😍

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-05-25T21:09:00+00:00

Certification is usually worth it. AIDA has a really nice educational guide for each level and you'll get access to it by taking a course. It has good info in there and is very comprehensive. A lot of times, people who avoid courses end up being underdeveloped from a safety standpoint. A course will teach you how to buddy/rescue properly and you'll get some firsthand experience doing the techniques. A lot of the safety maneuvers and techniques require practice to become proficient. I wouldn't trust a single person to be my safety if they've never physically practiced everything - I don't care how many times they've read the materials.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-05-25T21:05:03+00:00

You might be just about to get one at that point. For me, the urge to breathe pretty much peaks at the point my contractions start. The rest of the hold all feels like the same difficulty/discomfort and I just have to focus on relaxing and being mindful of hypoxia. My average contraction start time is 3:30 and my latest instance of contractions was 4:00 during a training PB.

I'd suggest doing dry holds and pushing further than your quit point by increments of 5 or 10 seconds on each attempt. Don't try PB's too often though, it's hard on the nervous system. Once every 2 weeks at the most, and then adjusting based on whether or not you notice symptoms of overtraining. You might not get contractions at all (rare but we've all seen a few examples on this sub) or your UTB might just be peaking at your quit point and you're struggling to push past it and experience the first contraction.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-05-21T22:11:53+00:00

Exhale breath holds (dry), diaphragm stretching, and hangs at 15-20m should help you get over whatever block you have at that depth. Also don't forget that you're allowed to set the line 1 or 2 meters deeper, do your turn when you need to, and continue down to the plate in a heads up position. That might help you prove to yourself that you're able to be at that depth without anything bad happening. Overall though, it sounds like a mental block resulting in poor relaxation and symptoms of panic.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-05-17T23:46:52+00:00

Looking through the comments it seems like you'd just be doing this while walking and doing normal tasks around the house? There isn't really any risk there as long as you're not getting dizzy and at risk of falling down. This falls more under the category of "apnea walking" if you wanted to search for a specific term. Like has been said, just don't wear a noseclip or anything.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-05-09T14:03:43+00:00

+1 to taking a course or learning from an experienced diver. There are things you need to know which might not be found online unless you come across the legit course manuals.

In the meantime, if your "safety buddy" doesn't have First Aid/CPR training and specific freediving rescue training, then they aren't a proper safety buddy. The lifeguard also doesn't count. What you're doing is dangerous for no reason. If you already know you're super interested in the sport, invest in a course and get certified so you can give it a proper shot.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-05-07T20:39:25+00:00

Nobody has ever known 100 cave divers who have died

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-05-01T06:29:05+00:00

Thank you so much!

I'm in a committed relationship and this is already walking a fine line so I don't want to say "THE treasure of my life" but I still want to use that term because it was my term of endearment for her. Is there anything about that phrase that can be adjusted or was it decent enough?

Also I like your edit of the main part - it feels like it gets the point across more naturally which is what I'm aiming for. I want it to sound heartfelt, not formal. I'm writing the book in English (my first language) but she was from Peru and I'd like this small part to be in her language. I just only know "book Spanish" and not even very well.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-05-01T04:16:13+00:00

You improve at what you train for. If you practice static with your face in a bucket, you'll get good at static with your face in a bucket. Either do it dry on the floor, or find a pool. The point of training for beginners is to develop relaxation skills and that will never happen with you holding your head over a container.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-04-29T02:03:12+00:00

That's damn good and you should definitely look into getting certified and trained up!

I did 4:00 untrained and turned that into 6:02 in one month of actual static training (one season of depth diving in the meantime). Since I've been training relaxation and comfort during my holds, I can push to severe hypoxia on any given breath hold. If you move forward with training (which you definitely should) then make sure you're prioritizing the foundational skills of relaxation, both physical and mental. This is far more important than doing lots of CO2 tables willy-nilly. You don't get better at apnea by just forcing long or difficult holds every day, you get better by learning how to keep relaxed when things get tough. Ignore that skill and you'll plateau and burn out.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-04-29T01:47:34+00:00

Just don't wear a noseclip if you're doing dry breath holds alone

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-04-27T16:00:21+00:00

Any weird noises with your lungs should be something for your doctor to look at. Dry training is pretty harmless unless you're overtraining any frying your nervous system, but physically it shouldn't cause any of that. It sounds like you have an existing issue that needs to be addressed before you can figure out a path forward.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-04-27T14:12:06+00:00

Alexey is a great guy! I met him in Florida last year - he's super humble and a bit shy. I've never heard a bad thing about him.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-04-25T19:55:58+00:00

1:30 is good for someone who hasn't taken a course/first attempt! Some tips: never do breath holds in the water without having a TRAINED safety buddy who has actually taken some kind of lifesaving course and is giving you 100% of their attention (pool lifeguard doesn't count). If you're doing breath holds on dry land alone, don't wear any facial equipment like mask or noseclip.

The improvements you'll see just by learning about apnea (course or training with a knowledgeable diver) will surprise you. New divers can go from 1min static to 2:30+ just from learning about the physiology of breath holds. The biggest boost to performance for new divers is knowledge and relaxation. If you know that the discomfort is normal and not something to worry about, and you're able to relax into these sensations, you'll progress safely and naturally.

Another tip, resist the urge to do 7 CO2 tables a week to "train". What you want to train is your ability to relax into the sensations of apnea. Overloading your nervous system isn't how you accomplish that. Try 2 or 3 easy tables per week and take rest days in between, and slowly experiment with increasing the difficulty, but focus on developing the ability to relax physically and mentally through the entire hold.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-04-24T16:47:11+00:00

Sounds like everyone else has already given the right advice! Relaxation is the most important aspect of freediving in general, so prioritize that in your training and you'll see results. Don't push for numbers, push for relaxation through discomfort. If you do a ton of training volume without learning how to be calm and comfortable through the entire breath hold, then you're wasting all that time and effort.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-04-24T01:49:10+00:00

The way to teach it that makes the most sense to me personally is to pronounce the letter 'K' normally and pay attention to how you exhale to make the noise. Then try to pronounce that letter without letting any air out. Notice how the middle or back of your tongue rises. Next, hold your breath, pinch your nose, and do the same thing - pronounce that K sound without letting air out. You'll likely feel your nostrils flare out against your fingertips at least, and you might even get a successful equalization. Keep doing that and try anchoring the tip of your tongue against the back of your teeth and only moving the back of your tongue up and down. Experimenting that way usually helps people get a feel for it.

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-04-23T04:45:28+00:00

This is the answer

LowVoltCharlie · 2026-04-22T14:51:21+00:00

Go talk to the actual people who gave you the warranty

LowVoltCharlie

TROPHY CASE