PADI (the acronym for Professional Association of Diving Instructors), posted an article yesterday on their blog about how I became a PADI freediving instructor. I am pleased with the exposure that they are giving me, and hope that it helps in raising the awareness of freediving in India. Freediving is still relatively an unknown sport and even more so in India, so by discussing it and making people aware that it exists and can be practiced right here in India is important. You can read the article HERE. Update, today December 21st 2018 PADI also published the article on their southeast Asian PADI pro blog, here is the LINK.
freedive
Videos of online webinars explaining freediving principles
Youtube Webinars on Freediving by Aharon Solomons
I started watching Aharon’s webinars on Youtube and cannot believe that they only have 200-3000 views after 5 years of being online. I guess that there are not too many people looking for Freediving content in general, so I share them with you. If you want to see beforehand what each webinar talks about you can get that information Here.
Webinar on Freediving #1
Webinar on Freediving #2
Webinar on Freediving #3
Webinar on Freediving #4
Webinar on Freediving #5
Webinar on Freediving #6
Webinar on Freediving #7
Webinar on Freediving #8 (on Mental Training)
Webinar on Freediving #9 (on equalization)
Webinar on Freediving #10
Webinar on Freediving #11
Webinar on Freediving #12
Webinar on Freediving #13
Webinar on Freediving #14
Webinar on Freediving #15
Webinar on Freediving #16
Webinar on Freediving 2016 Q&A
https://youtu.be/xzns0EJEf5k
Epic Freediving School in south India
The school is situated in near Pondicherry in the near the enclave of Kalapet. We are lucky to have many deep abandoned granite quarries (lakes) into which we can freedive.
The advantage is that we can freedive all year round at the quarry. The water is calm and there is no chance of getting seasick from a boat ride or from the swell of waves.
To get an idea of what it looks like to freedive in the quarry have a look at the Instagram feed of the school. You can see it here.
For the time being we do not offer the possibility to freedive in the ocean. This can change.
PADI Freediver Course
Prerequisites:
To enrol in a PADI Freediver course you must be at least 15 years old. You will need to demonstrate that you can swim 200 meters (any stroke) or 300 meters with mask, fins and snorkel.
Paperwork: Complete the before beginning the course PADI medical form, the PADI liability release and the PADI Statement of Understanding
Course
Freediving is special, it requires discipline and control. If you’ve always wanted to enter the underwater world quietly, on your own terms, staying as long as your breath allows, then freediving is definitely for you. Taking the PADI Freediver course is your first step in the journey toward discovering yourself.
During the PADI free diver course with us at Epic Freediving you will learn different breathing techniques, safety procedures and efficient fining techniques, which will give you the tools to attempt to dive down to 10 meters and hold your breath for 90 seconds.
The course will take place in a classroom, a pool and for the open water, a granite quarry. The visibility at the quarry is not great, it goes from 2-4 meters max depending on the time of year. Diving below eight meters it gets very dark and this can be challenging, but it does teach you to master remaining calm and focused. During the hot months April-August there is a thermocline at around 7 meters of depth. The water gets about 1-2 degrees colder when you reach 7 meters. You can now opt to dive in the ocean if you do not want to dive in the quarry. This option will cost more.
The course will be run over 3 half days. Possibility of running it over two days, see below for price difference.
To be able to perform all the drills and tasks you will require coordination and motor skills. If you fail to perform the skills correctly or fail to equalize head down to a minimum depth of 10 meters, we will not be able to certify you. You will need to do more training and when you are ready and manage to attain the targets required by PADI we can certify you.
There is also the option to certify you as a PADI basic freediver if you manage the pool requirements and fail the open water requirements.
You are paying for the training and experience, but not for certification. The certification comes if you manage to pass all the requirements put forth by PADI.
The cost for the course is 30,000 Rs. This includes the use of all the equipment and access to any photos taken during the course. If you want the course to be run over two days it is possible but will cost 33,000 Rs.
What Is Involved
The PADI Freediver course consists of three main phases:
Knowledge Development which can be done online, with the PADI Freediver Touch App. This will give you an understanding of freediving principles through independent study, this is a great way to get started prior to coming to train with Epic Freediving.
Confined Water Sessions to learn breath hold techniques, buddy skills as well as static and dynamic apnea and rescue skills. By the end of the confined water freediving sessions you should be able to do a static apnea of 90 seconds and dynamic apnea of 25 metres/80 feet, usually in a swimming pool that will assist you before you enter the open water.
Open Water Open water sessions at the quarry to practice free immersion and constant weight freedives, plus proper buddy procedures. With the goal of achieving constant weight freedive of at least 10 metres/30 feet.
The Cool Part
Taking the PADI Freediver program is your step towards discovering the underwater world in a whole new way. Beginning with the PADI Freediver certification, you will gain the training and discipline needed to stay safe during breath hold dives.
During this course, you will discover your strengths and limitations.
The Freediving Equipment You Use
In the PADI Freediver course, you learn to use a mask, snorkel, and fins, and may also use a wetsuit and weight belt. Using gear designed specifically for freediving is best, like low volume masks and free diving snorkel. With the Freediver course, we do recommend that you have your own freediving equipment.
The Learning Materials You Will Receive
If you enrol in this course with us at Epic Freediving we will provide you with the PADI Freediver Touch tablet app (for use with a smartphone/tablet). The Touch is an interactive study tool that gives you the background information you need to freedive safely and allows you to study at your own pace.
The PADI Freediver course consists of three main phases:
- Knowledge development about freediving principles through independent study with the PADI Freediver Touch, as well as a classroom session to go over the information.
- Confined water session to learn breath hold techniques and static and dynamic apnea. Goal – static apnea of 90 seconds and dynamic apnea horizontal swim of 25 metres/80 feet. Proper buddy procedures.
- Open water sessions to practice free immersion and constant weight freedives, plus proper buddy procedures. Goal – constant weight freedive of 10 metres/30 feet.
Booking & Cancellation
Booking
- 50% Deposit
Cancellation
- Up to 30 days prior to the course the deposit is refundable less PADI registration 5000 rs. fee which is non refundable.
- You may change your booking date 7 days prior to your initial booking date.
- Less than 7 days prior to your initial booking, a new booking and deposit will need to be made.