In our spearfishing and freediving gear shop we frequently have guests come in who are looking to up their freediving game. They may be swimmers or snorkelers who want to go deeper or freedivers who want to go from extreme snorkeling depths to something a bit deeper. One of the problems we often see is people typically think they can buy their way to better performance. This is like buying the nicest set of golf clubs and then expecting to be Tiger Woods! While a bit of an exaggeration it's not far from the truth.
"people typically think they can buy their way to better performance."
I'm Byron Kay owner of the #1 top rated businesses in the Pacific: Kona Freedivers, Kona Honu Divers, and Kona Snorkel Trips. I've been breathold swimming and diving since I was 1 year old. I also teach freediving as an instructor for Freediving Instructors International. I have taught hundreds of people how to freedive over the years. I've met thousands of people from all over the world and as the sport of freediving is becoming more well known seen lots of new faces come into our Kona dive shop on the hunt for the latest and greatest freediving equipment.
Get Your Priorities Straight
Oftentimes when people come into the dive shop with the idea of getting into freediving the first thing they look for is to buy some freediving gear. Most commonly people go straight for the most iconic piece of freediving equipment are the long blade freediving fins. Now while this is possibly the most iconic piece of gear that people recognize when they see someone freediving it is not necessarily always the answer they are looking for.
In fact I would contend that it can do them more of a disservice than they know. You can't just buy performance if you yourself don't know how to perform in the first place.
It's the Archer not the Arrow
In my blog about the Awesome Freediver I tell a story of a freediver who did just such a thing. Awesome Freediver thought he could buy his way to deeper diving so he went out and bought the best fins he could afford. Turns out awesome freediver was way in over his head.
As an instructor I see many divers with nice new fins attend my freedive lessons. Sometimes the fins suit them and help to amplify the skills learned in the course. Other times they are a kicking disaster area bicycle kicking or kicking too soft. Another common issue is getting fins that are too large or too stiff making the leg muscles cramp or tire. YEt another serious issue is people who buy their gear online before trying it on and the footpockets being too big or too small or just downright poor fitting.
Combine all of this with a lack of understanding of proper freediving technique and it's no wonder you will often see divers who can barely breach the surface let alone dive to great depths with ease.
Don't Waste Your Money on a Freediving Course
In my blog titled Don't Waste your Money on a Freediving Course I talk about all of the reasons people should and shouldn't sign up for a freedive lessons. Just like buying fins it's important to spend your money and your time wisely because no one has infinite time! Now if you want to get good at golf do you go buy a fancy set of clubs and join a tournament? No way! You could go to the driving range and hit some balls but who's to say your going to have the right foundational skills to swing properly. This is where training comes in. With the help of a good instructor your head will be in the right position and so will your body. With guidance from a well trained professional you'll be driving down the center and diving deeper in no time!
Bang for the Buck (and your time)
If you really want to make the most of your limited time on this planet do yourself a favor and jump in on a Level 1 Freediving Course. Fii courses were the first courses to be taught in the United States. They organization was founded by 13 time world record holder Martin Stepanek. These freediving classes were honed over the years to prove to be the most effective way to learn to freedive in a short period of time.
What you'll learn from Freedive Lessons
Freediving Safety
One of the biggest takeaways from the Level 1 Freediving Course is the need for and proper conduct of safety. We discuss why there's a need for safety and how to do it correctly. Many people don't understand this aspect of freediving and as a result 50% of the deaths in the ocean in Hawaii come from freediving. Even if you don't take a freediving class you can take a freediving essentials safety course with Freedive Safe.
Freediving Gear
You'll learn what makes freedving gear different from snorkel and scuba gear and why you want and or need certain materials of types of gear. Did you know a freediving wetsuit has 5 different benefits?
5 Benefits of a freediving Wetsuit
Bouyancy
Sun Protection
Scratch & Bump Protection
Warmth
Looks
Freediving Technique
This is possibly one of the biggest benefits from freedive lessons other than safety. Once you're safe you can't dive deep and with efficiency if your technique is poor.
Freediving Physiology
Do you know what we share in common with a shrew, a bat, a rabbit and a monkey? We all have the mammalian diving reflex. The way our bodies behave when diving influences our performance and our safety. Without understanding this one cannot have a good basis for the techniques and the safety taught in this freediving class. The pressure from the great depths and what happens in our lungs when we hold our breath all have an impact on our performance. We just need to learn how to harness it.
Freediving Physics
Water is heavy and dense and has a high thermal capacity. All of these factors mean it can be a challenge to exist in the aquatic environment. We cover all of the reasons why our technique and gear must be intentionally thought about when we use them in the water.
Why do I need a Freediving Certification?
Getting certified for freediving with us means you are now capable of safetying other divers competently. This is important because you would want a solid safety when you're in trouble right? It also means you can now dive using correct technique. This will open up a whole other level in the comfort and depths you can achieve underwater. Be proud of your freediving certification. It means you've done something that many cannot.
For Spear fishing Kona
Many people are either spearfishing on Big Island or want to get into it. The basis for spearfishing is freediving. Trying to spearfish well without knowing how to freedive well is like trying to make a skydiving movie without knowing how to skydive. spear fishing Kona can be hard enough as is let alone for people that have trouble getting down, staying down, and doing it safely. That's why there are so many spearfishing related deaths in Hawaii every year.
Why choose Kona Freedivers?
Our Freediving Instructors International (Fii) instructors are some of the best in the world. They've undergone a rigorous vetting process to ensure they are fit to teach the Fii curriculum. Between our exclusive classroom environment and our rigorous attention to detail and safety you'll be sure to get the most out of your time with us. So instead of buying the fanciest freediving gear like carbon freediving blades sign up for a freedive lessons so we can get you started with your freediving training by diving like Tiger Woods started golfing. Call (808)464-6584 or book online.
About the Author
Byron Kay is a freediving instructor and the founder of Kona Freedivers and owner of Kona Honu Divers as well as Kona Snorkel Trips. They stand out as Hawaii's top rated and most reviewed businesses among their peers having a perfect 5 star rating on google. To learn more about Byron and his latest goings on visit his bio page.
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