After a whirlwind trip through India, I was off to explore Thailand next. When I arrived in Koh Tao, I wasn’t sure what to expect- I had done very little research and hadn’t planned much for my trip. What I found on the island was a diver’s paradise. Countless dive schools lined the streets of the city offering everything from scuba diving to snorkeling to freediving!
Having only scuba dived once before in Mexico, I was eager to continue exploring the ocean and as always, I love developing new skills and challenging myself through new experiences. And because my friend was working as a freedive instructor, it made perfect sense to give freediving a try!
Freediving in Koh Tao, Thailand
What is freediving? Freediving is diving on a single breath of air. Also described as “deep snorkeling.” It is a sport involving special techniques of swimming, breathing, equalisation, stretching, mediation and relaxation.
So I signed up for the 2 day Wave 1 Beginner Course offered at Blue Immersion School.
Blue Immersion School: Located right on Sairee beach, the most popular area in Koh Tao, this school provides excellent and thorough training so students can achieve their Molchanov and SSI Freediving certifications. This shop is very popular with over 1,000 new students each year.
SSI Certification: SSI is an organization founded in 1970 that set the standard for all freediving schools and instructors. SSI has over 2,500 schools, 35 regional centers and offices worldwide. As a registered SSI freediver, you have access to manuals, logbooks, dive centers & dive site finder, diving videos and your certifications. All can be accessed through a smartphone, tablet or computer, allowing you to study at your own pace.
Blue Immersion Wave 1 Course Quick Facts:
- 2 days- 6,000 bat ($198 USD)
- 8:30 -4:00 PM
- Lunch included both days
- International Molchanovs Certification Provided Upon Completion
- Bonus: edited underwater photos included!
- All freediving equipment provided
BEGINNER FREEDIVING COURSE – WAVE 1
Day 1: Morning
Intro
Start your day off with an introduction to the course. Your instructor will outline what you are about to learn/accomplish.
Breathing
Time to learn the basics of relaxation and breathing while freediving. Your instructor will walk you through a variety of exercises to help improve your static breath hold.
Equalizing
Now this can be difficult for some people! The trick is to pop your ears without affecting the breath. For some, equalizing comes very naturally while others struggle to equalize the whole first day.
Day 1: Afternoon
Training
After a morning in the classroom and an included lunch, it will be time to get out into the water. Time to put into practice what you learned that morning!
And here is where I struggled at first. Something about slowly crawling down a rope into the dark ocean left me feeling surprisingly anxious. You cannot see the bottom and obviously have no source of oxygen. And you’re upside down trying to equalize. It is awesome, thrilling and scary.
My first attempt, I felt the panic rising in my chest and dashed for the surface. “How long was I under?!” I gasped. “Six seconds.” Our instructor replied. And I burst out laughing. Freediving is all a mental game. Just you and the ocean.
Slowly, with each turn down the rope (we alternated taking turns between the 3 of us) I was able to go deeper.
Fun Dive
During your first afternoon session, you will get to go on a fun dive to see some beautiful coral and marine life. This well preserved diving/snorkeling is what made Koh Tao famous!
Day 2: Morning
Rescue Session
Day two starts off with rescue training in the morning! You must know how to correctly bring someone to the surface who has blacked out under water etc. Freediving can be a dangerous sport if not done correctly.
Static Breath Hold
Now it’s time to work on your breath hold. While floating in a relaxed position, holding onto a floating device with your face fully submerged, your instructor will time how long you can hold your breath. My first go, I was able to hold it 2 minutes and 6 seconds. But I slowly improved!
Read: 7 Things You Should Know Before Your Wave 1 Freediving Course
Day 2: Afternoon
Freediving Written Exam
While it is not required that you pass the course to continue freediving in the future, if you want your certification you’ll have to also pass the written test. Blue Immersion provides lunch both days at a Thai restaurant across the street. So on your second day, you will take the written portion at the lunch table prior to having your meal.
Training
Finish off your second day by completing your Molchanov certification Wave 1 requirements. These include being able to hold your breath stationary underwater for at least 90 seconds, dive 30m horizontally and dive 12-20m depth in open water.
Overall, I was thankful for such a wonderful introduction to the sport of freediving at Blue Immersion. Koh Tao was a wonderful oasis to experiment with this new challenging but exhilarating sport!
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about freediving. Have you tried it?
More on Thailand? Keep reading: HOW TO TAKE SPLIT OVER/UNDERWATER SHOTS & HOW TO GET INSTA-WORTHY PHOTOS IN BANGKOK
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