Freediving Beginner Course
Course Timeline
The Beginner Course consists of a virtual evening class followed by a day of ocean classes.
1
Evening Class
Evening class takes place virtually on a weeknight, 6-9pm, via Google Meet. You'll practice breath holding and ear equalizing, and learn about safety, the gear you need, and how our bodies respond to being underwater.
2
Ocean Classes
Ocean classes take place on Saturdays at San Carlos beach in Monterey. The Beginner Course includes two of these 2-hour ocean classes, on the morning and afternoon of the same day.
3
Certification
After completing your evening class and ocean day, you will receive your first freediving certification.
Certifications are from AIDA, the governing body of freediving.
Certifications are from AIDA, the governing body of freediving.
- John PrinsInstructor, Fins and Foam FreedivingYou don't need any experience to join this class. You don't need to be athletic or a strong swimmer. The emphasis is on safety and learning to freedive at your own pace.
Course Highlights
3:1 instructor-student ratio
We keep ocean classes small so you get lots of dive time and attention.
4 hours of ocean time
We have the most ocean time of any Beginner Freediving course.
5 star reviews
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** Please note: we will be out of the office Monday 8/28 to Friday 9/4. We will respond to you promptly after that. **
FAQs
We will go through the gear you need in detail in the evening class, but any gear you want to buy, you can get from the Fins and Foam Gear Shop, and any gear you want to rent, you can get from one of the many dive shops within walking distance of our dive spot.
If you want to keep it simple, order the Starter Kit, which has everything you need to get started freediving here in California. If you order it before your ocean classes, you can try on items like the wetsuit and fins for fit before class.
If you want to keep it simple, order the Starter Kit, which has everything you need to get started freediving here in California. If you order it before your ocean classes, you can try on items like the wetsuit and fins for fit before class.
Yes. Certifications are from AIDA, the governing body of freediving, like PADI is for scuba.
AIDA has four levels of certification: 1 (Beginner), 2 (Intermediate), 3 (Advanced) and 4 (Assistant Instructor). If you complete your Beginner course and demonstrate that you know how to freedive safely, you are guaranteed to receive an AIDA 1 certification. You might also be eligible for AIDA 2 certification, if you are diving deep enough.
If, after your Beginner course, you want to continue improving your freediving and upgrade your certification to a higher level, you can always return for a Fins and Foam Deeper course. This course offers certifications all the way through from AIDA 2 to AIDA 4.
AIDA has four levels of certification: 1 (Beginner), 2 (Intermediate), 3 (Advanced) and 4 (Assistant Instructor). If you complete your Beginner course and demonstrate that you know how to freedive safely, you are guaranteed to receive an AIDA 1 certification. You might also be eligible for AIDA 2 certification, if you are diving deep enough.
If, after your Beginner course, you want to continue improving your freediving and upgrade your certification to a higher level, you can always return for a Fins and Foam Deeper course. This course offers certifications all the way through from AIDA 2 to AIDA 4.
No. In fact, it is ideal to leave a bit of time between your evening and ocean classes, so you can practice the skills you learned in evening class. In any case, both classes can be scheduled independently and flexibly, so you can take them in the same week, or two weeks apart, or four, or whatever works for your schedule. Evening classes take place regularly on weeknights, and ocean classes almost every Saturday, so you have plenty of dates to choose from.
Course materials and certifications are both included within the course fee. The only other thing you need to budget for is gear.
Yes! Ask us anything.