California Coast Freediving
Learn to freedive along the California coastline. Dive into kelp forests and watch the sunlight filter down to the sea floor. Meet friendly otters, playful seals and curious sea lions.
$599
$599
Booking
This is a private class. You can take it by yourself, or bring up to 3 other people with you. There is no extra charge for bringing extra people, so in a group of 4, you'll pay only $150 per person.
If you don't have any friends who freedive yet, but would like to find others to take this class with in order to split the cost, join our Freediving Studio! You'll meet a bunch of other Bay Area based people who are passionate about freediving, many of whom are interested in taking classes like this one as well.
In this class you will...
- Freedive up to 40 feet deep in one of the world's most unique marine ecosystems, the kelp forests of San Carlos beach in Monterey
- Learn about the gear you need to freedive on the coast of California, and how to safely enter, exit and navigate its beaches and rocky coves
- Improve your freediving breathwork, equalization and hydrodynamics
- Have close encounters with local marine life, such as otters, sea lions, cormorants, rockfish and seals!
Class Schedule
9am
9am
Introductions, goals and gear.
9:30am
9:30am
Land class - progression of key freediving skills: breathwork, equalization and safety.
10am - noon
10am - noon
First freedive session - exploring the kelp forest.
12pm
12pm
Lunch break on shore.
12:30 - 2:30pm
12:30 - 2:30pm
Second freedive session - exploring the kelp wall.
3pm
3pm
Class graduation.
Location
The class will take place at San Carlos beach in Monterey. San Carlos beach is a Marine Reserve, with an abundant kelp forest which shelters hundreds of species, from rockfish to seals, sea lions, egrets, cormorants and otters.
The class will take place at San Carlos beach in Monterey. San Carlos beach is a Marine Reserve, with an abundant kelp forest which shelters hundreds of species, from rockfish to seals, sea lions, egrets, cormorants and otters.
Prerequisites
You must be a certified freediver to join this class. A Fins and Foam Safety Certification Level 1 from Aida, or any other equivalent certification (Wave 1, SSI Level 1, Padi Freediver, etc) is sufficient. If you don't have a freediving certification yet, take the Fins and Foam Beginner Class before booking this class.
FAQs
Yes, but not if you wear the right wetsuit. Bring a 7mm open-cell freediving wetsuit and you will be toasty warm for the whole day. A new 7mm scuba wetsuit with hood that fits you well is also warm enough. Don't bring a surf wetsuit - they are not warm enough.
No. San Carlos beach is uniquely well protected because it is nestled in the crook of the Monterey peninsula and faces east, away from the ocean, so it is often as calm as a lake, and never has waves more than waist high.
The focus of this class is learning to freedive in the ocean, not on certification. However, if you have completed all the foundational work in the Fins and Foam Beginner Class, you will have the opportunity to upgrade your AIDA Level 1 certification to AIDA Level 2. The requirements for this are to be comfortably diving to 10m (33 feet) and performing rescues from 5m (16 feet). If you don't find yourself naturally deepening your dives to this depth during the class, but really want to upgrade your certification, don't worry - come and join our Regular Classes. They are specifically designed to let you deepen your diving, and complete certification challenges, at your own pace.
We recommend that you have your own gear for this class. You will be a lot more comfortable with gear that fits you well and that you are familiar with. You can get gear specifically made for freediving in California, like a 7mm open-cell wetsuit, flexible low-volume mask, and carbon fiber fins, from the Fins and Foam Gear Shop. However, if you do want to rent gear, you can do so from one of the scuba diving shops next to our dive spot. Make sure to ask for a 7mm wetsuit with hood and a weight belt with minimum 14 lbs of weight.
We will freedive between 10 and 35 feet, where the kelp forest grows most densely. If you are not yet comfortable diving to 30+ feet, there will be plenty of time in class to work up to this depth at your own pace.
We'll follow the same safety rules as you learned in your beginner freediving class, including proper breathing, proper equalization, and diving with a buddy under the supervision of the instructor.
Questions?