Freedive Studio
Freedive every Sunday morning at beautiful Lake Berryessa in the heart of California wine country.
Our weekly classes are designed for everyone from certified beginners to expert freedivers. Build upon what you learned in your Beginner Class, or deepen your practice at your own pace.
Our weekly classes are designed for everyone from certified beginners to expert freedivers. Build upon what you learned in your Beginner Class, or deepen your practice at your own pace.
Questions? Check out our FAQ or ask us anything.
Instructors from all agencies, and AIDA Judges, are welcome to attend the Studio at no charge. Thank you for helping to build the freediving community! Deepen your PB with trained safeties and competition-grade lines, and share your knowledge and experience with those around you.
Additional Benefits
Bring friends
Every class comes with a free guest pass. Bring a (certified) friend.
Work towards AIDA certifications
Make progress towards and obtain AIDA certifications like Levels 2, 3, 4 and even the most prestigious non-professional certification AIDA offers, Competition Safety.
Join pool classes
If you have just completed the Beginner Class, and would like some extra time to practice in the pool before coming to the lake, you can use your classes at the pool too.
Train for spearfishing trips
Practice effortless entries, long freefalls and extended bottom time under expert supervision. Practice waiting patiently 60-100 feet deep for wahoo, mahi mahi and tuna to approach.
or Ask us anything.
Location
The Studio takes place on the easternmost side of Lake Berryessa, very close to the dam.
You can find it on Google Maps by searching "Freedive Studio - Lake Berryessa".
Afterwards we usually have lunch at the Berryessa Gap Winery, which is 15 minutes east down the road.
You can find it on Google Maps by searching "Freedive Studio - Lake Berryessa".
Afterwards we usually have lunch at the Berryessa Gap Winery, which is 15 minutes east down the road.
Class Schedule
Lake classes take place on Sunday mornings.
9am
9am
Meet by the lake. Warm up, stretching and breathwork.
9:30am - noon
9:30am - noon
Freedive.
1pm
1pm
Lunch at the Berryessa Gap Winery.
Class Dates
Classes will follow a reduced schedule in the winter season (November to April). The Sundays listed below are the dates when class is on. On the Sundays not listed below, there is no class.
During the summer season (May-October),
classes will run every Sunday.
classes will run every Sunday.
Located 15 minutes down the road from the lake, the Berryessa Gap winery is the perfect place for post-freedive food and drinks. Food trucks and live music complement their delicious wines.
See the Studio in action
Our Values
Practice at your own pace
Our classes are designed to let you practice and make progress at your own pace. Not every dive has to be deeper than the last.
Safety
We follow worldwide best practices for freediving safety, and buddying & rescue training is a part of every class.
Community
Freediving is a team sport. Community is built into our first rule of safety: never dive alone.
FAQs
Yes. You can't rent gear for these classes. You should own your own gear and be comfortable with it.
You should bring:
- Your basic freediving gear (mask / snorkel / fins).
- A 7mm open cell wetsuit or equivalent.
- Weight belt and 8-12 lbs of weight.
- Swimmers, towel, sunscreen, water, and closed-toed shoes.
You can purchase any freediving gear you need from the Fins and Foam Gear Shop.
Buoys and lanyards are provided. You are welcome to bring your own lanyard if you have one. For safety reasons, you must use the buoys provided.
You must be a certified freediver to join these classes, but you don't need to be diving to any particular depth. Your deepest dive can be 5 meters or 50 meters.
You are welcome to join the Studio if you have a Level 1 Freediver (or higher) certification from any of the biggest agencies - AIDA, FII, Molchanovs, SSI, NAUI or PADI. If you are certified with another agency, please check with us before purchasing.
You can dive up to 30 meters (100 feet), or, after taking additional advanced safety training, up to 60 meters (200 feet).
Yes. You can work towards any level of AIDA certification during these classes, from Level 2 (Intermediate) all the way up to the highest level certifications like Competition Depth Safety and Instructor.
You can see the challenges you need to complete for each level here. It is your responsibility to keep track of the challenges you have left to complete. Once you are ready to complete a challenge, ask one of our instructors to witness you, and we will officially enter it in the AIDA system.
You can see the challenges you need to complete for each level here. It is your responsibility to keep track of the challenges you have left to complete. Once you are ready to complete a challenge, ask one of our instructors to witness you, and we will officially enter it in the AIDA system.
On any particular week, you can only bring one guest, but on different weeks you can bring different guests.
No. Once you are a guest of one member, you are "locked in" to that member and must attend with them.
Class is never cancelled for rain. As freedivers, we are well prepared for water, and freediving is beautiful in the rain! Class is only cancelled when conditions are unsafe to proceed. Such conditions include lightning over the lake or wildfires on the road.
Questions?