Freediving Studio
Join our freediving studio! Classes are held every Sunday morning at beautiful Lake Berryessa in the heart of California wine country.
Our classes accommodate everyone from certified beginners to advanced freedivers. Build upon what you learned in your Beginner Class, or deepen your practice at your own pace.
Our classes accommodate everyone from certified beginners to advanced freedivers. Build upon what you learned in your Beginner Class, or deepen your practice at your own pace.
Questions? Ask us anything.
Additional Benefits
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, your membership entitles you to attend as many additional Pool Classes as you like.
Bring friends
Your studio membership comes with a free guest pass every week. Bring a (certified) friend.
Get AIDA certifications
Work towards higher AIDA safety certifications like Levels 2, 3 and 4, and get membership discounts when you complete them.
Train for spearfishing trips
Practice effortless entries, long freefalls and extended bottom time under expert supervision. Practice waiting patiently at 60-100 feet of depth for wahoo, mahi mahi and tuna to approach!
or Ask us anything.
Lake Class Schedule
Lake classes take place weekly on Sunday morning.
9am
9am
Meet by the lake. Breathwork, stretching and land class.
10am - noon
10am - noon
Freedive.
1pm
1pm
Lunch at the Berryessa Gap Winery.
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 award-winning wines.
Higher Membership Tiers
Safety is one of of our core values at the Studio. You can get discounts on your membership if you have a higher level Safety Certification from AIDA (or, as an existing member, once you obtain them).
Attend the Studio any time for free! Instructors from all agencies, not just AIDA, are welcome. Judges and Safeties must be from AIDA. Come and deepen your PB with trained safeties and competition-grade gear, and benefit everyone around you with your knowledge and experience.
You can't automatically join a higher tier, but you can upgrade your membership as soon as you demonstrate during class the AIDA challenges of the tier you wish to join.
Drop In Classes
Want to drop in to check it out, or spread some classes out over time? You can buy a single class or pack of classes.
No problem. You are welcome to join drop-in classes if you are certified with FII, Molchanovs, SSI, NAUI or PADI.
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
- At least 10 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.
Yes. You can work towards any level of AIDA certification during these classes, from Level 2 (Intermediate) all the way up to Assistant Instructor 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.
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 can dive up to 30 meters (100 feet), or, after taking an additional advanced safety certification, up to 60 meters (200 feet).
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.
No, you must have a certification from AIDA to qualify for a higher tier. However, once you start attending, you can get certified with AIDA via "crossover" as soon as you demonstrate the challenges for that AIDA level, and then get the discount.
Your monthly membership payment is billed on the day you start and then monthly thereafter. You can pause or cancel your membership at any time here or by emailing john@finsandfoamfreediving.com.
Questions?