PADI Freediver Course
Koh Tao Thailand

PADI Freediver Course Objectives

The purpose of the PADI Freediver program is to develop the skills and knowledge of freediving in students. Compared with casual skin diving and snorkeling, for the purposes of this program, “freediving” is breathhold diving that involves deeper depths, longer duration, specialized equipment and more extensive physical/mental skills.

Freediver course schedule:

Arrival day/ Day before course starts
1700-1800: Orientation, sign up paperwork and schedules discussed.

Day 1:

1000-1300: Knowledge development session
1400-1600: Confined water session in the pool

Day 2:

0900-1000: Confined water session 2 in the pool.
1200-1630: Open water training Freedives

At the end of this session you will now be a fully qualified PADI freediver certified to freedive to a maximum of 16m with a freediving buddy.

Lets take a look at each step in closer detail:

Day before Course starts:

Meet your instructor for 5pm. You will complete signup paperwork and outline your schedule for the coming days. Plus an opportunity to ask any other questions that you may have regarding your freediving experience here at Simple Life Freediving.

Day 1- 10AM: Freediving Academics presentation

We will meet at 10am. In this morning’s session your instructor will give you an academic presentation and you will complete a quick-quiz to make sure you understand the content. We’ll develop your knowledge of freediving prior to getting you into the water in the afternoon. Content of this development session will include safe freediving practises, freediving equipment, effects of pressure, safe buddy system procedures and correct surface protocol plus more.

Day 1- 2PM: Confined Water session number 1

That afternoon we’ll meet at 2pm. This will be the first of 2 in-water freediving confined sessions. During this session all skills will be performed in the swimming pool against the backdrop of the ocean. Our beachfront resort has a custom-built swimming pool ideal for our freediving training and underwater skills, which will allow you to familiarize yourself with the freediving equipment and help you to gain confidence in a sheltered environment. We will start in shallow water, approx. 1m in depth. Your instructor will demonstrate skills, which you will then demonstrate and repeat back, helping to gain confidence and remain comfortable.

Equipment we’ll be using for freediving:

• Exposure suit- to help maintain core body temperature
• Mask- low air volume mask
• Snorkel- traditional j-snorkel
• Fins- long blades for efficient kicks
• Weights- to ensure neutral buoyancy in the confined session

Freediving Skills and Techniques Practiced in the confined session:

• Static apnea
• Correct buddy procedures whilst another diver performs static apnea
• Proper breathing techniques before, during and after each descent
• Duck dive
• Flutter Kick
• Proper weighting
• Body position with head neutral
• Dynamic apnea
• Rescue of a diver simulating LMC at the surface
• Rescue of a diver simulating BO underwater
• 200 metre swim with-out swimming aids, or 300m swim with mask snorkel and fins

Day 2- 9AM: Confined Water session number 2

The following day you will meet your instructor at 9am, and head straight back to the swimming pool to resume your confined training. This session usually takes approximately 1 hour, before heading out into the ocean on the afternoon boat for your open water freediving session. We’ll recap some of the previous days skills, plus have the opportunity to brush up any weak areas prior to heading out to the ocean.

Day 2- 12pm: Open Water Session

The meeting time for this afternoon’s session will be 12pm. This time we will head out on the dive boat and complete the open water segments of the freediver course.

PADI FREEDIVER OPENWATER SESSION

Depth range: 0-16metres/0-53 feet

Open Water depth for passing the freediver programme 10-16 metres/33-53 feet

The following skills are to be performed in your Open Water Session:

1. Correct weighting for open water freediving

2. Execute one or more free immersion dives including:

• Waiting for buddy recovery before starting breathe-up
• Regular equalisation
• Proper breathing before, during and after the dive
• Removing the snorkel from the mouth upon beginning descent
• Securing support upon surfacing

3. Correctly execute one or more constant weight freedives to 10m/30 ft. or less, including:

• Waiting for buddy recovery before starting breathe-up
• Proper breathing before, during and after the dive
• Removing the snorkel from the mouth upon or beginning descent.
• Duck dive.
• Regular equalization.
• Streamlined body position along the line.
• Using the drop line to assist the turn back to the surface.
• Securing support upon surfacing.

4. As a buddy, correctly supervise a freediver who is making a constant weight freedive, including watching the diver for problems during the dive and for a reasonable interval after surfacing.

5. Demonstrate the rescue of a diver simulating Loss of Motor Control at the surface.

6. Correctly execute one or more constant weight freedives to at least 10metres/30 feet with a maximum depth of 16 meters/55 feet, including:

• Waiting for buddy recovery before starting breathe-up.
• Proper breathing before, during and after the dive.
• Using the safety lanyard (optional).
• Removing the snorkel from the mouth upon or before beginning descent.
• Duck dive.
• Streamlined body position along the line.
• Regular equalisation
• Effective kick and glide technique.
• Using the drop line to assist the turn back to the surface.• Securing support upon surfacing.

7. As a buddy, correctly supervise a freediver who is making a constant weight freedive, including:

• Watching the diver for problems during the dive and until fully recovered after surfacing.
• Escorting the diver the last 5 meters/15 feet of the ascent.

8. Demonstrate the rescue of a diver who simulates blacking out at 5 meters/15 feet.

Once all segments of the PADI freediver programme and performance requirements have been completed, you will be certified as a PADI Freediver with a maximum depth limit of 16m.

Consider this as just the beginning of your exploration to the underwater world and the marvels it holds. Why not wet your thirst and continue your adventure with the PADI Advanced Freediver today!