To become a better free diver.

Now, “better” does not necessarily mean to just go deeper or to hold your breath longer.  A good free diver has a sense of own potential but even more importantly, understands the current physiological limits.  You need to bring respect for the depth and above all, be a safe dive partner in order to enjoy this sport over the long run.

To fully appreciate the risks associated with free diving/APNEA.

You have to distinguish between recreational snorkeling and APNEA.  They are two completely separate events.  I don’t intend to over dramatize free diving, or APNEA, as advanced free diving is better known as, but I don’t want to understate it either.  There are impacts to the body from APENA that you need to be aware of and take seriously consider before participating in this sport.  For example, you would not expect anyone to participate in scuba diving without being properly trained and certified.  Why would APNEA be any different in that regards?  There are certain inherent risks in both sports that one has to get educated about in order to make the activities more fun, safer and more accessible to more people.

Becoming a skilled free diver requires spending a lot of time in the water.  It is only through sustained training that you will learn and gain the proper experience that is required to excel in the sport.  It is too easy to get bogged down in various theories about HOW to do it as opposed to putting into practice what you have read and actually doing it.  Obviously, there is a need to understand the theory behind it, but it is only by putting it into practice that it becomes truly useful.  There is simply no substitute for regular practice in a controlled environment.  Typically, by taking a course, a student gains the confidence necessary to get more experience in the water and will seek out additional training to improve from current level.  A course will also; help answer most of your questions about the sport; how to minimize risks; how do you hold your breath for several minutes; what are the techniques available to keep yourself calm; how deep do I dare to go and how deep can I go before pushing my limits too far.

With insights into what risks do exist with APNEA, and how to minimize them, I can virtually guarantee that your experience will be much more enjoyable and something that you will continue to do for a long time.

Regards,

Gunnar Nordstrom