How To Start Freediving

Curious about freediving? This beginner’s guide gives you practical tips to start your freediving journey – no experience necessary.

By Natalie Austin
Editor Zowie Palliaer

Whether you’ve come across freediving through a sports report, social media, or by chance, it tends to spark equal parts curiosity and caution. The idea of exploring underwater on a single breath can be exciting, but it can also raise plenty of questions. Do you need to be an excellent swimmer? Should you already be able to hold your breath for a long time? And how do you begin safely if you have never tried freediving before?

The good news is that you do not need extraordinary breath-holding ability, specialist equipment, or previous freediving experience to get started. Ultimately, freediving isn’t about forcing yourself to stay underwater for as long as possible—it’s about learning to slow down, move efficiently, understand your body, and practise with the right education and supervision. These six tips explain how to start freediving safely, what to expect as a beginner, and how to choose the first step that is right for you.

A beginner course teaches the fundamentals of freediving safely, before you ever step foot in the water. Photo credit © @andac.kazar.

Tip 1: Understand What Freediving Really Is

At its core, freediving is simply diving underwater on a single breath, without the use of breathing equipment.

Freediving can mean exploring a shallow reef, training for distance in a pool, or diving along a line in open water. It can be a sport, a recreational activity, or a practical skill. You don’t need to be interested in deep diving or competition to enjoy it; many people begin because they want to explore marine life or become more comfortable in the water.

Whatever form it takes, freediving should always be approached with proper education and safety procedures. Although it can look like an individual activity, freedivers do not train or dive alone.

For a more detailed introduction, read What Is Freediving?. To explore the many ways people freedive beyond diving deep on a line, see 9 Things You Didn’t Realise Are Freediving (But Actually Are).

If you want to learn how to freediving, you should start with truly understanding what it means and the many ways freediving is practised, beyond a line.

Tip 2: Let Go of Common Freediving Myths

If you’re approaching freediving with caution, this is a very natural response to what can seem extreme at first. Letting go of these common misconceptions is one of the best ways to understand that freediving isn’t as dangerous, daunting or difficult as it seems.

You don’t need to be extremely fit

When you learn freediving properly through a course, you gain techniques that help you relax and move efficiently through the water. You’re not expected to start your freediving journey with elite fitness, exceptional strength, or the endurance of a competitive athlete. General fitness can support your progress, but good freediving relies heavily on technique, efficiency, and learning how to avoid unnecessary effort – all skills that develop with education and practice.

You do, however, need to be able to swim independently, feel comfortable in the water, and remain calm when you can’t touch the bottom. You don’t need to be a competitive swimmer, but if you can’t yet swim confidently, swimming lessons are the best first step. Water confidence provides a much stronger foundation for learning freediving skills.

You don’t need a lengthy breath-hold

Relaxation, technique, efficiency, and safety matter much more than forcing yourself to stay underwater. Breath-hold ability develops through proper education and gradual practice. A freediving course teaches you how to approach breath-hold training safely, not simply how to hold your breath for as long as possible.

Freediving isn’t about ignoring risk

Freediving is not without risk, which is exactly why you should be learning from a qualified instructor. Molchanovs instructors are trained to create a safe, supportive environment for their students, from the first theory and dry sessions through to pool and open-water training. A good instructor is there to help you work toward your goals, not force you to reach a particular depth, distance, or breath-hold time. If something doesn’t feel right, you can pause, adjust, or stop. Your instructor should meet you at your current level, help you build confidence gradually, and minimise risk while keeping the experience comfortable and enjoyable.

Tip 3: Build Your Water Confidence Before Taking a Course

You don’t need to train like a freediver before your first course. However, becoming more comfortable in the water can make your first experience feel more natural and enjoyable.

Here are a few practical ways to prepare:

• Swim regularly: You don’t need to focus on speed or distance. Spend time becoming comfortable moving through the water, floating, and staying calm when you can’t stand up.

• Try snorkeling with a buddy: Choose calm, shallow conditions and stay within your comfort zone. Snorkeling can help you become accustomed to looking beneath the surface while breathing through a snorkel.

• Become familiar with basic equipment: Practise wearing a mask, snorkel, and fins so they feel less unfamiliar when you begin a course. There’s no need to buy specialist freediving equipment yet; many schools provide or rent what beginners need.

• Practise calm, natural breathing on land: Notice where you hold tension and allow your breathing to remain relaxed and unforced. Avoid hyperventilation or trying to extend your breath-hold without proper education.

Safety note: Never practise breath-holding alone. Breath-hold activities always require appropriate supervision and a trained buddy. Simply having someone nearby who doesn’t understand freediving safety is not enough.

These steps can improve your general water confidence, but they don’t replace formal freediving education. Think of them as preparation for learning, not as a course you need to complete by yourself.

 

Getting familiar with essential freediving gear and snorkeling with a buddy can make your first freediving course feel less intimidating. Photo credit © @andac.kazar.

Tip 4: Choose the Right First Step

There’s no single route into freediving. Once you feel comfortable swimming independently, you can try a guided experience or enroll in your first certification course. The right starting point depends on how certain you are that you want to continue.

Try a Discover Freediving Experience

If you’re curious but not yet sure whether freediving is for you, a Discover Freediving Experience is an ideal first step. It gives you a guided introduction to basic freediving skills under the supervision of a qualified instructor, without requiring the same commitment as a full certification course.

It’s a lower-pressure opportunity to experience the sport, ask questions, and decide whether you would like to continue. You don’t need any previous freediving experience – it can be your very first introduction before enrolling in Wave 1.

Begin with a Wave 1 course

If you already know that you want to learn freediving properly, Wave 1 is the first Molchanovs freediving certification course and is designed for complete beginners.

Wave 1 provides a structured introduction to freediving theory, breathing, relaxation, equalization, technique, safety, buddy procedures, and pool and open-water skills. The goal is not simply to reach a particular depth. It’s to develop safe, comfortable habits and leave with the knowledge and skills needed to continue your freediving journey.

Learn online if in-person training isn’t accessible to you

If you don’t currently have access to a Molchanovs school or instructor, the Beginner Online Freediving Course can help you start learning from home. Through self-study, it introduces freediving theory and foundational dry skills such as breathing, equalization, and safety.

The online course can give you a useful knowledge base, but it doesn’t replace supervised, in-water education. When you have access to an instructor, continue with a Wave 1 course to learn and practise in-water skills safely.

Choosing the right course and instructor can make all the difference in the early days of your freediving journey. Photo credit © @foreveryhong.

Tip 5: Choose a Qualified Instructor

Always learn with an active, qualified freediving instructor, and check their credentials before booking. Molchanovs instructors can be verified through the Molchanovs Movement platform. A good beginner experience or course should prioritize safety, close supervision, technique, and confidence – not push you to reach depth quickly.

For a more detailed breakdown of what it takes to become a Molchanovs instructor, start by reading this guide. If you’re ready to dive in and find an instructor near you, here’s a step-by-step guide to checking your instructor.

Ready to Start Freediving?

It’s completely normal to feel nervous or unsure before your first freediving experience. Remember: you don’t need to be naturally talented, extremely fit, or fearless. Start gradually, focus on becoming comfortable rather than chasing numbers, and remember that progression looks different for everyone.

Whether you begin by snorkeling and building confidence in the shallows, trying a Discover Freediving Experience, or enrolling directly in Wave 1, the most important thing is to start safely and take things one step at a time.

Use the Molchanovs Movement platform to find a qualified instructor and explore Discover Freediving Experiences and Wave 1 courses near you. Subscribe to the Magazine for the latest articles, tips, stories and competition reporting.