Is freediving for me? An honest answer

The question we hear most on the deck is not about depth. It is: “Is this really for someone like me?” People imagine freedivers as athletes with huge lungs. The truth is that the people who progress fastest are usually the ones who relax best, not the ones who run marathons. Here is our honest answer, point by point.

”I’m not sporty”

Good news: freediving is a sport of doing less. Every unnecessary movement burns oxygen, so the whole technique is about relaxing, moving slowly and staying streamlined. A heavy gym routine does not help much; the ability to slow down does. Most of our students are surprised how long they can hold their breath after an hour of guided breathing exercises. If you can sit still and follow instructions, you can freedive.

”I don’t have big lungs”

Lung volume plays a small role compared with relaxation and technique. On Level 1, most students arrive holding their breath for around 30 seconds and leave holding it calmly for 2 to 3 minutes. Their lungs did not grow in two days. They simply learned to breathe properly, to let go of tension, and to read the urge to breathe for what it is: a signal, not an emergency.

”I’m not a great swimmer”

You do not need to swim fast, but you do need to be at ease in water. For the Freediving Trial, being comfortable in the sea is enough. For SSI Freediving Level 1, you need to swim 200 metres and feel fine in the open ocean. You will always be on a line, with a buoy to rest on and an instructor next to you.

”My ears hurt on planes”

That is the most common worry, and it is workable. Equalisation is a technique, not a gift. The trial teaches the basics, and Level 1 spends a long session on the Frenzel technique. Most students who arrive convinced they “can’t equalise” leave able to clear past 15 metres. The only rule: never force. If your ears or sinuses are blocked by a cold, we postpone.

”I’m scared of depth”

Then you are in the right place, because freediving is built around you deciding. You go down along a line, at your pace, and you can turn around whenever you want. Nobody pushes for numbers. On the trial, most people stay between 5 and 8 metres, and the point is the feeling, not the depth. Fear usually fades when you understand what is happening in your body and see your buddy watching you the whole time.

Age

• Freediving Trial: from 12 years old.
• SSI Level 1: from 14.
• SSI Level 2: from 16.

There is no strict upper limit: what matters is your health and how comfortable you are in water.

Health: when we will tell you to wait

Before any session you fill in a short medical questionnaire. If you answer yes to something (for example asthma, a heart condition, epilepsy, or ear and sinus problems), we ask you to bring a doctor’s clearance. This is not paperwork for its own sake: breath-holding and pressure affect the body, and honesty here keeps everyone safe. If you are pregnant, freediving is not for now.

The real requirement

The one quality all good freedivers share is not physical. It is the willingness to let go: to stop fighting the water, to breathe out slowly, to enjoy the quiet. If that sounds appealing, you have what it takes.

The easiest way to know is to try. Half a day of the Freediving Trial on Gili Air will tell you more than any article, and its cost is credited if you continue to Level 1 within 30 days. Send us your questions on WhatsApp or at freedivegiliair@gmail.com: we answer honestly, including when the answer is “not yet”.