Freediving is for travelers who like to explore the underwater world, but snorkeling skills add limitations to depth and duration.
Freediving, therefore, is for you, you new skills will allow you to dive deeper, and for longer durations
Koh Samui is a perfect location to explore your Freediving skills further.
We are fortunate to have the first Freediving PADI Academy on Samui with an experienced Freedivers as a trainer
Sophie, the very qualified and experienced free diver told me why she started free diving, and why it a great sport to learn for those wanting to improve snorkeling skills or for advanced training
Why did you start freediving?
I took a trip to Mexico 10 years ago. It was the first time I put a mask and snorkel on.
I was amazed by the beauty of the underwater world although a little frustrated not being able to be closer to the marine life
Then I decided to try scuba diving, but I was really not comfortable with the heavy equipment, this was definitely not for me
When I arrived back home to France, I discovered there was a freediving club, so I joined
First I was a little scared, as my career was an accountant and I wasn’t really athletic. I soon came to realize however that Freediving can be enjoyed for anyone, any level of fitness.
Media often pictures Freediving as an extreme sport but in reality only a few practice to these extremes
Where did you start your training?
I spent the first 5 years in a club, back home in France. Mainly we would train in the swimming pool, and during the summer, organize trips to the Mediterranean, or nearby lakes. From, there on all my holidays were dedicated to the sport I love
Freediving has taken me to Egypt, Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. In Thailand, I advanced my training and discovered much more of the local Marine life
Freediving has really changed my life making and made me a much more confident, happy person
This is why I decided to become an instructor , to share my experiences and the knowledge of freediving to others
Freediving is really a nice practice, you learn a lot about yourself.
How to master your mind, and how to always stay in control
You are aware and pay much attention to the signals that your body sends to you, and you learn to understand your body more.
This can be very helpful and applied our daily life helping you to deal with situations differently like stress and anxiety.
Hi I’m Sophie
During a freediving course, your instructor will teach you
to relax,
how to move underwater efficiently
breath properly before a dive
,
Breath-hold diving provides a lot of well being, just like dolphins or whales. We as humans have strong body adaptations whilst we are underwater.
For example, our heartbeat rate decreases and we feel more peaceful. With freediving you don’t have to carry heavy equipment, so you will evolve underwater in complete harmony with the ocean, no noisy bubbles to disturb the silence.
The first rule we learn during a freediving course is to never free dive alone, this is a very important thing to remember
Freediving is a safe practice as long as you have learned the basic safety principles and you have a certified buddy to dive with.
For more information on Freediving training please contact Michelle on samuiexplorer@hotmail.com, or see the link below
