【Never Give Up Column】Have you heard of freediving? Is it a dangerous extreme sport? Can beginners easily master it? Do you have a trustworthy instructor to recommend? For common questions from beginners, this column's guest, Oscar Wu, a professional freediving instructor from "Oceanholic Freediving Studio," will introduce you to this extreme sport that merges with the ocean — freediving.

"Hello everyone! I'm Oscar, a freediving instructor at Oceanholic Freediving Studio!"

Freediving is a form of diving where individuals descend underwater without the aid of any underwater breathing apparatus, relying solely on their own breath and breath-holding abilities. Simply put, it means ditching the oxygen tank and becoming a true fish of the sea. Oscar has been involved in freediving for about 8 years, starting his training in Taiwan before returning to Hong Kong to practice. He then went to the Philippines and Bali, Indonesia, to obtain instructor certifications from two different systems, and is now a dual-system "AIDA?" "PADI?" freediving instructor.

"I love sports, whether on land or in water. I play football, hike, kayak, rock climb, and dragon boat. I've been teaching freediving for four to five years now, and more people in Hong Kong are getting to know this sport. I'm really happy that more people are participating. My upcoming goal is to make freediving known to even more people, because I've heard many friends say that freediving is a very dangerous sport. It's precisely because people think it's dangerous that they need to understand it even more."

"Eliminate danger, understand freediving safety, and then you can play safely and with peace of mind!"

Reasons for getting into freediving?

Freediving can be said to be the most primitive form of diving, its origin impossible to trace. As early as the Stone Age, in various coastal regions of the world, maritime peoples used freediving for hunting and fishing, making their living from the sea and possessing exquisite freediving abilities.

"Initially, I was into dragon boating, a traditional sport with many local fishermen participating, who were people of the water. Back then, freediving wasn't really a thing; they did spearfishing or what you'd call breath-hold diving. By chance, through dragon boating, I met some of these water people and fishermen. At first, I was amazed to see them dive underwater with no equipment, just holding their breath. Later, I found information about this sport online, discovered it was called freediving, and flew to Taiwan to start learning it."

"Seeing the fishermen dive underwater with no equipment, just holding their breath, felt amazing!"

What's appealing about freediving?

Life in Hong Kong is fast-paced, and people often hope to escape the hustle and bustle during holidays, fleeing the crowds. Freediving is definitely the best choice. Friends who love diving often share stories of magical encounters with marine life underwater, and the unique feeling of tranquility and freedom found deep in the water. Oscar is also deeply drawn to this peaceful feeling underwater.

 

"I first got into freediving because of the fishermen. As I continued, I realized that underwater, it's incredibly quiet and peaceful, with no phones or anything else to disturb you. Imagine, on land, you're affected by gravity, and you feel pressure. But underwater, at a certain point, there's no pressure, no buoyancy, no sound, nothing. All around you is blue, making you feel incredibly peaceful and quiet, giving you much more space and time to think. Especially living in Hong Kong, which is such a stressful place, the sea is a place where we can feel safe, calm, and relaxed."

"Underwater, at a certain point, there's no pressure, no buoyancy, no sound, just blue all around. It's so peaceful!"

Becoming a dual-system freediving instructor

"Originally, I never thought I'd become an instructor. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a sports enthusiast and love sharing with friends. At that time, I was still working in an office job. By chance, I learned freediving, and as I kept doing it, an opportunity arose. I impulsively resigned, something young people often do. After resigning, I bravely went to the Philippines to get my instructor certification."

"Actually, even after getting certified, I didn't immediately become a full-time freediving instructor; I started part-time. But as I continued, I realized many people love this sport, so I gradually started dedicating more time to freediving. After one or two years, I truly became a full-time freediving instructor."

"After resigning, I bravely went to the Philippines to get my instructor certification."

Promoting freediving

Oscar loves freediving and hopes to promote this sport to the public. He believes that emerging sports require a lot of time and steps to develop before they can gain government recognition or even enter major international competitions. "How can we better promote it in Hong Kong? It relies on freediving instructors, enthusiasts, and even platforms like Never Give Up to help us promote it and make more people aware of this sport."

"Currently, due to a lack of resources, renting swimming pools for training or even going out to sea is affected by many factors. There are also thunderstorms, heavy rain, Hong Kong's water quality, etc., all of which limit people's enthusiasm for the freediving world. This means we instructors need to spend a lot of time and effort to make the public realize that the sea is actually beautiful."

"It takes a lot of time and effort to make the public realize that the sea is actually beautiful."

Learning freediving for beginners

The most common question beginners ask is always, "Can I freedive if I can't swim?" In fact, you don't necessarily need to know how to swim to participate in freediving. However, freediving is an aquatic activity, and if an emergency occurs in the ocean, swimming is definitely a basic self-rescue skill, making the freediving experience safer.

For beginners learning freediving, Oscar says, "The simplest thing is to learn to swim. After all, if you can't swim or don't feel comfortable in the water, you'll be at a disadvantage in the ocean. As for preparation, you can leave it to the instructor. A good freediving instructor will take care of all the student's psychological needs, equipment, whether they are relaxed in the water, and even other techniques, such as equalization. All the techniques will be taught by the instructor during the course."
"A good freediving instructor will take care of the student's psychological state."

"A good freediving instructor will take care of the student's psychological state."

Is freediving a dangerous extreme sport?

"It's a very safe sport. After so many years of development, freediving has become a system with many safety guidelines for learning this sport. The most dangerous aspect for beginners is their many uncertainties and fears of the unknown."

"Our courses are generally divided into theory classes, confined water (i.e., swimming pool), and open water training sessions. Initially, in theory class, we explain what we'll do in the pool or out at sea, what safety equipment there is, and what relaxation techniques to use for breath-holding at the surface."

"Then we'll go to the pool to learn how to hold our breath and how to flat-dive with fins. Once we've mastered these skills, we'll head out to sea. Out at sea, there will be buoys and dive flags to help students relax at the surface. We'll have a safe line, following a rope, allowing students to ascend and descend safely, and at the same time, we instructors will go up and down with the students!"

"We instructors will go up and down with the students!"

What does Never Give Up mean to you?

"I think the most important thing is not to forget your original intention. Why did I want to become an instructor in the first place, and why did I want to teach freediving? It was really to share this sport and get more people to participate."
"Luckily, after four to five years, I have a great group of freediving students, and even friends, who continue to promote this sport with me, improving together and trusting each other. I think this is the greatest reward and how we can tackle the biggest challenges!"
"Don't forget your original intention, why you wanted to become a freediving instructor in the first place."

"Don't forget your original intention, why you wanted to become a freediving instructor in the first place."

 

The charm of freediving lies in the moments of tranquility and peace it brings to the busy lives of Hongkongers. We hope everyone learns more about freediving and supports passionate instructors and local sports!

AIDA 2 Details:
Admission requirements: Able to swim 200 meters, or continuously swim 300 meters with a mask, snorkel, and fins.
*If you have AIDA1 or SCUBA certification, you can also register for the AIDA2 freediving course.

Course Information
Academic Course:
Basic freediving physiology and physics
Freediving breathing and relaxation techniques
Equalization techniques
How to prevent Blackout (BO) and Loss of Motor Control (LMC)
Emergency rescue training (Safety)
How to progress safely
Introduction and selection of freediving equipment
Dynamic Bi-fins (DYNB)
Free Immersion (FIM)
Maximum course depth is 20 meters

Course completion requirements: STA 2’00”, DYNB 40m, CWTB 12m
Minimum of two participants per class
*If unsuccessful, retests can be taken within one year, but a retest fee applies ($500/session, boat trip fees extra if applicable).

Course Content
1 theory session
2 pool/confined water practice sessions
3 open water practice sessions
One AIDA e-certificate (upon course completion)

Fee: $4800
Weekday boat trip discount 🚢 $4500
Two participants: $4700
Three participants: $4600
Four participants: $4500
*Discounts cannot be combined

Students need to bring their own mask, snorkel, wetsuit, and fins.
Equipment rental is available upon request, please inquire with the instructor for details.
Classes must be completed within 90 days.

 

@IG oceanholic_hk

 

By Ho.W.K.

NGU