New to Freediving
Hello!
I’m thinking of signing up for a freediving course for this summer, and it would be my first time trying it out. It is a PFI freedive course hosted by the local surf club and Bottom Dwellers. It is a mix of online lectures, pool practice and open water diving down to 20m, and I get my certification after completion of the course. I also get Ted Harty’s “Road Map to Frenzel” and some other pre-class learning material before the course starts.
I’m on the East coast of Canada, and the water will most likely be cold at the time of the course, so they strongly recommend at least a 5mm open-cell freediving suit or a 7mm freediving suit. Other gear requirements are a mask + snorkel, weight-belt and weights, fins and a timing device or diving computer.
I’m not very knowledgeable with wetsuits, and I’m wondering if anyone has any gear recommendations, general tips, or resources for a beginner. I do also have lots of swimming experience, but I have never snorkelled or scuba dived before. I wear SCBA for work sometimes, and I lifeguarded for 6 years, so I trust my swim ability; it's just the gear side of things that's daunting me.