Freediving: for the thalassophile and their loved ones.
Cata and I had a pact before leaving the UK. He had to learn to swim. I have always loved being in the water. I wanted him to experience the underwater world the way I do – enveloped and weightless. You see, Cata has this thing about sinking. So, freediving it is. (Cata: ‘make it make sense!’).
After some frantic Google search and Facebook recommendations, my sister landed on Deep Finder. We looked through their website and watched some of their short clips. You see, we are an introverted bunch and tend to prefer people with the ‘just right’ amount of energy. After an initial chat, we booked a two-day private course, ‘Try Freediving’ for the four of us. The course would be delivered in both English and Thai. Cata was still apprehensive about the sinking part, but I was buzzing. Dive in, hold your breath, it can’t be that bad!
Famous last words. Day one of the course, Bangkok traffic had other plans. We arrived an hour late. I rushed up the steps to check us in ‘Kruu Keing (our teacher) has left,’ the slender man I talked to announced with a mischievous grin. My heart sank faster than I ever could in a pool.
‘Just kidding, I’m Kruu Keing.’ The tall man just stated with an even wider grin before ushering us into a classroom. We were then introduced to Kruu Cue, another instructor who acted as Cata’s 1:1 (thanks to his “advanced” Thai).
Morning session: theory. This was when Kruu Keing and Kruu Cue assured us that we would definitely not unintentionally sink nor drown. We also learnt about what constitutes drowning and how to avoid it. This also included the basic maths involved in free diving and scuba diving, lung capacity, and the importance of ear equalisation. Sounds simple: make your ears pop underwater when pressure changes. But there’s a whole science to it, especially when you’re going deep, headfirst.
Both Kruu Keing and Kruu Cue (Kruu (Thai): teacher) patiently explained the techniques, switching between English and Thai. Mammalian diving reflexes, pressure, and the Frenzel manoeuvre – using your tongue and throat to equalise. It was a lot to take in.
We tried holding our breath (static apnoea) for as long as possible. My record was the shortest, under a minute, and I felt deflated. Everyone else was doing much better. We covered a few dos and don’ts over lunch and finally, it was pool time.
The water was shockingly cold despite Bangkok being over 35 degrees Celsius. One of us decided to stay absolutely dry until her turn. I was fully submerged and enjoying the cold pool until Kruu Keing said that we would do another round of static apnoea, but this time, underwater. I was excited to test out the mammalian diving reflex and push my limit.
Of course, I was the first one to take the last breath, face submerged in the water, and hold. Kruu Cue told me to relax my legs, body, shoulders, and hands. It was the feeling that I longed for: to be free, afloat, and enveloped by the water. I counted and kept on counting until I stopped and completely let go. My heart rate slowed down and slowly faded. My head went quiet. For a while, I felt one with the water. Then it came, the need for air. My chest felt tight. A few jolts occurred naturally as the struggle grew bigger. ‘Go on a bit longer, I’ll count for you.’ I heard Kru Cue faintly. ‘…6 7 8…’. I came up (‘BREATH’) gasping for air. Kruu Cue, who was keeping track of the time showed me his watch: 1.37 minutes. A new personal best, but still… those contractions meant I had so much more in me. Why couldn’t I just celebrate the small win?
Duck dives were next. The goal: a smooth, controlled descent, head down, eyes fixed on the wall behind you. Equalise and don’t lose your snorkel. How did I do? Well, ten points for Gryffindor for sheer bravery and a complete disregard for instructions. I forgot my snorkel, forgot to equalise, forgot to look back, and kicked like a maniac. I resurfaced with pain in my ear canals.
But slowly, with each attempt, it got easier. The feeling of gliding down, the quiet of the underwater world, the focus it demanded – it was mesmerising. The ability to remember to equalise. By the end of the first day, we were laughing, exhausted, and hooked.
Day two was all about practice. We went straight into the pool and spent most of our time underwater. Wetsuits, weight belts (which I promptly forgot about and plummeted to the bottom like a deadweight that I am), and endless repetitions. Ear equalisation was still my nemesis, but I was determined to master it in the future. Kruu Keing and Kru Cue took turns teaching us 1:1 Pinn doing her free diving across the pool.the skills we needed to get better at. Wetsuits kept us warm, but little did we know that they also kept us from sinking, making duck diving more difficult.
Kruu Cue, it turned out, was an amazing underwater photographer. ‘Most people come for the photos,’ Kruu Keing had remarked, surprised by our genuine interest in the sport itself. We took loads of underwater photos. Despite his amazing skill set, I look like a pufferfish in most of them.
The final challenge: dynamic apnoea, 30 meters across the pool. Lungs burning, we managed it, though with difficulty. Safe enough for a real freedive with an instructor, hopefully.
We left DeepFinder with new skills, aching muscles, and a newfound respect for the underwater world. Freediving wasn’t just about holding your breath; it was about control, discipline, and pushing your limits. It was about discovering a hidden part of yourself, a calmness and focus I never knew I had. I accomplished my goal. And Cata feels much more comfortable in the water, despite his initial fear of sinking.
Learning freediving takes a lot of courage, money, and two full days of your life. It doesn’t take into account your ability to swim or whether you have done other forms of diving before. I also found a new challenge, a new way to connect with the water, a new adventure to share with Cata as one must never freedive alone.
Freediving is more than just a sport; it’s a journey of self-discovery. Give it a go, you might surprise yourself.
Pinn x
We took the 2-day pool diving course with DeepFinder. This is our genuine, unpaid experience of the course.
