Freediving is more than just a sport. It’s a special silence. A moment when the world slows down. Suddenly, you hear nothing but the beat of your own heart, a kind of inner echo of yourself. Many people think that freediving is just about endurance – about how long you can hold your breath. But anyone who dives a little deeper into it discovers that the true dive doesn’t just take place in the ocean, but also inside you.
Especially if you’re starting with freediving, it’s good to know that it’s not about performance. It’s not about who can last the longest, who can go the deepest. Rather, it’s a journey – to yourself, to greater calm, to the ability to be in the present moment. And it’s on this journey that it makes sense to prepare – not just physically, but also mentally.
Breath – Not as Automatic, but as a Tool
Breathing is something we do unconsciously most of the time. But in freediving, it becomes a tool. An ally. An anchor. And also the biggest limitation.
When you learn to breathe for freediving, it’s not about “inhaling as much as possible.” It’s about how you breathe before the actual inhalation. How you oxygenate the body, how you calm down. It’s actually a small ritual – slowing down, relaxing, focusing. Deep, slow inhalations through the nose, long exhalations. Often, “box breathing” is added – four seconds inhale, four hold, four exhale, four pause. Just breath and you.
This breathing preparation is something you can practice at home. In the morning before work. In the evening before sleep. When you’re sitting in the car and waiting. You’ll gradually start to notice how your pulse slows down, how you’re more at peace. And this ability is absolutely essential for freediving.
And once you master breathing, add static – holding your breath on dry land. Here, it’s important to listen to your body and not push for performance. There is no “right” duration. Each of us has our own pace. Your body will tell you what’s too much and what’s just right.
Mind – Your Greatest Ally and Adversary
One thing many people don’t realize until they try it: freediving is far from just a physical discipline. What betrays you most often in the water isn’t your body. It’s your head.
On dry land, you can manage three minutes without breathing. Calmly, with your legs up. But as soon as you’re underwater, in silence, in a different environment, it begins – the brain sends the first signs of panic that “it’s time to breathe now,” even though the body still has enough reserves. This is the breaking point. Those who succumb to panic are at the end. Those who can observe it and let it go enter another dimension.
Freediving teaches you to work with thoughts. Let them flow. Not cling to them. Many people therefore engage in mindfulness or meditation – you don’t have to sit in a lotus position on a hill right away, but you can simply observe your breath, body, thoughts for a few minutes a day. Without judgment. Without expectations.
And this training is not just useful in the water. It also helps you in everyday life – when you’re stressed, when something upsets you, when you face a challenge. Being calm when things get complicated is a skill that’s more valuable today than ever before.
Body – Flexible, Strong, but Mostly Relaxed
A freediver doesn’t need to be a bodybuilder. Rather the opposite. The goal isn’t volume, but efficiency. Minimal oxygen consumption, the most natural movement, maximum relaxation. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be strong – but more functionally so. A strong core, mobile joints, flexible back. The less energy your movement costs, the more you’ll have left for holding your breath.
The best preparation? Yoga, calisthenics, stretching. You don’t need to toil for hours every day. Just regularly, with feeling. Five, ten minutes in the morning. Move a bit, breathe, stretch. Feel your body. And gradually add more.
Also think about the diaphragm – a muscle that’s often forgotten, but plays a crucial role in breathing. Exercises for diaphragm control might be a bit strange, but they significantly help with greater lung capacity and comfort under the surface.
Water: A Place of Peace, but also Respect
Once you have the basics on dry land, comes the most beautiful moment – the first dives. And it’s here that one rule applies, which should be carved in stone: never train alone.
Not even when you go to the pool, not even when you’re “just” in shallow water. Blackout can happen even to an experienced freediver – and underwater, it only takes a few seconds for life to be at risk. Therefore, always find a buddy who knows what they’re doing. Who watches you, knows when to intervene. This isn’t an exaggeration – it’s absolutely basic safety.
The first training sessions aren’t about depth. Rather about learning to be calm underwater. Relaxed. Perceiving the body. Watching what it does, what it tells you. Not overexerting yourself. Letting everything flow. And when that special calm comes – the kind where you feel you’re “right” – that’s the moment when it all starts to make sense.
Conclusion: Don’t Rush. Listen. Breathe.
Freediving is like meditation in motion. Silence, calm, concentration. Often, it’s the very first moment in the week when you’re just with yourself – without noise, without notifications, without expectations.
If you’re attracted to it, go for it. Slowly, with respect, with joy. Listen to your body, give space to your head, learn to breathe. You don’t need perfect equipment right from the start, you don’t need performances. Just the desire to explore is enough. And when you want, we’ll help you – with equipment, with advice, with a community of people who’ve also found something more in it.