u/ProfessionalAsk8264

I posted some time ago about my experience with a school and had great advice.

I then left the school and took a break a little while I was travelling. Nevertheless I read the daily posts here and enjoyed reading them.

Until few days ago, I wish I can remember which post and who wrote that comment but it really made something click for me. I originally had no problem equalising in freeimmersion but couldn’t go past 4 meters with my duckdive before experiencing excruciating pain. I knew I could frenzel no problem out of water but I just felt overwhelmed during the duckdive.

One of the comments said something like that (not direct quote): it’s not like sneezing but more like breath fogging glasses (I know I butchered it sorry)

I understood that the effort required is very minimal and it’s just about locking in on the sensation of correct frenzel (movement of tongue and the pop in the ear, which by the way unlike what I thought earlier doesn’t need to be dramatic)

Also to remember to not look where you’re going and position the neck correctly.

That’s it! It’s so simple I just needed to ‘lock in’ and not think too much but think just enough to know what to look for.

So to all of you here for your knowledge and especially to the person who wrote what clicked for me but I instead butchered at the top THANK YOU SO MUCH.

P.S. good visibility and water that isn’t cold really helped with my relaxation so I can focus on practicing what I need to do. These things I didn’t have when I first started. Can’t relax your body when you’re shivering!

To all fellow beginners out there LOCK IN! :)

I’m in a bit of a dilemma and cannot make my mind up about what to do next so your guidance is appreciated.

Beginning of June I bought AIDA 1 course at a highly rated school in Jeju island, South Korea.

I informed the school that I have no experience diving of any kind but I can swim and generally comfortable in open water.

My first session we went directly to the sea, no theory or anything. I put on the wetsuit, mask and snorkel, on the boat and then off it. Bearing in mind that I don’t know how to duck dive or equalise and I’d never worn fins before that in my life and as you all know freediving fins especially to the unfamiliar is a new sensation to get used to. In fact that entire first session was a bomb of sensory overload. Nevertheless I wanted to know more and to get better so I bought AIDA 2.

The following session was a pool session, prior to that was some theory. My first breath-hold was 1:40 (can do 2:30 now with ease). In any case the majority of the pool session was aimed at improving my duck-dive. The school owner was there and he was saying something like I should be jealous of the kids in the corner who could do it and I can’t. I laughed it off as his own sense of humor. The following session was open water, my duck-dive improved but then I couldn’t go below 3 meters before experiencing ear pain.

The following session I was with a group of people with varying experiences and it was at this point only my second time trying free immersion (it was attempted first day), and again I couldn’t go below 4 meters before experiencing pain.

Before the following session the school owner diagnosed my frenzel and said that I can clearly do it just need to practice strengthening it. I did that and the next session my free immersion was 10m. However that day we went out to open water when the waves were 6-8 foot. Everytime I duckdived I ended up somewhere else and I couldn’t do it with a lanyard. Eventually at the 1.5 hr mark the motion sickness did its thing and I was violently sick. My instructor kept telling me to try again duck diving but at that point I was very weak and shivering. 30 minutes later we were out of the water and took me two days to feel like I was standing on solid ground after lol.

The last session I did was with another person who was also doing AIDA2. We didn’t do a lot of free immersion because he’s already sorted that part so it was more about duckdiving. I was mostly left to my own devices while she (my instructor) focused on the other student. I think I duckdived to around 7m this time around. Meanwhile my instructor knocked off my mask and snorkel while busy diving with the other student, and she only came round a few times to tell me: why are you not going deeper?? Why did you stop?? Just keep going down it doesn’t have to be perfect a little bit of pain is okay! (To me that’s a red line, I’m not willing to risk injury).

I know where my weaknesses are. I know that my neck position is preventing me to frenzel properly when I duckdive so it’s just about practicing that. I’m mostly very relaxed in freeimmersion and the very few times I did it, I loved it so much. It’s such a wonderful feeling and my frenzel works there ok. I just I wish I had more opportunity to do it and use it to strengthen my equalisation instead of focusing so much on duck diving. I relayed this to my instructor who said: but duck diving is more important since that’s what you’ll use mostly.

Now I have no intention to stop trying to freedive and I was explicit with my instructor: I’m willing to take my time and pay extra for training. I am learning this to enjoy it not to stress or chase a number. However, considering the last two experiences I’m hesitant to continue with my instructor. I think overall I don’t feel relaxed with her even though overall she’s a nice person and overall the people of the school are really nice.

I have one more session prepaid but I also am travelling in 10 days. On the one hand having paid quite a bit and not even gotten an AIDA1 feels a bit meh at the same time I understand and accept that everyone’s got their own pace.

The question is now: do I push to continue with same school and instructor and get the AIDA2 or try again somewhere else altogether?

Thanks in advance for your advice and for reading through all this!

Edit: to clarify I paid extra for the extra sessions beyond what’s included in the AIDA 1 and 2 packages.