Beginner’s Guide to Freediving Gear

One of the biggest perks about freediving is the minimal amount of gear you need to get going. Even still, freedivers use very specific gear for their sport. So, as a beginner just trying things out or getting going, what are some non-negotiable needs (and where can we find some gear gray area)? Here we will review the absolute necessities for getting started with freediving.

The Bare Necessities

Fins

When you think of freediving, it’s possible that the first pieces of equipment you think of are the fins. Those long elegant fins are often the highlight of freediving photography and videography, flowing so gracefully through the water. So you may have some snorkeling or scuba fins already, and while those are good for managing strong currents and potentially heavy gear, you’ll likely have neither to worry about while freediving and can use fins that require very little energy to get you where you’re going. Therefore, the longer fins are ideal for this sport. There are a few different materials that can affect both your effort and price range here. We highly recommend starting with a plastic fin material. While these  can require a little more effort on your part, they also tend to be sturdier and can hold up to the abuse of fumbling around with new fins and untrained kicks. They are conveniently more affordable than the other fin material types (like carbon fiber and fiberglass, which are a breeze to use but can be prone to breaking), so for a newbie just getting started and possibly unsure of how far you’ll go with freediving, plastic long fins are a good start. 

Mask

Your freediving mask needs to be low in volume. That means you’ll need very little air in the space between your mask and face. Scuba masks can be pretty high volume, and this makes sense for the way scuba divers clear their masks. To deal with the pressure of diving down so quickly, we need to equalize our masks by blowing a small amount of air into it from your nose. We also need to conserve as much air in our lungs as possible so only using a small amount to equalize our masks is ideal. This is much easier to do with a low volume mask. Larger volume masks mean more air to be used to equalize. Because your mask will fit so closely to your face, you will want to be completely sure it fits right, both for a watertight seal and to prevent mask squeeze if it’s too tight.

Snorkel

Your freediving snorkel is the easy part. It is literally the most basic, and likely the most affordable, snorkel you’ll find in the store. You’ll need a J-type snorkel with no fancy gadgets and purges or any of that. Freediving gear is all about efficient hydrodynamics, and in this sport, less is more. You’ll only be using your snorkel for breathe-ups and for when you’re swimming briefly at the surface, so you won’t need it too long for all the fancy extras anyways. 

Weight Belt/Weights

If you’re already a scuba diver, you may remember when your dive instructor put that uncomfortable weight belt on you to go diving with. Well, welcome back to it. A simple rubber belt and a few pounds of weights will do to get you started. You don’t need much and your freediving instructor can help you work out the specifics, but depending on your wetsuit thickness (if you’re wearing one) and natural personal buoyancy, about 4 pounds is a good start to have and you can always take some weight off if you’re overweighted. How do you know if you’re overweighted? If you exhale and the surface and start to sink, you need to take a weight off your belt and try again. 

Wetsuit

Ahh, the wetsuit. You should be using a wetsuit to keep you comfortable. If you’re cold or shivering, you’re not going to be able to slow your heart rate and maintain the clear mind that you’ll need for the dive. If you’re swimming in 80+ degree water, maybe a wetsuit isn’t needed in the long run, but your dive instructor will likely request that you have one for the pool session of your certification anyway. In diving, there are two different types of wetsuits, open cell and closed cell. Both types of wetsuits are fine to use as a beginner and you won’t tell too much of a difference in your dive. Although, open cell wetsuits are generally made specifically for freedivers since they are warmer and more flexible. Many freediving wetsuits are also slick on the outside for even less resistance in the water. Remember, efficient hydrodynamics is key. Open cell wetsuits are also slightly more expensive than closed cell (most scuba divers use closed cell wetsuits). If you’re going for it and getting the open cell, be aware that you’ll need sufficient lubricant (many divers use a blend of baby conditioner and water) to get into it and as a pro tip, have a friend close by to help you don and doff it if it’s your first time with one. You’ll be glad for the helping hand, just trust us on this one. 

Dive Computer 

As a beginner, you may not need a dive computer right away. It is beneficial to have to see how far you dove and how long your STAs (static breath holds) are, but if you’re still testing the waters and don’t want to spend the extra few hundred on a freediving computer—if you don’t already have a wrist dive computer with freediving capabilities, that is—then get your feet wet first to see how you like the sport before jumping in to get an apnea specific computer. If you know you’re going into freediving for the long haul, just go ahead get yourself a computer and get familiar with it so you can log all your dives from first to last (or until you get a new computer). There are a few apnea specific wrist computers on the market, but a scuba computer with freediving capabilities like a Garmin dive computer can get the job done as well. 

Bag

You’ll need something to carry all this in. One of the perks of freediving is the little amount of gear you’ll need and how it all fits in one convenient bag. Therefore, this is an essential part of your gear set up and will help you keep your gear together so you don’t leave anything behind. 

Extras 

Some additional bits that you may already have but want to add to your freediving gear bag include: a towel robe, some SPF, mask defog, and a dry bag for your phone, change of clothes, etc.  

The Future of Your Freediving Gear

So you have your beginner’s kit. What next? Practice! Practice and get to know the sport of freediving - and you may find your gear is perfect for what you need it for. You may find that you eventually want more pliable, lightweight fins and want to put the chunk of change down to make it happen. Very specific wetsuits are ideal to make you more slick in the water, and you may even come to find you want to get yourself a nose clip for hands-free equalizing, a lanyard for deeper line dives, and specially designed masks that keep your face more exposed and eliminate the need to equalize your mask. But we can worry about those things in the future. For now, just enjoy being a beginner and absorb as much as you can about the sport of freediving. Remember dive safe and never dive alone.

FAQs

Is freediving gear expensive?

Freediving gear can range significantly in price. Like most anything, there are pricey brands and types of equipment that you can find. There are also plenty of bundles and affordable gear options. You may spend at least a little over $200 getting your first full set up of gear. 

Can I rent freediving gear? 

This depends on where you’re doing your certification, but the odds are slim. The way freediving fins fit is quite specific to your needs, you’ll want your own mask and snorkel for sure—any old scuba mask and snorkel will do if you have one lying around and just want to test out freediving to see if you like it—but for the most part, it’s best to just have your own sport-appropriate gear going into it.  

Do I need to get certified to go freediving? 

You absolutely should get certified for freediving. It can be much trickier than it looks, and it can be incredibly dangerous—even trained professionals can suffer significant injuries with a small mistake. It’s best to learn the safest, most effective practices for freediving, and what better way to do that than learning from a legitimate freediving instructor? 

Why do freedivers use long fins? 

Freedivers need maximum propulsion while using as little energy as possible. This is achieved through the long graceful fins they use. Scuba divers also need these features but since they deal with both heavier equipment and often much stronger currents, they need a shorter, stockier fin that can handle such maneuverability when needed. 

How much weight do I need for freediving? 

This is totally going to be dependent on your personal buoyancy level in the water and what kind of wetsuit you may or may not be wearing. Bring a few pounds of weights with you to start and your instructor can help you figure out how to gauge the best weight for your dives (which can change from dive to dive). The general rule of thumb is, if you can stay positively buoyant while floating at the surface on an exhale, you’re not overly weighted, which is ideal.