FREEDIVING COURSES
Freediving, at its core, is the practice of holding your breath and diving underwater. Most people who can swim can also dunk themselves under the water surface and swim a short distance. However, swimming a longer distance or diving down deeper than your average backyard swimming pool takes more effort and ability. It also involves higher risks. This is where formal freediving training comes in, providing the necessary techniques and safety protocols to freedive safely and confidently for extended periods and greater depths.
Humans have been freediving for thousands of years, mainly to hunt and forage, but also for enjoyment. In recent decades, freediving has evolved into a structured sport with competitive disciplines. Sport freedivers train to push their own physical and mental limits to achieve longer breath hold times, deeper dives and longer swims underwater. Freediving competitions are run under strict rules and guidelines and are held worldwide. Our internationally recognised Pure Apnea sport freediving courses offer the perfect progression from beginner through to instructor for those with a competitive drive.
While freediving purely for enjoyment predates competitive freediving, formalised training for doing it efficiently and safely has only recently been developed by Pure Apnea. Pure Apnea’s ‘Adventure Freediver’ courses offer a structured learning experience, combining techniques from sport freediving with essential safety protocols tailored for open-water exploration. Most people want to freedive for fun so these courses have quickly become our most popular, but have also become the most popular freediving courses in Cape Town.
Our freediving instructors are dedicated professionals who are passionate about sharing their experiences and knowledge with their students. We work on a strict open-water instructor-to-student ratio of 1:4 to ensure that our students get the maximum personal attention. Whether you are on holiday in Cape Town or live here, sign up for a freediving course that will open a new, breathtaking underwater world for you!
Adventure Courses
Do you want to safely explore the spectacular underwater world without the hassle and danger of using heavy, claustrophobic scuba equipment? If you are over 12 years old, a confident swimmer or snorkeler, healthy, but not necessarily an athlete and you want to discover the amazing world hidden within Cape Town’s bio diverse kelp forests then the Adventure Freediver courses are just right for you! We offer a unique set of Adventure Freediver courses which focus on the skills and knowledge needed to freedive safely in kelp forests, on reefs and with marine animals like dolphins and sharks.
Adventure Freediver I
R3800
A 2-day entry level recreational freediving course that will equip you with the skills to freedive safely on reefs, kelp forests and in open ocean.
- International certification
- Free PDF manual
- Diving equipment provided for course
Adventure Freediver II
R5400
Explore deeper! A 3-day course perfect for recreational freedivers who want to reach the same depths as scuba divers.
- International certification
- Free PDF manual
- Diving equipment provided for course
- Quarry & pool entry included
Adventure Freediver Instructor
Starting at R18000 - 14-days minimum
Become a freediving professional and teach students to freedive recreationally.
- International certification
- Free PDF manual
- Diving equipment provided for course
- Quarry & pool entry excluded
What Our Students Say About Us
Sport Courses
Do you want to explore your amazing aquatic abilities in a safe and controlled environment? Do you want to see how long you can hold your breath, how far you can swim without breathing or how deep you can dive with just the air in your lungs? If you do then our sport freediving courses will help you do just that! Our traditional sport courses focus on the freediving sport disciplines performed in freediving competitions. Our instructors are experienced competitive freedivers who will help you discover your freediving potential. The sport freediving courses are perfect for those who want to improve and push their limits in the pool and in the depth or who are thinking about entering freediving competitions as athletes or officials.
Discover Freediving
R1800
1-day introductory course which focuses on theory and breath hold techniques.
- International certification
- Free PDF manual
- Diving equipment provided for course
- Pool entry included
Level 1 Freediver
R3950
A 2-day entry level course which covers the basic pool and depth disciplines namely; Static Apnea, Dynamic Apnea, Free Immersion and Constant Weight.
- International certification
- Free PDF manual
- Diving equipment provided for course
- Quarry & pool entry included
Level 2 Advanced Freediver
R5600
This 3-day sport course focuses on techniques and knowledge needed to freedive safely up to 30m deep and to extend times and distances in the pool.
- International certification
- Free PDF manual
- Diving equipment provided for course
- Quarry & pool entry excluded
Level 3 Master Freediver
R7200
This 4-day sport course will equip you with the skills and knowledge to freedive up to 40m deep and beyond.
- International certification
- Free PDF manual
- Diving equipment provided for course
- Quarry & pool entry included
Freediving Instructor
Starting at R18000 - 14-days minimum
Qualify as a professional sport freediving instructor and start your own freediving business.
- International certification
- Free PDF manual
- Diving equipment provided for course
- Quarry & pool entry included
Master Instructor
R3250
Upgraded from Instructor to Master Instructor and start teaching the Level 3 Master Freediver course.
- International certification
- Free PDF manual
- Diving equipment provided for course
- Quarry & pool entry excluded
What Our Students Say About Us
Speciality Courses & Training
We also offer training days and a very popular and unique breath hold course called ‘Surf Apnea’. The Surf Apnea course has been designed for surfers, kitesurfers, paddlers etc. who experience sudden breath hold situations while in the water.
Surf Apnea Workshop
R1800
A unique course for watersport enthusiasts who experience sudden breath holds in rough surf.
- International certification
- Free PDF manual
Freedive Training
R1800
Improve and refine your freediving with a dedicated instructor to assist you.
- Diving equipment provided
- Quarry & pool entry excluded