With PADI Freediver training continuing to grow globally, we caught up with a couple of PADI Freediver Instructors for a chat about how they got involved in the sport, some advice for interested divers and and how they see the sport progressing.
Irene Young
PADI Course Director and Freediver Instructor Trainer
Klang, Malaysia
How did you get into freediving?
It was the PADI freedive video that got me interested in freediving. After taking a 10 day intensive program here in Malaysia in which I became a PADI Master Freediver, I realized freediving was a challenging sport which I liked so much.
What do you enjoy most about freediving?
Personal challenge. Freediving is now a sport that requires training to improve. You train to hold your breath longer, be more flexible and comfortable in the water or at depth in order to go deeper.
What motivated you to become a PADI Freediver Instructor?
To introduce this incredible activity in Malaysia. Most people will think freediving is dangerous. But, with proper education and follow safety rules, freediving can be a safe water based activity.
What makes Malaysia a great location for freediving?
Tropical water temperature, crystal clear water surrounded by fishes and beautiful coral.
What would you say to someone who wants to become a PADI Freediver Instructor?
As an Instructor, beside necessary knowledge and understanding, you will also need an exceptional skill level that allows you to demonstrate to your students how to perform a very good dive. You will also need to provide safety for your students and be able to assist them no matter what situation. Last, teach according to the system and certification only issued when certification requirement are met.
Cam Hookey
PADI IDC Staff Instructor and Freediver Instructor
Nusa Lembongan, Bali, Indonesia
How did you get into freediving?
After working as both a Scuba Instructor and a Marine Biologist for 7 years, I was looking for something that would sharpen my edge and create the dynamic I seem to always need. I wouldn’t say it was my life goal to be a freediver, as romantic as it sounds, but I dabbled in certain aspects of the sport through many ocean activities. In my mid 20s when I took a turn towards “self-helpville”, the freediving sirens sang louder and louder. As a sport it was the perfect combination of everything I had grown to be passionate about.
What do you enjoy most about freediving?
Much like Scuba Diving, I do love the silence. With freediving, it’s like silence on steroids. It feels less like silence and more like serenity. Just nothing. When you feel it for the first time, there is this calm that comes over even the most anxious of faces, as if students realize “ahhh, this is what he was talking about in the theory”. That feeling of weightlessness, of pure stillness and subtle pressure- its a hard one to describe. It’s something that has to be felt rather then explained.
What motivated you to become a PADI Freediver Instructor?
When I was 25, one of my good friends passed away in a freediving accident while experimenting with hyperventilation techniques, and it always sat in the back of my mind that instruction was still something that was vital in the sport. My first passion is teaching, so becoming a Freedive Instructor seemed appropriate. I will admit that this motivation was combined with my constant need for change, progression and my curiosity to continue learning. Teaching freediving provided me an avenue to pursue all of the above.
What makes Nusa Lembongan and Indonesia a great location for freediving?
While we may not be set up just yet for competitive level deep training on Lembongan, we have amazing visibility, warm water, and great conditions year round. Having worked on the island for years in scuba diving, you become familiar with sites, tides and currents, and can adapt to ensure students have the best conditions in which to progress. We also have incredibly healthy reefs, jaw dropping underwater topography, and of course some charismatic big ones- the Mantas.
What would you say to someone who wants to become a PADI Freediver Instructor?
I would advise people looking to become Instructors in any field to ask themselves what their own motivations are to becoming an instructor. Just because you are good at something, or love something dearly, doesn’t mean you will enjoy teaching others. Being a valued instructor requires patience, passion and a determination to get even the most difficult of students to achieve their best. As freediving can be a temperamental psychological beast, I would argue even more patience can be necessary. That being said, being comfortable with your own freediving abilities and teaching within your limits is very important.
What would you say to someone wanting to learn freediving?
I would be a pretty hypocritical instructor if I didn’t say go for it! Freediving is a very accessible sport, and I do believe everyone can achieve results they never thought possible. Like any other sport, certain techniques can be harder for some to learn- but for most people it is physically and mentally possible to reach the determined depths and times. More importantly, depths and time pale in comparison to the mental confidence gained by progressing through the sport at your own pace, and for your own reasons. The sport is a very tangible link between the mind and the body, and all of us can get better at that!
What is the best underwater experience you have had whilst freediving?
This may sound a bit lame to some, but the coolest underwater experience while freediving was with a student (who shall not be named) who took 6 days to learn to equalize head down. I resonated with this guy as it took me the same amount of time when I started line training, so there was no way I was letting his frustration get the better of him. On day 6 he equalized and continued down the line doing free immersion with the biggest smile I have ever seen. As he turned to come back up the line, he looked at me and his eyes were sparkling like a starstruck cartoon character. I have been freediving with Mantas, Whale Sharks, Humpback Whales and countless other incredible animals, but this moment stands out above them all.
Some additional thoughts from Cam:
Freediving vs Scuba Diving:
Apples and Oranges. Don’t make the mistake, like I did, that just because you’re a good scuba diver means you will be a natural freediver. On the other hand, don’t think that just because you have not tried scuba that you won’t be a natural freediver. While both sports indulge people who love to be surrounded by liquid heaven, the skills, techniques and mindsets are vastly different. It is best to approach the sport with curiosity and friendly determination, and understand the gains you will make in freediving will benefit in so many other aspects of your lifestyle.
Best memories or marine life encounters:
Schooling fish, dolphins, curious marbled rays, weird looking pelagic larval forms using the buoy as refuge, crabs that hitch a ride on the back of your wetsuit, confused remoras, Molas in the big blue, sharks on surprising sea mounts and dive bombing sea birds. You never know what you will see in the big blue. Not to mention the countless students who conquered fears and instilled lasting memories.
How do you see the future of freediving in Indonesia and globally?
I think most people would agree that freediving is growing in popularity, and has the potential to spearhead another form of “neuroconservation”. Not only is it a way that people can enjoy the vastness of the ocean, but can do so while progressing through their own mental battles and shedding a bit of their ego. Indonesia is home to beautiful calm water, colorful corals and incredible marine life, so there is no doubt in my mind that people will find these conditions enticing to give freediving a try. Globally, freediving is an amazing way for people to enjoy the benefits of water therapy while taking a break from the chaos that seems to occupy our minds. I don’t see it going away.
Find out more information about the PADI Freediver course and locate a PADI Freediver Center to get started!
