I just completed the Immersion Freediving Intermediate course that ran from May 29th – June 1st and in my opinion there is no better investment I could have made to better myself as a freediver/spearfisherman. No wetsuit, mask, fin, or speargun, whatever the cost, will come close to the skills and knowledge gained from this class. I quickly found out that for all these years I was breathing wrong, kicking wrong, overweighted, and most importantly diving in a very unsafe manner. Ted does a great job of demonstrating how all aspects of freediving are so interrelated that one cannot simply omit a portion of the program and expect to achieve the same result. He covers physiology, psychology, safety/rescue procedures, kick technique, proper breathing, loss of motor control/blackout, how to train/exercise, etc… He stresses that the class is not the end of your freediving education, it is just the beginning. He gives you the tools to be able to practice and train in the pool or on the couch, in the gym or in the ocean, and even how to warm up and kick in your dive reflex before spearfishing to really dive your best all day long.
If you are wondering whether the hype is true, well, the results speak for themselves. I have been freedive spearfishing since 2000 and in that time achieved a max depth of 80′ and static time of 3:00 with no formal training. During the first pool session I had an easy 4:00 static and the next day with more coaching Ted helped me surpass my goal and get an awesome 5:30 static! During the 3 days of ocean diving we practiced warm up routines, rescues, kick cycles, and equalization techniques. On every dive, Ted is right there next to you and can help you get through any ear or nose equalization problems you may have as well as provide constructive criticism to get your technique nailed down for the final dives. On the last day I was able to set a new personal best of 30m/99ft and later improve it to 35.7m/117ft! After reaching that depth I realized that I would never have made it without using all of the knowledge from this course. Most importantly, we are drilled over and over and over again in the pool and ocean the difference between a loss of motor control and black out and how to rescue a diver whether on the surface or on ascent from a dive.
I think what makes the class so effective is the amount of control Ted has so that he can drill as much information in to your brain as possible in 4 days. By keeping the classes at a 5 person maximum you can get all the individual attention you need and it doesn’t feel like your in high school or college lecture again. By going out on Ted’s own boat, he can control what time the class leaves and returns so that it isn’t limited to what a hired dive boat captain decides. My only gripe with the class would be that Ted flaunts his Big Green Egg cooking skills but we never get to try anything! I say you can improve the class by offering a BGE meal option! I have to give Ted a special thanks for jumping in the marina at the end of the last day to find my cell phone after it dropped onto the dock and bounced into the water, though I suspect he just wanted me to cover his tab at the Pirate Bar!
Javiar 2014 June Intermediate Course