COURSE FAQ
What about freedive equipment?
We will provide equipment for you including wetsuit, weight belt, weights, snorkel, mask and fins. Read this article and see if you’d like to purchase your own wetsuit (NT$2,000-3,000), some people find the concept of renting something that tight fitting that’s been pee’d into a lot off putting.
I recommend delaying buying any equipment till you’ve finished your course and then you’ll have a better idea of 1) if you want your own equipment and 2) what you budget will be based on what you’d want to do. For example, 99% of beginners purchase plastic fins however I’d recommend fiberglass fins which are a bit more expensive but can take you well into advance levels.
After your course we can discuss your buying options and help you purchase.
I can’t hold my breath more than X seconds,
can I still take a course?
That’s exactly the reason to take a freediving course. A freediving course teaches you to coax your innate abilities to freediving, like the Mammalian Dive Reflex. You likely were never taught HOW to hold your breath. But once you have, you’ll have no problem with holding your breath many multiples longer than you’d thought. I’ve seen people who thought they couldn’t hold their breath for more than 20 seconds then go onto hold their breath for 2 minutes just one hour later.
Transport and Accommodations?
You can take care of both of these on your own. But we also offer the following packages:
01
Transport Package
We will arrange all your transport for you from Taipei HSR Station until your scooter in Xiaoliuqiu. You can pick up your HSR ticket at IBON at 7-11. A car service will pick you up from the Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung and drop you off at Donggang Ferry Terminal where you will pick up your ferry tickets to Xiaoliuqiu. At Xiaoliuqiu I will greet you at the exit from the ferry and arrange for you scooter there.
02
Accommodation Package
Accommodations Package – We will accommodations suitable for your budget whether that is luxury, moderate or budget-friendly. We will vet places which we have not had any experience with making sure they are clean and suitable.
03
Combined Package
The above two packages combined.
Where is the freedive pool session held?
They are held at various pools in Taipei or White Card Freediving Center in Xiaoliuqiu.
Is freediving dangerous?
Yes, freediving is still an extreme sport and many people have died from doing it. However, a large majority of those who have died doing it were either untrained/uneducated in it and/or were trained but ignoring safety protocols.
Freediving, when practiced correctly observing protocols, can be very safe for an extreme sport. So YES, it is dangerous, but much of the risk can be mitigated which is the strongest reason to take a freediving course.
Check out my podcast episode on this topic.
Do I need freedive insurance?
Check with your existing health insurance coverage to check if they cover for diving. If not, you can either pay extra to add it onto your insurance or buy separate dive insurance to cover the duration of the course or you can purchase a yearly plan. If you are covered under Taiwan’s NHI I believe they would cover for diving, though please make sure with NHI.
Why teach Molchanovs freedive curriculum over AIDA and PADI?
Although I am certified to teach AIDA and PADI which both are more than adequate programs to learn freediving, I overwhelmingly support teaching Molchanovs as they 1) have top freediving mind and athletes advising them 2) have continued education/training programs, something I believe no other agency offers and 3) building a community of freedivers.
What are requirements to take this freedive course?
You must be able to swim 200m unassisted in any way. This will be tested during the pool session of the course. If you cannot pass this, there will be no refund for the theory and pool portion of the course. You will also need to fill out a medical questionnaire and if you answer yes to any of the conditions, you will need a doctor to sign off on the form certifying you are medically fit to take a freedive course. During the open water portion of the course, we will be in the ocean 300-500 meters from shore and on somedays unable to see the bottom. YOU MUST BE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS KIND OF SITUATION.
I discuss this topic in more detail in Episode 7: Freedive Course Prerequisites of my podcast.
Is the course taught in Chinese?
No, though I am proficient in conversational Chinese, I am not proficient at teaching freediving in Chinese. Thus the course will be 100% in English, though Chinese-language manual can is available.
Payment and Cancellation Policy
A deposit of NT$3,000 is due upon sign up, this is non-refundable under any circumstance. Another payment of NT$5,000 is due at least two weeks before the pool session. This is refundable upon 1 weeks notice. The balance of course fees are to be paid two weeks before the start date of the open water course. This is refundable upon one weeks notice.
What if I don’t pass the freediving certification requirements?
First thing you do is relax. Everyone’s journey into freediving is unique and so is the time it takes to learn certain skills. I didn't pass my first course in my first try. If there is a pool requirement you need to fulfill, you can just come to my next pool training in Taipei or down to Xiaoliuqiu anytime. If there are some depth requirements that you need to pass then you can come down to Xiaoliuqiu to complete them free of charge. Just let me know in advance.
If this is freediving, why do I need to learn in a pool first?
Generally a freedive course is designed with dry (land) lesson, pool lesson and open water (depth). If you had to learn everything when you went out to the open water session, this can be overwhelming.
That’s why the course is broken into three parts. You will learn a base of skills in the dry portion and pool portion and by the time you are in open water you have at least done the skills twice before adding new skills specific to the open water setting.
Let’s take breath holding as an example. During the dry session you will learn to take the fullest breath and also learn relaxation strategies to elongate a breath hold. Then you get to apply this in the water with a static breath-hold. Next you learn to do a breath-hold while finning horizontally in a pool. Finally when you arrive for an open water session you will only need to gain competence in one skill, equalization.
Anything else?
We aim to reduce the friction as much as possible from you taking your first freedive course. If there is ANY way we can assist you, please reach out, we are more than happy to help and to accommodate you. Please think of us as your freedive concierge.
And if you'd like to find out about Xiaoliuqiu more, check out the blog post I wrote Tourist Guide to Xiaoliuqiu
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