My 3 days were packed with fun, value, and practical knowledge!
About 6 months ago I took an intro to freediving course with another excellent outfit, but I knew that I'd want to go to someone who literally lives and breathes this stuff for my next workshop opportunity. After a little searching, Ben of Freedive Hawaii definitely stuck out as someone I wanted to learn from, and after taking his 3 day class, I think I was right.
I received more value than I expected I would, in areas that were unexpected as well. Each morning we did a combination of mental tips, breathing skills, yoga stretches to help relaxation and bigger breath holds. I joked that we could have been done for the day after the yoga because I felt so great afterward. One of those unexpected perks that you'll just have to experience in person was Ben's cueing of breathing into a stretch. Using his techniques, I found a way to dramatically improve the movement in my neck, an area that has been tight for years!
I liked that he gave checklists of techniques to help us remember them better. By the time I got in the water I felt like they were second nature.
In the water, Ben and Hans did a fantastic job of demonstrating and explaining the different elements that we were about to practice. I felt safe, and I could that my peers in class did as well.
The icing on the cake was something that Ben didn't necessarily have control over, but you can experience if you dive with him was... the whales singing to me. There was something magical about being 10, 15, 20 meters down, remembering to relax, and then hearing the whale songs with stunning clarity.
I will remember these 3 days with gratitude, and I will take what I learned to continue working on my skills and breath hold capacity. Thanks! read more
