2021 has been a wonderful year in the underwater world. We’ve had so many adventures that it’s hard to put it all in one blog post, so here is a little summary of the top moments of 2021 with Freefall Academy. Let’s recap!
Category: Freediving
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2021 Recap with Freefall Academy
BY: Valentina / 0 COMMENTS / CATEGORIES: Baja, Course, Espiritu Santo, Freediving, Sea Lions
Gray Whales
It all started with Gray Whale Season in january-march. We went north of La Paz on day trips to do whale watching. Gray Whales are the friendliest whales in the world. On calm days, you can see dozens of them in the shallow water lagoons of Baja Califonia. Spy hopping, breaching, head slapping, lob tailing and slapping, and pectoral slapping! Some days the friedly whales came right to the boat and allowed us to give them a good old cratch!
MOBULAS
Then, in March-May we had the Mobula Ray season! This is one of my favorite times of year because we are often surprised by unexpected visitors. On 2021 mobula season we also watched or swam with: turtles, sharks, dolphins, yellowtail fish and orcas! The mobulas didn’t disappoint, they showed as all their best acrobatic tricks from topside. And underwater they gracefully danced all around us. Imagine freediving and being surrounded by mobulas everywhere you can look. A truly magical experiece.
SAILED ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN
At the end of May, Freefall Academy team took a different path and sailed across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia! The navigation took 18 days from Cabo to Nuku Hiva Island. It was a crew of three: Tyler, Oli and Valentina. The trip was far from easy, we started off by running from two tropical cyclones, then hit inconsistent winds. However, we had glorious days, breathtaking night watches looking at the universe, pods of dolphins riding the waves and uncountable learning lessons. Just this section deserves a blog post itself. You can read a little more about it here if you’re interested.
HUMPBACK WHALE
June to beginning of september we were in French Polynesia. We had many underwater adventures exploring the crystal clear waters of FP. However my favorite one was an encounter with a humpback whale calf, mom and escort. We were on the boat waiting for them to come up to breath, and suddenly the calf came right under the boat. I was in the water next to the boat, it showed us its belly and flipped its tail out of the water. The calf was looking at me and playing with the air in her jaw, making a lot of noice! Then mom and escort came up to breathe, they all showed me some dance moves and then went back down.
orcas!
September to december it’s my favorite season to teach freediving courses and trainings because of the environmental conditions. The 31 st of October I got an Orca report from the captain, so the 1st of nov we went out on a mission. We were lucky to be the first boat who found them. A split pod of 5 orcas, including one mom and calf. We decided to give some space to mom and baby, and we stayed with a very curious young male that kept coming so close to us! A day I will never forget.
CABO PULMO: SHARKS, JACKS AND HUGE GROUPER!
October to beginning of december is the best time of year to go to Cabo Pulmo. This specific day we had an incredible day freediving with the famous school of jacks, as well as freediving with about 6 bull sharks. We were surrounded by a huge school of yellow snapper, then a bull shark gracefully came very close to us to check us out. But the cherry on top was being eye to eye with a Pacific Goliath Grouper that looked as big as the bull sharks! An overfished species that is rare to see, but is now more common to watch in Cabo Pulmo due to its protection as an MPA. They’re usually shy in scuba, but when freediving they come very close!
MARLINS, DOLPHINS AND MORE
Marlin season this year was outstanding! Not only we saw dozens of baitballs being hunted by marlins, but so much more! Mahi mahi, sea lions and wahoo joining the hunt. Superpod of thousands of common dolphins. Bryde’s whale eating the baitballs. Humpack whales dancing with dolphins. 100+ marlins on the same baitball. One of my favorite days out at sea guiding with Nakawe Project, we found a pod of hundreds of Pacific White Sided Dolphins. We spent hours having intimate interactions with them. As we freedived down, the dolphins would follow us and look at us in the eye. They were so curious! I have to admit I had tears of joy. For marlin expeditions, email us.
But what is the common characteristic of every single adventure? We are surrounded by people that love the ocean, like you! Our passion is to share these kind of adventures with people, and make them fall in love with the Ocean. Join us this 2022 and create unforgettable memories with us.
Thank you from Freefall Academy team! We wish you a wonderful 2022 full of magical underwater adventures.
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Freediving Intermediate-Advanced Course
BY: Valentina / 0 COMMENTS / CATEGORIES: Baja, Course, Freediving, Freefall
AIDA 3 – Freediving Intermediate-Advanced Course
In this post you will find all the information you need about the Freediving Beginner Course.
AIDA3 Guidelines v3.1
Freefall Academy AIDA 3 Freediving Course Approach
The AIDA 3 Freediving Course can technically be completed in three days. However, we believe that squeezing all the necessary information and practice into such a short timeframe can be challenging. That’s why we have chosen to teach our AIDA 3 course over four days. This allows us to cover the same topics and exercises without rushing, giving you ample time to absorb the material. One of the things that sets us apart from other schools is our emphasis on optimal conditions. That’s why we exclusively offer Freediving Courses from May through November, as these months provide the best weather and conditions in La Paz and its surrounding areas. During this time, the wind is typically calm, the water is warmer, and visibility is significantly improved. In addition to prioritizing favorable conditions, we differentiate ourselves by offering two days of boat-based training. While many schools conduct their courses from the shore or mix, we believe that going out on the boat enhances the experience and allows us to find the best diving spots. We strive to create an enriching and enjoyable learning environment, optimizing your freediving experience with us.
Itinerary
Day 1
9am-12pm – We’ll meet at the classroom, fill out paperwork and start the theory lesson. 12:00-12:30 – Breathing session 12:30-2pm – Static Apnea Session
Day 2
9am-12pm – Theory session and equalization workshop 12:30-2:30pm – Dynamic Apnea Session
Day 3
8:30am- Lunch stretching session 9am – Depth Sessions 2pm – Finish
Day 4
8am – Meet and transport to La Ventana 9am – Depth Sessions 2pm – Drive back to La Paz 3pm – Finish The location of the depth sessions may change according to the weather and the logistics. The exact time and schedule may change due to logistics. The exam will be online.
Price
$10,900 pesos per person Includes: theory manuals, pool fees, AIDA certification, boat fees, transportation from La Paz, freediving retal gear. 10% de descuento para mexicanos al presentar INE
Our Recommendations
To maximize your enjoyment and benefit from this course, we strongly recommend that you have a comfortable diving capability of at least 20 meters. This means being able to dive multiple times per session to that depth. The skills covered in the course are practiced within the range of 15-25 meters, with a maximum depth of 30 meters. If diving to 20 meters poses a significant challenge for you, it may hinder your ability to fully apply the new theory and skills learned during the course. In such cases, we advise you to engage in training and practice before pursuing the AIDA 3 course until you feel confident and at ease diving to the 20-meter mark. Once you have achieved this comfort level, you will be well-prepared to embark on the AIDA 3 course and make the most of your experience. We recommend that if you have your own gear to bring it in order to asure that you have a perfect fit. If you don’t have your own gear we will provide it for you. At time of booking please send us your height, weight and show size (eu).
We hope to see you underwater! If you have any doubts please contact us at apneafreefallacademy@gmail.com and we will be happy to assist you.
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AIDA 2 Freediving Beginner Course
BY: Valentina / 6 COMMENTS / CATEGORIES: Baja, Course, Freediving
AIDA 2 Star Course – Freediving Beginner Course
In this post you will find all the information you need about the Freediving Beginner Course.
AIDA2 Guidelines v3.2Freefall Academy AIDA 2 Freediving Course Approach
The AIDA 2 Freediving Course can technically be completed in three days. However, we believe that squeezing all the necessary information and practice into such a short timeframe can be challenging. That’s why we have chosen to teach our AIDA 2 course over four days. This allows us to cover the same topics and exercises without rushing, giving you ample time to absorb the material.
One of the things that sets us apart from other schools is our emphasis on optimal conditions, especially for beginner freedivers. That’s why we exclusively offer Freediving Courses from May through November, as these months provide the best weather and conditions in La Paz and its surrounding areas. During this time, the wind is typically calm, the water is warmer, and visibility is significantly improved.
In addition to prioritizing favorable conditions, we differentiate ourselves by offering two days of boat-based training. While many schools conduct their courses from the shore or mix, we believe that going out on the boat enhances the experience and allows us to find the best diving spots. Furthermore, on the final day of the course, we usually teach in La Ventana, where after our freediving session, we make the most of our time by engaging in fun dives, where you can apply your training without the use of a line.
We strive to create an enriching and enjoyable learning environment, optimizing your freediving experience with us.
Itinerary
Day 1
9am-12pm – We’ll meet at the classroom, fill out paperwork and start the theory lesson.
12:00-12:30 – Breathing session
12:30-2pm – Static Apnea Session
Day 2
9am-12pm – Theory session and equalization workshop
12:30-2:30pm – Dynamic Apnea Session
Day 3
8:30am- Lunch stretching session
9am – Depth Session
2pm – Finish
Day 4
8am – Meet and transport to La Ventana
9am – Depth Session and fun dives
2pm – Drive back to La Paz
3pm – Finish
The location of the depth sessions may change according to the weather and the logistics.
The exact time and schedule may change due to logistics.
The exam will be online.
Price
$8,950 pesos per person
Includes: theory manuals, pool fees, AIDA certification, boat fees, transportation from La Paz, freediving retal gear.
10% de descuento para mexicanos al presentar INE
Our Recommendations
To fully enjoy this course, we recommend that you are confortable in the water. Prior freediving experience is not required, but definitely being able to comfortably swim and/or snorkel. If you don’t have any experience swimming and/or snorkeling we recommend that you take the AIDA 1 Discover Freediving Course.
We recommend that if you have your own gear to bring it in order to asure that you have a perfect fit. If you don’t have your own gear we will provide it for you. At time of booking please send us your height, weight and show size (eu).
We hope to see you underwater! If you have any doubts please contact us at apneafreefallacademy@gmail.com and we will be happy to assist you.
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AIDA 1 Freediving Discovery Course
BY: Valentina / 2 COMMENTS / CATEGORIES: Course, Freediving, Sea Lions, Snorkeling
AIDA 1 – Freediving Discovery Course
In this post you will find all the information you need about the Freediving Beginner Course.
AIDA1 Guidelines v3.1
Freefall Academy AIDA 1 Freediving Course Approach
The AIDA 1 Freediving Course can be completed in one or two days. The option 1 is done in 1 day, where we cover the theory and static apnea. The option 2 is done in 2 days, where we cover theory, static apnea and depth.
One of the things that sets us apart from other schools is our emphasis on optimal conditions, especially for beginner freedivers. That’s why we exclusively offer Freediving Courses from May through November, as these months provide the best weather and conditions in La Paz and its surrounding areas. During this time, the wind is typically calm, the water is warmer, and visibility is significantly improved.
In addition to prioritizing favorable conditions, we differentiate ourselves by offering the depth session boat-based . While many schools conduct their courses from the shore, we believe that going out on the boat enhances the experience and allows us to find the best diving spots.
We strive to create an enriching and enjoyable learning environment, optimizing your freediving experience with us.
Itinerary
Day 1
9am-12pm – We’ll meet at the classroom, fill out paperwork and start the theory lesson.
12:00-12:30 – Breathing session
12:30-2pm – Static Apnea Session
Day 2
8:30am- Lunch stretching session
9am – Depth Session in La Paz
2pm – Finish
The location of the depth sessions may change according to the weather and the logistics.
The exact time and schedule may change due to logistics.
Price
Option 1 – $4,000 pesos per person
Option 2 – $6,000 pesos per person
Includes: theory manuals, pool fees, AIDA certification, boat fees, freediving retal gear.
10% de descuento para mexicanos al presentar INE
Our Recommendations
We recommend that if you have your own gear to bring it in order to asure that you have a perfect fit.
We hope to see you underwater! If you have any doubts please contact us at apneafreefallacademy@gmail.com and we will be happy to assist you.
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Freefall in Freediving
BY: Valentina / 0 COMMENTS / CATEGORIES: CNF, Freediving, Freefall
What is freefall in freediving?
The practice of freefall in freediving occurs when a free diver reaches a point of negative buoyancy and stops finning or swimming downward, allowing the force of gravity alone to draw the diver deeper.
Why do we freefall?
As a free diver descends in water, the volume of air inside of their body (therefore the volume of the body itself) becomes smaller or more compressed thereby changing the buoyancy of their body. This is explained by Boyle’s Law and Archimedes’ principle respectively.
Every free diver possesses a different degree of buoyancy which is variable to their freediving gear (i.e. wetsuit, weight belt, fins, mask, etc.). A safe freediving practice is to have a positive buoyancy of at least 10 meters because most of the blackouts happen between 10m and the surface. This way, if a blackout does occur, the diver will float to the surface, making a rescue more achievable. We will discuss more safety protocols in a different blog post.
The freefall is a technique used by almost every professional free diver. This is because, during the freefall the diver is not required to use physical exertion to gain distance in depth. This allows the diver to conserve oxygen and energy while decreasing the rate of carbon dioxide production. The freefall can be likened to a depth static, where the individual can focus her or his consciousness on relaxation and equalization.
Freefall Technique
That being said, there is a proper technique to the freefall. When mastered freefall can lead a free diver into a dream-like or zen-like state. In general, the ideal body position will be as hydrodynamic as possible. Specifically, the head should be in a neutral position to aide in equalization, neither looking down or up the line. The torso parallel to the line. The arms and hands should be streamlined along the side or front of the body. Without fins the legs should be straight with pointed feet, or slightly bent legs with relaxed feet. With fins, the legs should be slightly bent from the hips or knees so that the blade(s) of the fin(s) run parallel with the line (like in the picture).
A good technique will yield a freefall rate of approximately one meter per second (1m/s).
Personal Preference
While in freefall the free diver has the option to close their eyes, this furthers the relaxation and therefore oxygen conservation. The current CWT (Constant Weight) world record holder Alexey Molchanov while in freefall has said he only opens his eyes slightly every few seconds. He does this to make sure he has good positioning along the line. Other divers, such as Alenka Artnik, the CWT Roatan 2017 AIDA World Champion freefalls with her eyes closed the entire time and feels the line with her hand. There are many slight variations that are a personal preference for each individual free diver.
In conclusion, the freefall is a very useful and peaceful practice to improve relaxed gains in depth while freediving. It is personally our favorite part of freediving, hence the name ‘Freefall Academy’. We hope you have learned something from this post. Please share an experience or thought with us below in the comment section. Or better yet, come freefall with us in one of our courses here in La Paz. Safe freefalls.
Check out this amazing video of Guillaume Néry freefalling at Deans Blue Hole in Bahamas!
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Espiritu Santo Island and Sea Lions
BY: Valentina / 0 COMMENTS / CATEGORIES: Espiritu Santo, Freediving, Sea Lions, Snorkeling
Espiritu Santo Island
A little bit about the habitat of Espiritu Santo Island
Espiritu Santo Island is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It has scenic mountain ranges reaching a maximum altitude of 1200m, extraordinary cliffs made from volcanic stone and pristine white sand beaches. The amazing water colors, ranging from green turquoise, to deep and transparent blue gives a feeling of tranquility to the soul.
It is a perfect place to experience snorkeling, freediving, scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, camping, stand-up paddle boarding and sailing.
Espiritu Santo Island is apart of the Archipelago of Espiritu Santo, which became a National Park in 2007. Espiritu Santo Island is located in the Gulf of California, North of La Paz, Baja California Sur. Furthermore, it became an UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2005 along with 243 other islands, islets and coastal areas in the Gulf of California. These areas contain 39% of the world’s total number of species of marine mammals and a third of the world’s marine cetacean species.
In addition, the island contains many habitats, such as mangroves, sandy bottoms, rocky reefs, estuaries, beautiful isolated beaches and bays. It’s perfect for all kinds of people, from little kids who want to start exploring the underwater world, to experienced divers that would like to see why the Sea of Cortez is called the “aquarium of the world”.
The Flora and Fauna
Espiritu Santo Island has 38 species of plants and animals that are unique (or endemic) in the whole World. The juancito, the babisuri, the black hare and the sandy snake are examples. Furthermore, there are 200 species of plants and more than 70 species of animals (not counting the ones underwater).
As you submerge before the surface you can find at least 15 species of marine mammals, including dolphins, whales and the famous colony of sea lions. In addition, you can find more than 50 species of aquatic birds gracing the waters, airways and cliffs.
Sea Lions of Espiritu Santo Island
The Sea Lions that live in the islets called “Los Islotes” or “La Lobera” are a species scientifically called Zalophus californianus.
As well as other marine mammals, sea lions are very curious. This attitude has to do with exploration and playing. The young ones are especially playful; they might even play with your fins or other “weird” equipment. Think about a cute little puppy, then put it underwater, let it evolve and you will have a beautiful playful sea lion.
These beautiful creatures are on the island all year around. Los Islotes contain about 500 sea lions every year. The reproduction season initiates with the birth of the pups at the end of May. Continuing with the breast-feeding and mating time around June, July and August.
Don’t miss the opportunity to swim or dive with these beautiful animals in Espiritu Santo Island. Check out our tours here.
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