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"A
unique blend of freedivers and scubies!"
On
of the UK's top Freediving Schools has teamed up with Extreme
Sports Cafe and are a group of freedivers with their own scuba
safety team united by a love for plunging into the depths of
The National Diving Centre; a deep, green and unashamedly beautiful
flooded quarry near Chepstow. Situated just over the old Severn
Bridge, about half an hour from Bristol, the quarry opened as
a dive facility in 2003 and is the first of its kind to welcome
freedivers.
Not
only do we not have to worry about being blown out, boats being
late, tides, jet skis or getting sand in our suits.... we also
have relatively clear water, about 10m of viz at times, a fixed
line to 75m just for us to use (well they told us it went that
deep, we've got about half way so far), safety on hand and a
place to get dry and eat afterwards.
For
those new to the sport, or interested in learning more - we
also offer freedive training through PADI and AIDA (the International
Association for the Development of Apnea). We have courses suitable
for complete beginners, those of you who have toyed with freediving
but don't really know much about it and even those of you who
would like to become a freedive instructor. Please click on
the links below for further details.
Freediving
Taster Sessions in the Pool
If you are completely new to this and not sure about committing
to a full course, why not come along to a Taster Session. These
run on Tuesday evenings at a pool in Bristol from 6pm-8.30pm.
You will be introduced to the basics of breath hold diving including
Static Apnea, Dynamic Apnea (swimming distance underwater) and
safety procedures for the pool. You will have a chance to find
out just how long you can hold your breath under perfect circumstances
and how far you can swim on one breath, with or without fins.
The cost of this session is £40 and if you go on to complete
the AIDA ** Course or PADI Freediver Course, we will knock this
off the course price. Just let us know which Tuesday suits you.
AIDA
** Freediver and Freediver Distinctive Specialty (PADI)
If you are already comfortable in the water, for example if
you are already a keen scuba diver or snorkeller - this might
be the place to start.
This course breaks down into three sections - Knowledge Development,
Confined Water (swimming pool) sessions and Open Water training.
The Knowledge Development sessions introduce
you to the terminology, physics, physiology and equipment of
freediving. You will learn about all the different disciplines
of the sport and the current records in each. We go on to cover
some of the risks of freediving and the best ways to manage
them.
In the pool, we will introduce you to Static
Apnea - a breath hold lying still on the surface of the pool.
We will run through suggestions for how to prepare for an attempt
using stretching and mental preparation and then help you build
up to and perform a maximum hold. You will also get to practise
being a good buddy to someone training for Static and learn
what to do should they have a problem.
Your pool training will also include the basics of Dynamic Apnea
- swimming a distance on one breath horizontally underwater.
You will learn how best to prepare for and perform a Dynamic
Apnea swim, how to buddy someone who is performing a Dynamic
attempt and how to assist them should you need to.
By now you are well prepared for the third and final part of
your course. Moving on to open water, we will introduce you
to one of our favourite dive sites. Normally this will be the
National Diving Centre in Chepstow - but other options include
dive sites off Plymouth, the Cornish Coast, the south of France
and the Red Sea.
Finally - you will get the chance to try your
hand (and nose, ears, legs and torso!) at a depth attempt. For
this course, the line will be set at your target depth. We will
help you train first in Free Immersion diving (pulling down
the line). Once you have mastered the breathing techniques you
need, can equalise the pressure in your ears comfortably as
you descend and show the correct ascent and recovery procedures,
you will then have the chance to try some
Constant Weight dives. Swimming down and back up a line powered
by your fins alone and accompanied by your instructor or safety
freediver - you will be amazed at your own ability and comfort
in the water after a relatively short time.
DATES
FOR THE AIDA ** FREEDIVER/FREEDIVER DISTINCTIVE SPECIALTY
Pool sessions - these run every Tuesday in
central Bristol from 6pm-8.30pm. The pool is very near Temple
Meads station if you are coming by train, and has easy parking
if you drive. Sessions run every Tuesday but please email for
availability. If you are based in London or near Plymouth, you
may be able to complete your pool training with one of our instructors
there, please contact us for details.
DATES -
POOL
- Bristol any Tuesday evening by arrangement.
OPEN WATER - National Diving Centre, Chepstow.
Dates available from April 2006, the course runs over a full
weekend. Please contact us for details.
COSTS - £150
This includes your course
materials, pool entry fee, National Diving Centre entry fee,
hire of mask, fins, snorkel and weightbelt and certification
with PADI (AIDA certification £20 extra). Everything you
will need EXCEPT for a wetsuit. We can advise you on where to
hire one though.
AIDA *** Freediver and Advanced Freediver Distinctive Specialty
(PADI)
 Once
you have completed the ** Freediver level, this course will
take you that much further.
To add to the material you covered in your first course, you
will learn more about the history of freediving, more advanced
physics and physiology of freediving, freediver rescue systems,
equalisation and how to plan an open water
freedive.
In the water, we will help you increase your performance in
Static Apnea, Dynamic Apnea and Constant Weight diving in a
safe and enjoyable environment. You will work towards perfecting
your Constant Weight dive technique and hone your rescue skills.
The idea is that by the end of this course, you and a similarly
qualified buddy should have sufficient knowledge, skill and
experience to independently plan and carry out open water freedives.
The open water freedives that you make on this course will take
you down to a maximum depth of 25m backed up by a scuba support
team.
DATES
FOR THE AIDA *** FREEDIVER/ADVANCED FREEDIVER DISTINCTIVE SPECIALTY
Pool sessions - you will only need to attend
one pool session for this course. These take place on Tuesdays
in Bristol (2 hours, 6.30-8.30pm. Please email with the dates
that suit you
DATES -
POOL - Bristol any Tuesday evening by arrangement.
OPEN WATER - National Diving Centre, the course
runs over a full weekend from April 2005, please contact
Extreme Sports Cafe for details.
COSTS - £200
This includes your course
materials, pool entry fee and National Diving Centre entry fee
and certification with PADI (AIDA certification £20 extra).
You will need to supply your own personal freedive equipment.
AIDA
* Freedive Trainer Course
This course runs once we have four candidates who wish to take
part. It involved two weekends of training, one in Chepstow
and one in Portland, Dorset. You will need to have completed
both the AIDA ** and AIDA *** courses together (or an equivalent)
and should have completed a recognised course in CPR within
the last two years (such as the Emergency First Response course
offered by Extreme Sports Cafe). The next course will be around
Easter 2005. Please contact Extreme Sports
Cafe for further details.
 First
Aid and Oxygen Provider Courses
Extreme Sports Cafe also offer Emergency First Response Primary
Care, Secondary Care and Care for Children Courses, and Oxygen
and Advanced Oxygen Provider courses through DAN (Divers Alert
Network) and PADI. Please contact us
for further details.
Thanks for reading this far - If you would like to book on to
a course, need any further information or have any questions
- please contact us. We will be in
touch as soon as we can to get you on the right track down that
line.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT FREEDIVING
SHOULD NEVER BE ATTEMPTED ALONE - EVEN IN WATER AS SHALLOW AS
YOUR BATH. ALWAYS TRAIN WITH AN EXPERIENCED BUDDY AND KEEP WITHIN
THE LIMITS OF YOUR TRAINING.
Please
contact Extreme Sports Cafe for details.
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