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Open Water
courses
I've never freedived
before. Is the */** course suitable for me?
Yes! The course is designed to take people with a little to no experience
of any form of diving. The only thing we ask is that you know how to
swim! On our previous courses we have had students who have done scuba
diving, some who have done a little snorkelling and many who have never
ventured any deeper than their local swimming pool.
I smoke/ am
unfit/ am older. Can I still learn to freedive?
Absolutely! We have taught many people over the age of 65 and one person
in his 80s! As well as this, Annabel Briseno
took up freediving in her fifties and became a
multiple world record holder! You do not have to be superfit
to freedive. the most
important thing is to be relaxed. Ironically many smokers are very good
at breathing as they have had lots of practice at drawing smoke deep into
their lungs… Whilst it obviously helps to be fit and a non smoker,
it will not stop you learning to freedive and
enjoying yourself! The only thing that we require is for you to fill out
a self certifying medical form. You will receive this prior to taking the
course and if you answer ‘yes’ to any condition then you will
need to get the form signed by your doctor.
What do I need
to bring?
A swimsuit and towel are virtually all you need! You will also need to
bring completed paperwork that will be sent to you prior to taking the
course and you can bring a camera if you would like the record the
weekend. All freediving equipment is provided
except for wetsuit on our open water courses. Vobster
Quay have Freediving wetsuits that you can hire.
When you book you will be sent an information pack with more details about
your course and what to bring, plus preparation suggestions.
If I pay the
deposit, is my place guaranteed?
Absolutely Yes!
Do I receive
confirmation of my booking or some kind of ticket?
You will receive an email confirmation and also an information pack via
email.
I'm a
vegetarian. Are specialist diets catered for?
All specialist diets are catered for. Just Emma Farrell at emma.farrell@deeperblue.com know of your requirements.
My child is
really keen on learning to Freedive. Can they
come on a course?
At the moment only people of 16 years or older can take an AIDA course.
However we do teach children who are over 12 on our Discover Freediving
Course as long as they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all
times who is also taking the course or is already an AIDA ** freediver.
What happens
throughout the day?
Each day is a mix of theory and water sessions. On the Saturday there is
a theory session followed by a pool session, lunch, theory, open water,
exam revision. On Sunday there are two open water sessions either side of
lunch followed by the exam.
What is the student/ instructor ratio and how many people are on
each course?
In open water, the maximum number of students per instructor is 4.
What
qualifications do the instructors have?
All instructors are AIDA qualified instructors with at least two years
experience under their belt. They are also trained in first aid and cpr and we pride ourselves on the quality and
experience of our teaching staff.
What depth do
most people attain by the end of the course?
We cannot guarantee what depth you will attain, however the average depth
that a first time student attains is between 10 and 20 metres in open
water.
What
certification do I get at the end of the course?
An AIDA * or ** certificate depending on your performance during the
weekend.
What are the
performance requirements and prerequisites?
- AIDA */** Freediver Qualification
- Prerequisites
• Be 16 years of age or older
• Be able to swim at least 200m non stop without fins and at
least 300m non stop with mask fins and snorkel.
- Have completed our self
certifying medical form and liability release.
What happens in
the water? Do I get lowered at speed with weight and then swim back?
No! We do not practice 'No-Limits'; freediving
on our courses. Students learn the disciplines of Free Immersion, which
is where you pull yourself down and back up a line or rope, and Constant
Weight, where you fin down and back.
What safety
procedures do you have in place?
We pride ourselves on our safety considerations and procedure. As well as
safety briefings, we have instructors trained in rescue and
recovery, lanyards and a diver
retrieval system at our open water courses as well as an O2 and first aid
kit. However our primary safety comes from the way that we instruct our
students. Each student learns to dive safely and how to deal with
potential problems and we have never had a black out or a hypoxic fit on
any of our */** courses.
Is there any
practice I can do before the course?
If you book on a course then we send you an information pack which
contains, amongst other things, some advice on breath holding practice
that you can do before the course but this is entirely optional.
I'm travelling
from far away, how do I get there and where should I stay?
When you book you receive an introduction pack. This contains, amongst
other things, an extensive document on travel to our courses and local
accommodation details for all budgets.
Where exactly
is Vobster Quay?
Vobster
Quay, Upper Vobster, Mells,
Somerset, BA3 5SA
Vobster Quay is deep in the heart of the
Mendips in Somerset.
An old quarry situated in picturesque countryside it has a host of
attractions above and below the water. The office block contains the
showers and changing rooms, classroom and shop. There is also a catering
truck selling hot food for hungry divers!
Out on the water there are ducks and The Lily Pad. This is our freediving with six lines down to 34 metres, and is
where our depth training takes place. Other attractions underwater for freedivers on the courses to explore include a plane,
a boat, cars, and old mine workings to name but a few. Find out how to
get to Vobster at http://www.vobster.com
So how warm is
the water at Vobster?!
With the sun out the surface is getting very warm, with our instructors
recording a 22 degree surface temperature at the end of May. Temperature
at depth goes down to about 12 degrees. If you are generally a warm
person then a 5mm suit should be good in these temperatures, for those
who feel the cold then a 5 or 7mm suit will ensure you are toasty warm
all day! Vobster have excellent 6.5mm
Freediving suits to hire
Do I have to do
the * before I do the ** qualification?
No, you can progress straight to the ** qualification
I’m a
really good freediver already. Can I skip
straight to the *** qualification?
Only if you have a Freediving qualification from another training agency.
What will these
qualifications enable me to do?
AIDA is the Worldwide Federation for breath-hold diving, established in
1992 which manages and oversees the recognition of records, organises
competitions, and sets the standards for freedive
education. AIDA qualifications are recognised throughout the world and
mean that you can freedive with other AIDA divers knowing that they have been taught up to the same
standard as you.The qualification also means
that you can enter AIDA freediving competitions
where the requirement is that you have taken and passed an AIDA freediver course.
If you are a **** freediver then you can assist
instructors teaching up to **** star freediver
level. You are allowed to assist the instructor with an extra four
students in confined water and two students in open water.
I have been to
the SETT and received an AIDA Deep Tank or AIDA * qualification.
Having done either of the above the courses at the SETT and received the
qualification WITHIN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, you will have already done all
the theory and exam for the ** course. This means you do not have to
repeat them on the weekend. If it is longer than one year then you must
redo the exam.
I notice that
the open water course is 2.5 days long. What work do I need to do before
I come?
When you book on the course, you will be sent home study materials. You
are required to spend at least four hours familiarising yourself with
these before the weekend and complete a knowledge review and be ready to take an exam on the materials
covered.
What happens if I attend the
course but cannot fulfil the performance requirements?
You can come back another time and be witnessed by an instructor doing
the dives.
When is the
last day I can book on a course?
The latest you can book is three days before the course, however they do
fill up quickly and so we would advise booking as far in advance as
possible.
When do I need
to pay the balance?
At least a month before the course, however in
exceptional circumstances you can pay it the Saturday morning of the
course in cash.
I may not make
the weekend. Can I get my deposit back?
No. Deposits are non-refundable
I can't make
the weekend but can make a different date. Can I swap the dates without
incurring an extra charge?
Of course you can! We require 14 days notice before the start of the
course otherwise you will incur rescheduling or cancellation charges. If
you need to reschedule or cancel then please let the Emma Farrell at emma.farrell@DeeperBlue.com know
immediately.
I've done loads
of freediving already. Can I come and train as
a Qualified Diver?
You can only attend as a Qualified Diver if you have previously attended
a Course with Emma or one of her instructors, a course certifying you as an AIDA ** freediver, or have attended and passed one of the
following courses:
- DeeperBlue.com Course
- Performance FreeDiving (Intermediate Freediver)
- AIDA FreeDiver
(**)
- F.R.E.E (Advanced Freediver)
- PADI FreeDiver
Speciality
- Apnea Academy (Level 2)
I've already
done a course and want to do some more training. How do I book?
We have monthly training days scheduled from May. We alternate days entirely at Vobster with days split between the pool and Vobster. To book please go to the courses page and pay for a date to reserve your place.
Do you provide
further training?
Yes! We have a wide range of course in the UK and abroad up to
Instructor Level.
Why should I do
this course?- what will I get out of it?
Every student has different reasons for doing a course with us but we
like to pride ourselves on offering a completely unique weekend
professionally run. As well as providing lunch and all equipment we give
students a 60 page freediving manual which
covers the course materials and further information for future freediving. And what will you get out of it? Why not
read our feedback comments!
Will I get the
bends?
No. The bends is a condition that occurs when divers stay at depth for
long periods of time, dive extremely deep or do repetitive dives with
very short surface intervals. You will learn more during the course about
the physiology of Freediving.
I'm scared of
water/ depth/ confined spaces- how confident do you have to be to take
the course?
Emma Farrell suffered from a fear of water and depth yet started her freediving and soon overcame her fears! It obviously
helps if you feel at ease already, however our instructors are adept at
calming any fears you might have and making sure that students feel safe
and secure and learn at their own pace.
Who will be my
instructors on the course?
All courses will be led by Emma Farrell unless specified with other instructors from her team working alongside.
Do you do
private tuition?
Yes we do. Please contact Emma Farrell at emma.farrell@DeeperBlue.com to discuss
your needs.
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