Pool Freediving is an extremely safe sport – but only if you follow the rules! In fact, in considering regulated training or competition, there has never been a fatality in pool freediving in the entire history of the sport! The same cannot be said of more mainstream sports such as cycling, equestrian, or even cricket, however freediving is often portrayed as a high risk, extreme sport in the media. Sadly, because of freediving’s dangerous reputation, it has been banned at many pools throughout Australia and enormous efforts are continuing to be made by freediving clubs to demonstrate the safety of our sport and gain access to more pools. We care passionately about safety, not only because we care about the reputation of the sport and need pool access to train, but also because failure to follow the rules can cost lives. All members are expected to be familiar with the following safety protocols and follow them at all times.

Where and when to train?
As a freediver it may be tempting to go to a public pool in your own time for a bit of practice. Even if you feel confident that what you are doing is “safe” we ask you to limit any underwater breath hold practice to club sessions or freediving courses only. Many pool lifeguards will react strongly if they see freediving done without permission and may, as a result, formally ban the sport from their pool even if nothing went wrong. Your actions could undo years of difficult negations that have been undertaken by freediving clubs to gain access to public pools across the country. It is important for the reputation of our sport that when the public see us train, it is done in an official, co-ordinated club context. If you are keen to do additional training outside of club sessions, there are lots of surface drills you can do to improve your stroke and dry statics to improve your breath hold. Just ask us how!

The key to successful freediving is relaxation. It is impossible to relax if you don’t trust your buddies. Whenever someone dives with you, be respectful of the trust they have placed in you and know that you are responsible for their safety and vice versa. Communicating clearly about your dives, adjusting your training to accommodate the needs of others, checking in with your buddies with encouraging words, and asking questions if you’re unsure, all help develop a happy, safe, relaxed training atmosphere. Feel free to ask the advice of more senior divers regarding your any aspects of your training.

Formal standards and inclusion
As we are an affiliated club of the Australian Freediving Association, this also means our members must uphold the behavioural standards set by national body. Their Code of Conduct is available on the AFA website, and we are in the process of training local officers to provide help and advice for our club members if needed. A very unique aspect of freediving is that divers must be able to rely on and trust their buddies, even if they might be their direct competition! Because of this, even in the competitive sport, there is a strongly supportive and welcoming culture, which we foster from the grassroots level.

As a club, we enjoy to welcome new members and help them develop their confidence and skills as freedivers. We love seeing the sport grow and our divers succeed. Our members volunteer their time to coach, teach, supervise, sit on committees, and organise events – always remember that we are volunteers! It is our hope that as you become a more experienced diver, you will show the same interest in mentoring newcomers, volunteering for the club, and developing this beautiful sport. By structuring our club in this way, it means we build up a network of highly skilled divers. These divers can be confident not just in their own abilities but in their capacity to look after and mentor others. Ultimately this means we have a growing community of safe, educated freedivers who can look after each other whether in the pool or the coean.

Keeping skills strong
To keep our skills fresh, the club safety officer will regularly ask divers to practice rescue drills as part of their training. This only takes about 10 min and can be a fun activity at the end of a training session. Rescue drills help us maintain our skills should we need to rescue a buddy and they also build confidence and trust.

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