Freediving techniques applied to surfing

Lassdive has developed its own training program for survival during surfing: the Surf Survival.

This training, pioneer by its technique and its duration, has been developed by expert trainers who have been based on the techniques for the preparation of freediving competition, to create a program that gives incredible results in the improvement of the preparation for the most critical situations between surfers and kayakers, applying the most efficient techniques in body-mind control in relation to breathing and lack of air.

The Surf Survival program has a duration of two days, during which we get deeper in the areas described below, combining theory and practice.

During the Surf Survival program, students are not only trained to improve their endurance, but also we give them all the knowledge to make them able to continue their training on their own once the course is finished.

Theory

· Physiology: Everything we need to know about our body to understand the mechanisms that will help us to improve our resistance.

· Breathing and relaxation techniques: How to optimize the available air management, how to learn to be the most efficient as possible and how to get the most of a single breath of air between waves.

· Control of the urge to breathe: Familiarize our body (and especially our mind) with the physical and mental effects of the urge to breathe.

· Optimization of recovery breathing: Mastering the specific breathing technique for the first seconds of air availability, where optimization of the resource can make the difference between surviving or fainting.

· Physics of black out: What it is, how it happens and why. How to avoid it.

· Safety and buddy system: What is the basis of safety and the famous buddy system in freediving and its application for training.

· Finning technique: Training methods to gain power and effectiveness through water.

· No fins propulsion technique: Mastering the proper technique to maximize propulsion underwater, minimizing the effort and waste of oxygen and energy.

· Stretching and preparation of the lungs for depth: stretching exercises, elasticity of the rib cage and lungs adaptation to be able to hold the pressure generated by a large and several meters high wave.

Pool Practices

· Propulsion Technique Training: We train the right technique to maximize and optimize underwater propulsion.

· Strength training techniques: We train the best techniques to achieve greater body tolerance to the high levels of CO2 generated by ourselves for long periods without breathing.

· Techniques of familiarization and relaxation in lack of O2: The relaxation techniques in situations of lack of oxygen are indispensable to familiarize the body and the mind to situations with low oxygen levels.

· Resistance training to lack of O2: How to train properly and safely to lengthen the time we can last without breathing.

· Techniques to improve the tolerance to lack of O2: Active training to generate situations of progressive decrease of O2 and increase of CO2 and to improve the body and mind tolerance to these situations.

Sea practices

· Familiarization with depth and pressure: In-depth training to familiarize the body with pressure.

· Vertical propulsion training: Application of propulsion techniques to vertical ascent to surface.

· Relaxation and control of the urge to breathe in-depth: Relaxation training in depth, to control and familiarize us with the reactions of the body and mind in front of the urge to breathe.

· Resistance training in-depth: In-depth exercises to generate high levels of CO2 which generate the mental urgency to breathe, to familiarize the body and mind with situations of lack of air.

The conclusion of this course entails getting the international certification SSI Freediving Basic, which allows freediving training at any freedive center around the world.

Lassdive performs all the freediving courses at our freediving center facilities in Empuriabrava, l'Estartit and La Bisbal d'Empordà, in the heart of Costa Brava, Spain, unless we indicate a different location in our freediving courses calendar, published here.