In this course you will:

• Develop breathing techniques for when you have minutes to prep for a breath-hold and for when you only have a moment before a wave comes and you’re underwater.

• Feel contractions and learn to feel comfortable with the urge to breath or "air starvation" feeling.

• Learn to understand the psychology of stress and the physiological responses which create it.

• Learn to better, or simply maintain, valuable breath-hold and comfort skills to survive a 20 m/66 ft fall off a big wave or a drop off a waterfall in your kayak.

You’ll partner up for safe and effective training as maintenance during the down-season or to prepare for which extreme adventure just around the corner. Among the topics covered in this course:

• Safety and Problem Management for big surf or hazardous water conditions

• Breath-hold Concepts and Physiology

• Breath-hold Training (Apnea)

• Breath-hold Stress Training (Hazardous water condition simulations)

• Gearless Underwater Propulsion Techniques

• Psychology of Stress

• Breath-hold Training Programs

Is this course for you?

It is if:

• You practice, or are interested in, aquatic activities in hazardous water conditions (big surf, strong currents, rapids, waterfalls, etc.)

• You’re interested in learning the risks, safety, and problem management correlated with breath-holding

• You’d like to learn to hold your breath between 2-5 minutes

• You’d like to learn to hold your breath comfortably with only seconds to prepare

• You’re not sure of extended breath-holding physiology or the physics which affect you when you’re underwater and want to know the details

• You want to become more comfortable at depth

• You want to be more comfortable in a wave or hydraulic hold-down situation

Download and review the PFI medical form. If you say yes to any questions, you must get a doctor's approval to participate in the course. Contact us if you have questions about the medical form.

Format/duration

This course is taught by highly trained PFA Instructors at locations all over the world. It includes:

• Classroom sessions

• Two or three confined-water sessions

• Two or three open-water sessions

The schedule and layout/order of these sessions vary slightly by location. The program typically runs over four days. Click the link on any course to find the exact schedule for that program.

Prerequisites

• You’re comfortable in the ocean

• You’re able to swim 200 m/660 ft with only a swimsuit and goggles

• You can tread water for ten minutes

• Good health and fitness (see Medical Form)

• 12 years of age with parent/guardian permission

Required equipment

Students must supply:

• Mask, snorkel, fins

• Full wetsuit (3 mm for warm water locations; 5-7 mm for cold water locations)

• Rubber weight belt and a small number of weights

Cost

PFA Breath-Hold Survival course prices vary by location, but start at $745. The tuition covers:

• Personalized instruction from highly trained freediving specialists, including national and world record holders, or their trainers

• A student-to-instructor ratio of no more than six:one

• Student manual or eLearning

• Classroom sessions with detailed knowledge development taught by freediving experts

• Confined water sessions

• Open water sessions

• Hands-on experience with specialty freediving equipment

• PFA t-shirt

• Certification card

If the course location requires use of a dive boat, an additional boat fee may apply. This fee, if applicable, will be listed on specific course location pages.

Registration and payment details

To secure your spot in a course, we need to receive your registration and either a 50 percent deposit or full payment. Any outstanding course balance is due by the start of the course.

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