Perfect for beginner freedivers, spearfishers, scuba divers, children 12 years and older, the RAID Foundation Freediver course is the perfect introduction to our rewarding sport

This one day course, the RAID Foundation Freediver course from Go Freediving covers all the basic freediving techniques, water safety and breathing skills you need and offers continued development for all.

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Your one day foundation freediving certification course is a fantastic introduction to the world of freediving. Prior to attending the practical elements of the course you will have a short theory course to complete in your own time at home (or  anywhere you like!). You will also have access to our online video tutorial library containing more than 18 recordings made by the Go Freediving team, to help you improve your confidence and technique before the practical elements of the course.

All kit and wetsuits are provided and our courses are held at the beautiful location of Vobster Quay – a purpose built inland dive centre – so we can guarantee no tides, no waves, no currents, and fantastic visibility due to the spring water. It may sometimes rain, but the diving conditions are always perfect and our courses are never cancelled due to bad weather or sea conditions. 

We also have the highest instructor/student ratios on our RAID Freediver courses so, coupled with our very personal approach, you’re free to progress at your own pace. Taught by some of the world’s most experienced instructors and providing unrivalled materials and support, no other course offers such a wealth of experience.

Our instructors make sure you never exceed your own limits or comfort zone – you set a pace that you’re comfortable with.

By the end of the day you could be diving to depths up to 5m in the most relaxed and safe manner possible. 

This course is perfect for anyone who wants to take their first step into freediving, is a spearfisher looking to increase their safety and performance underwater, or someone who enjoys recreational water sports and wants to improve their skills and water safety.

Once you have completed the level 1 Foundation Freediver course you can come back and do level 2 to upgrade your certification to the RAID Openwater Freediver course. The open water Freediver course will enhance your foundation skills and certify you to dive to 20m. On the openwater Freediver course you will get to experience the thrill of diving through a submerged planes and other exciting under water attractions that Vobster has to offer.

If you would like to do both levels in one course over two days you can book the RAID Freediver course

At Go Freediving, we follow the RAID freediving course programme, and offer students a four tiered learning package featuring online theory, exclusive tailor made video content, confined water and open water practical sessions. We aim to equip you with the knowledge and skills to make you a safe and competent freediver in any aquatic environment.

In our mind, it’s not enough just to freedive down to a depth and back. We aim to make you the best all round freediver you can be and the best buddy any freediver could have. The RAID Freediver course teaches you online theory before your course and covers freediving skills, physiology, depth and pressure, safety management and rescue, training for freediving, the Mammalian Dive Reflex, lung squeeze, tides, currents, waves and underwater life, and stretching for freediving. This online theory is expanded upon by the Go Freediving Instructing team with over 18 exclusive videos, giving you the many decades of our combined freediving experience.
When you arrive for your course, you will have a grounding in freediving theory and be ready to put it all into practice.

Freediving Skills taught on the RAID Foundation Freediver Course

  • Correct breathing techniques, both in preparation, and when you surface from a dive
  • Identification and selection of the right freediving equipment for you
  • The Valsalva, Toynbee, Frenzel and BTV equalisation manoeuvres
  • Tips and tricks to make equalisation easier and prevent baratrauma
  • Establishing safe and correct buoyancy
  • Correct duck diving
  • How to fin using freediving fins and maintain streamlining
  • The freediving disciplines of Dynamic Apnea, Constant Weight, and Free Immersion
  • Correct use of a buoy and line
  • Rescue and self rescue skills from depth and at the surface
  • Tired and unconscious diver tows
  • How to deal with potential hazards, from cramp to mask loss
  • Correct buddying, both at the surface and from depth

Your RAID Foundation Freediver course is a certification course and begins when you book your place.

When you book, you will receive everything you need to know about the course, our suggestions for preparing, as well as your theory work and information about accommodation and logistics.

All of your course materials are accessed ONLINE and they’re kept up-to-date by RAID, so that after your course you’ll have lifetime access to the very latest guidance and information.

Home study means you can familiarise yourself with the basics at your own pace and will mean more time for you in the water over the weekend of the course.

We will also provide you with access to our full library of online freediving video tutorials which can be watched at home before or after your course.

You must complete the theory and pass the final exam before the date of your booked course or you will not be allowed in the water.

The venue for your course is the beautiful purpose built dive centre  Vobster Quay. To find out more about the location visit their page, here: https://www.vobster.com/

Why we chose an inland dive centre for our students

Vobster Quay is a premier location for learning to freedive! This purpose built venue is oozing with wildlife and amazing structures to explore making it a wonderful underground playground.

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What you get at Vobster:

  • Safety
  • Convenience
  • Warm temperatures
  • Great visibility
  • Spring-fed clean water
  • Changing rooms and toilets and hot showers right next to the water
  • Marine life (including thousands of fish and the endangered white clawed crayfish)
  • Underwater attractions – Sea King helicopter, aeroplane in three sections, car, caravan, boats, crushing works and more!
  • Opportunities to experiment with more equipment and kit.
  • Hot food and snacks available
  • A shop

What you don’t get at Vobster:

  • Tides and currents
  • Choppy water, waves and swell
  • Seasickness
  • Weather dependent courses
  • Boat traffic
  • Poor visibility
  • Pollution
  • Marine debris

Although we no longer make videos of every course we run, we have a lovely collection of videos from various courses over the years in our YouTube course playlist. Why not take a look at the RAID Openwater Freediver course videos and see what you could be doing when you join us!

We know we’re the best, but we want our happy students to tell you what they think of our courses.

Find out what they think by reading  hundreds of student testimonials HERE!

What’s included

  • Theory material
  • Tuition
  • Life time access to our exclusive freediving tutorial video library
  • All freediving equipment hire including: Freediving long fins, low volume mask, snorkel, freediving weight belt, weight, neoprene socks and gloves, and specialist freediving wetsuit
  • Course certification and certification card (dependent on performance)

Not included

  • Vobster Quay entry fee (details)
  • Personal travel and subsistence costs

If any of our course dates have sold out, they will be marked accordingly, so you can be confident when you book that a space is available.

We  offer the option to book your place by paying in full or via a £100 non-refundable deposit to secure your place at checkout. Just click to purchase on the right hand side of the page. Alternatively, you can pay via BACS using these details:

HSBC

Go Freediving Limited

40-09-19

02587378

Amount: 

Ref:Foundation[date]

We now offer amazing incentives for group bookings, so if you are a group of more than FOUR people, get in touch with us at info@gofreediving.co.uk and find out what our latest deals are.

If you haven’t found the answer to your question, check out our full FAQ section HERE or contact us as info@gofreediving.co.uk

BOOK NOW!

AT A GLANCE

What’s included:

  • Wetsuit
  • All Kit
  • Theory (completed online)
  • Online video library
  • Tuition
  • Certification

What’s not included:

  • Vobster entry fee
  • Snacks & refreshments
  • Transport
  • Accommodation

Venue:

Vobster Quay Inland Dive Centre

Course dates for 2026:

  • 13th  June 2026
  • 27th  June 2026
  • 6th  July 2026 (midweek)
  • 18th  July 2026
  • 1st  August 2026
  • 11th  August 2026 (midweek)
  • 15th  August 2026
  • 29th  August 2026
  • 5th  Sept 2026
  • 9th  Sept 2026 (midweek)
  • 19th  Sept 2026
  • 3rd  October 2026
  • 17th  October 2026

Course times:

Weekends:

Saturday 11.30am – 6.30pm

Midweek:

May vary slightly to above.

Cost:

£199

Please note a medical declaration is required before you can undertake the course. You can download a copy of the medical declaration form here If you have any queries regarding this document or your eligibility to dive, please contact us and we can assist. We have contact with doctors who have specialist diver assessment experience, who may be able to assist if your doctor is unable or unwilling to certify.