RAID Freediver – Course information
Welcome to your RAID Freediver course!
Welcome to your RAID Freediver Course! This course has been specifically designed to ensure as much of the admin and theory is completed prior to attending the practical (open water) elements of the course. This means you can learn and absorb the theory behind freediving at at time and pace comfortable for you. It also allows you more time in the water when you arrive with us – which is always a benefit!
It is vital you view every section as they have each been created to ensure we have everything we need from you (such as kit sizes, medical forms, liability waiver etc) and you have everything you need from us (learning materials, registration information, directions and more).
Sections marked with a RED STAR contain documents or forms that require action from you. You will not be able to undertake the course if these are not completed and submitted before the course date. It is your responsibility to ensure you complete everything needed in advance.
We are a small team, so every effort is made to ensure everything you need can be found on this page, making the entire process leading up to your course is as straightforward and effortless as possible. However, if you have any difficulties whatsoever, you are welcome to get in touch.
Make us a Safe Sender to ensure you do not miss out on any important information from us
To ensure our emails are not blocked or directed to your spam folder, please add emma@gofreediving.co.uk and info@gofreediving.co.uk to your ‘safe sender’ and contacts list on your email account.
If you have gmail, here’s how to do that:
- On your computer, go to Google Contacts.
- At the top left, click Create contact.
- Click Create contact or Create multiple contacts.
- Enter the contact’s information.
- Click Save
If you have any social media pages, why not give us a follow at the same time (we’ll follow you right back) and become part of our friendly online freediving community – another great way to keep up to date with any information we need (or love) to share!
We look forward to seeing you in the water very soon!
You are required to register with RAID as soon as possible
Registering on RAID is an important first step towards your certification.
The details you provide to RAID are held with RAID. This means there will be some duplication in relation to questions asked during the onboarding for your course as we need to maintain our own student records too.
Below, you will find:
- 1. Instructions for new registrations
- 2. Instructions for existing RAID students
- 3. How to access your course materials
- 4. RAID Freediver Manuals
1. Instructions for new registrations:
- Click on this link: https://diveraid.mobi/Home/RegisterUser?affiliate=o7oJG2IO60ctwfmCctWShQ%3D%3D
- Within around 48 hours, we will receive our notification from RAID that your registration has been fully processed and we will allocate your RAID course information and materials. Important! We do not allocate course information and materials for any courses that are more than one month away. This is to ensure the materials you receive are the most current, up-to-date versions and that your course does not expire before you take it (courses, once activated, have a registration life of six months). If your course is less than one month away and you have not received your course information and materials within a few days of registering with RAID, please contact us at info@gofreediving.co.uk to let us know.
- Please ensure you complete all of the required course study online and complete the knowledge check at the end.
- Please upload a passport style photo of yourself.
If you have previously undertaken a RAID Freediving course, you will not need to register again on RAID. You can continue to use your existing account. If however, you have ONLY undertaken a RAID Scuba course, you will need to register as a new student, following the instructions above.
2. Instructions for existing RAID students:
- Please notify us at info@gofreediving.co.uk as soon as possible if you are an existing RAID student so that we can check that you have an active account, If you are a registered RAID scuba diver, you will need to register again to ensure you have a RAID Freediver account.
- Within around 48 hours, we will receive our notification from RAID that your registration has been fully processed and we will allocate your RAID course information and materials. Important! We do not allocate course information and materials for any courses that are more than one month away. This is to ensure the materials you receive are the most current, up-to-date versions and that your course does not expire before you take it (courses, once activated, have a registration life of 6 months). If your course is less than one month away and you have not received your course information and materials within a few days of registering with RAID, please contact us at info@gofreediving.co.uk to let us know.
- Please ensure you complete all of the required course study online and complete the knowledge check at the end.
- If you wish to update your personal details or photo, please visit your profile settings and update them as soon as possible.
3. Accessing Your RAID Course materials
All course materials and the majority of the theory work for your RAID course is online. The online theory and knowledge check MUST be completed before you undertake the practical elements of your course.
If you arrive for your course without having completed the online theory work and passed the final knowledge check, for safety reasons you will not be allowed into the water.
Please note that on the morning of your course you will be required to complete a mini quiz to ensure that your knowledge is up to date.
Once your course materials have been allocated to you, please follow these steps:
- Select your course from the My Courses section on your RAID dashboard
- Select Go To Course to begin working through the theory. The theory and practical sections will be shown, along with sub-sections that include a Quick Quiz that must be completed in order to progress to the final knowledge check (please note, this may vary depending on the type of course you are undertaking)
- You can also access your course manual here for viewing, download or printing. The Quick Quizzes should be completed with the manual, so there’s no need to remember everything!
- After reading the manual and completing the Quick Quizzes you can access the final knowledge check. Remember: You MUST pass your knowledge check BEFORE your course – you won’t be allowed to enter the water without completing it.
4. RAID Manuals
If you have difficulty accessing the manuals from a mobile device they can be downloaded here. However, we cannot guarantee that these versions will be up to date, so suggest they are only used for reference until you are able to access your course materials.
1. RAID Freediver – Diving In General.
2. RAID Freediver – Enviroment.
3. RAID Freediver – Equipment.
4. RAID Freediver – Physiology.
5. RAID Freediver – Rescue.
6. RAID Freediver – Confined Water Training.
7. RAID Freediver – Open Water Training.7.
Forms and kit booking to be completed and submitted as soon as possible
Instructions:
- Please download each of the four forms listed below
- Complete the forms
- Upload all forms and your *kit hire requirements at least one week before your course, using this link: https://forms.gle/yzCnncoWXUYuQGas9
FOUR forms to download:
- We are notified when you have made your submission and your course records are automatically updated. You are not required to notify us when you have done so. If we are unable to find a record of your details being submitted prior to your course we will contact you
- If you have any issues using the submission document to upload your forms, please submit them via email to info@gofreediving.co.uk with the subject header – Forms for RAID Freediver Course [date of course] for [name of student]
- IMPORTANT MEDICAL INFORMATION! If you answer ‘yes’ to any of the Medical Statement questions, you’ll need to get clearance from your GP before taking the course (PLEASE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HOW LONG THIS MAY TAKE).
- Make sure your GP is clear that you’re freediving and not scuba diving as there can be a difference – we’re happy to talk to your GP if necessary. Also, as these medical certificates are only valid for 6 months unless otherwise specified, we would recommend asking your GP to add a ‘valid until XXX’ reference (usually a year or two) to allow you longer medical approval and extending the period of your certificate at no extra cost
- Please also note; if you say ‘yes’ to the question ‘Are you over 45?’, this is only a preliminary question, you would need to be over 45 AND have one of the additional conditions listed further down the page before being required to have a doctor sign you as fit to dive
- If you do need a doctor to sign you as fit, and yours is not available or willing to do so, you can contact specialist Dive Doctors via this register as they are often willing to certify when local GPs are not: http://www.ukdmc.org/medical-referees/
- KIT INFORMATION: At Go Freediving our hire kit is treated with the care and attention it deserves. Each item is cleaned and stored in optimum condition so you can be assured the kit you are given for your course is safe, functional and clean! Even our wetsuits get superstar treatment! On the first day of your course you will be given the hire kit you have pre-ordered and it will be yours for the duration
Here is your course venue information
IMPORTANT: This page contains a lot of important information so please ensure you read everything.
Contents:
- Vobster Quay Registration
- Course times
- Map and Address
- Parking (please read the important information regarding parking. Some students forget this)
- Vobster Fee
1.Vobster Quay Registration
Vobster Quay requires each student to register online and in advance, for the dates they are attending their course to ensure they manage site capacity appropriately.
Go Freediving currently has premier dive school status so can make these bookings up to two months in advance.
We will email your unique BOOKING LINKS as soon as they are available. You will receive a different link for each day. This is why it is vital to make us a safe sender
How to register if you are not a member of Vobster Quay (this will be most people taking a course):
1) Go to your unique BOOKING LINK
2) Under NEW VISITOR click REGISTER
3) Follow all the instructions to create an account and accept their terms and conditions
You will only need to register once when booking day 1, for day 2 you can choose a registered member when you open the link. Please make sure you log out between each link.
How to register if you are a member of Vobster Quay:
1) Go to your unique BOOKING LINK
2) Under REGISTERED VISITOR insert the email address associated with your Vobster membership
2. Course Times
Weekend course times:
Saturday: 2 pm – 8 pm (you need to arrive by 1 pm)
Non-weekend course:
9 am – 3 pm (Please arrive by 8:30 am)
3. Map and address:
Vobster Quay, Upper Vobster, Radstock BA3 5SD
4. Parking:
Arrive and Start Queuing Early! We cannot emphasise this enough
The queue to get into Vobster is notoriously long. Students have even mistaken it for a car park!
When you arrive for one pm, you will join the back of the queue of cars waiting on the left hand side of the road to enter the site. You will spend the hour between one and two pm having your kit fitted, taking your quick quiz, meeting your instructors, and having a brief for the day.
5. Vobster Fee
Vobster charge a £25 per day entry fee for non-members. This fee is not included in your course price. If you wish to pay for this in advance to save time on the day you can do so by clicking on the image below (remember you will need to pay for two days):
Accommodation
There are plenty of places to stay the night, whether you prefer cheap and cheerful camping or hostelry, or something a little more luxurious.
Nearby accommodation includes:
- The Fromeway http://www.fromeway.co.uk/
- Jericho B&B, Mells stayatjericho.co.uk
- Edmund’s Stables, Upper Vobster www.stedmundstables.co.uk
- Holwell Farm, Mells holwellfarm.co.uk
- Vobster Inn, Lower Vobster vobsterinn.co.uk
- The Bell Inn, Buckland Dinham bellatbuckland.com
- The Old Bath Arms, Frome theoldbatharms.co.uk
- The George Hotel, Frome georgehotelfrome.co.uk
Another local, low-cost option is the hostel at Larkshall, which is owned and run by the Cerberus Spelæological Society (us neither, but it means the study of caves). You can find out more at:
Here is a list of what you need to bring
When you booked your course, the price includes all kit needed for your course. This includes:
- Wetsuit
- Mask
- Snorkel
- Fins
- Socks
- Weightbelt
- Weights
You are required to bring the following:
- Swimming costume
- Hair conditioner or shower gel (even the men) It’s a useful lubricant to help you slip in and out of your freediving wetsuit. We will provide conditioner but you may prefer to use your own.
- Towel The purpose of which should be obvious, but please don’t bring the one from your accommodation.
- A razor (men only) Many men have found that stubble on their upper lip prevents a watertight seal forming between their mask and skin, enabling water to leak into their mask. Being clean shaven can massively help to prevent leakage.
- A water bottle – You can get surprisingly thirsty when you’re in the water all day, so make sure you have something to help you stay hydrated.
- Warm clothes and hat – It’s important you stay warm between sessions in the water so warm clothes and a hat are essential.
- Sunscreen in case of sunny weather (for our Vobster based courses) – You can quickly get sunburnt without noticing when you’re in and out of the water, especially as your face is exposed in a wetsuit.
- Underwater camera – This is optional but there will be chances for you to take pictures and videos on your dives as you become more comfortable in the water.
- Vaseline – If you have a beard, you will need a good seal for your mask. Vaseline or equivalent is essential!
- Food/snacks (or money for same). For students attending Vobster, there is a catering facility on site that sells a variety of food and drinks, but you can also bring your own food on site if you prefer. For students attending Downside, there are no catering facilities on site. We recommend bringing a packed lunch.
- Entry fee for Vobster (unless you have already paid via us)
Tutorial Library
Your Tutorial library is a collection of videos created by our instructors to enhance your preparedness and make your course even more enjoyable. These videos are not compulsory, though we do recommend watching them, particularly video 3.
Breath hold practice
One of the core skills you’ll learn on your course is how to safely hold your breath. You can get a head start on this at home, with the following practice techniques. These will get your body and mind used to the physiological and psychological effects involved in holding your breath, making you better prepared for your course.
Please note: Under no circumstances should you practice breath holding in water without professional safety instruction from a qualified instructor and the presence of a buddy experienced in freediving safety, rescue, CPR and first aid. Please inform anyone you live with that you are practicing breath holding as it can be a shock for someone to find you not breathing!
- Get a watch with a second hand or timer and find a quiet room in your home.
- Lie down on the bed/sofa/floor and make sure that you’re comfortable.
- Close your eyes and place one hand (it doesn’t matter which) on your abdomen, just below your belly button. Place your other hand on your chest, just below your collarbone.
- Breathe in and out gently through your nose so that the hand placed on your abdomen moves up and down. Breathe in for a slow count of two and out for a slow count of three.
- Use your watch to time yourself for one minute and get used to the sensation of your abdomen rising and falling.
- Now start pausing for a second at the end of every exhalation. Take another minute to get used to this.
- When you’re ready for your first breath hold, exhale every last bit of air from your lungs before breathing in gently and as deeply as possible, filling your lungs again.
- Hold that breath for no less than 30 seconds but no more than 1 minute.
- Try to relax and concentrate on how your body responds.
- At the end of the hold, breathe out and then take three quick, deep recovery breaths through your mouth.
- Rest for 2 minutes and breathe gently through your nose again.
- When you’re ready for your second breath hold, exhale every last bit of air from your lungs before breathing in gently and as deeply as possible, filling your lungs again.
- Hold that breath for 15 to 30 seconds longer than you did the first, noticing the changing response from your body.
- At the end of the hold, breathe out and then take three quick, deep recovery breaths through your mouth.
- Rest for 2 minutes and breathe gently through your nose again.
- When you’re ready for your third breath hold, exhale every last bit of air from your lungs before breathing in gently and as deeply as possible, filling your lungs again.
- Hold that breath for 15 to 30 seconds longer than you did the second, noticing the changing response from your body.
- Breathe out and recover as before. Breathe normally for 1 minute before ending the practice and standing up.
If you found the second and third breath holds difficult, try reducing their duration. If they were easy, try extending them by another 15 seconds the next time you practice. You can keep increasing the time you hold your breath until it becomes too difficult. At that point, stick with a duration that you’re comfortable with.
You should be pleasantly surprised by how long you can hold your breath for – most people find they can hold their breath for far longer than they had initially thought. The key is to stay relaxed, listen to your body and to not strain or force your breathing or holding.
Keeping calm while you hold your breath for very long can be challenging but there are several ways to distract your mind from the fact that you’re not breathing. Try them out to see which one works best for you, or feel free to experiment with your own techniques. Some that other people have found useful include:
- Counting slowly (down and up)
- Slowly repeating the alphabet
- Visualising all the details of a place in which you feel comfortable, such as your bedroom
- Visualising a walk through your house or place you know well, noticing what’s in each room as you pass through
- Imagine a white light flooding through your body from your head down to your toes
- Imagine roots growing from the soles of your feet down into the ground
If you’ve never heard of breathing optimisation, this is a unique programme Emma developed over the last 15 years to improve the lung function and performance of Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The techniques you learn and practice during the classes are suitable for all levels and improve apnea ability, CO2 tolerance, lung function and confidence. They are the perfect preparation for your course and can be carried across to all other sports and daily life.
Here are three FREE videos Emma has prepared for you to try.
The first class is a gentle breathing optimisation class and is a great introduction into breathing optimisation:
The next two Breathing Optimisation classes are 15 minutes long and are perfect for after you get up in the morning and before you go to bed
Equalisation techniques and exercises
The further you dive underwater, the greater the pressure becomes on the airspaces in your body. You’ve no doubt noticed this when swimming underwater in a swimming pool, where the airspaces in your ears are squeezed.
This pressure on your ears needs to be equalised in order for you to dive comfortably and avoid injury. After holding your breath, learning how to equalise is the second most important freediving skill you can acquire. As a result, difficulty equalising is the biggest factor preventing most freedivers from increasing the depths they can reach.
Fortunately, equalisation is something you can practice out of the water, enabling you to get a grasp of what’s involved before your course. We’ve detailed two equalisation techniques below. Some of the guidance might sound difficult, but don’t worry if you struggle – we’ll give you one-on-one instruction on the course before you get in the water.
Here are three articles that may also help:
https://gofreediving.co.uk/equalisation-tips
https://gofreediving.co.uk/definitive-guide-frenzel-technique
https://gofreediving.co.uk/the-beginners-guide-to-freediving
The Valsalva manoeuvre
This is the method of equalisation that most scuba divers use: You pinch your nose tightly closed and try to blow out through your nostrils. The increased pressure in your chest causes air to move via the eustachian tubes to the middle ear. If you try this, you should be able to feel increased pressure in your ears and maybe a popping sensation as your eardrums expand outwards. Don’t practice this out of the water for too long or too forcefully as it is possible to injure yourself. If you can feel your ears equalise the first time you try this, move onto the Frenzel technique.
The Frenzel technique
This method of equalisation is the one preferred by freedivers and the one we teach on Go Freediving courses. You are still moving air into your Eustachian tubes with a pinched nose but the pressure increase is generated in your mouth, rather than in your chest, by using your tongue to ‘pump’ or squash air up against the roof of the mouth.
- Pinch your nose.
- Close your throat.
- Put the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth.
- Try making a ‘kuh’ sound.
- The back of your tongue should move towards the roof of your mouth and your Adams apple should rise (try practicing in a mirror).
If you try this while only lightly pinching your nose you should notice a small amount of air escaping through your nostrils.
Other equalisation techniques
Swallowing, thrusting the jaw forward and tilting the head forward can also aid equalisation and are mostly used by people on airplanes as they descend. When freediving they should however, for the majority of people, be an adjunct to the techniques above, not the primary mode of equalisation.
Exercise and stretching
One of the most compelling aspects of freediving is that almost anyone can enjoy it – you don’t need to be at the peak of physical fitness in order to do it. Moderate exercise, however, and an above-average level of fitness will help you make the most of your time on the course.
Stretching
The more your body is open, supple and relaxed, the easier you’ll find it to move through the water, equalise and avoid cramp. We’ll cover some stretching and warm-up exercises on the course but you want to start improving your flexibility now. Emma has recorded a series of videos on YouTube that will take you through a stretching routine designed to help with freediving. You can see them online at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLInrIo55wXw4gyVJgQacwk2aKyAp934w-
These stretches are only a guide; there are many more you can do, but the most important thing is to listen to your body and not strain yourself.
Also, don’t forget to watch our stretching tutorial in our video tutorial library!
Diet
Believe it or not, the food and drink you consume in the days leading up to the course can have a big effect on your ability to freedive. As you continue your freediving journey you’ll soon learn which particular foods and drinks have the biggest impact on you. Some people find that they can eat and drink whatever they want while others will abstain from certain items in the days before they dive.
Some of the most common foods and drinks are listed below. If any are problematic (we know several people who can’t function adequately without at least a couple of cups of coffee in the morning), don’t worry – it’s more important on the course that you’re relaxed and able to enjoy yourself
At least five days before taking the course, try to avoid the following foods and drinks:
- Dairy products (milk and cheese in particular)
- Wheat and gluten containing foods (pasta, bread, pastry and so on)
- Sugar and any food containing sugar (whole fruit is fine)
- Caffeine (if you decide to give up caffeine, ensure that you do this at least a week before or you’ll feel terrible during the course)
- Alcohol
These foods and drinks can contribute to mucus formation in your sinuses and aggravate the membranes in your nose and throat, negatively affecting your ability to equalise underwater. They can also cause inflammation in the body. Additionally, caffeine and sugar are stimulants that can raise your metabolic rate and blood pressure, shortening the duration of your breath holds.
However please don’t feel that you need to make any radical changes in your diet and lifestyle in order to be a successful freediver!
Blog Resources: Click to read:
Further Reading
The Beginner’s Guide to Freediving
Welcome to The Beginner’s Guide to Freediving, the best place to start your freediving journey. We’ve created this guide to help budding Freedivers understand the sport of Freediving and as a reference guide for more experienced divers who want to learn a bit more.
The Beginner’s Guide to Freediving – starting out
When you’re starting out in freediving, you need help to figure out things like: what course to take; what equipment you need; how understand the physics of freediving; and how to learn and perfect some freediving techniques.
In The Beginner’s Guide to Freediving you’ll find the complete guide to starting out on your adventure in Freediving.
Written by Emma Farrell – one of the world’s leading freediving instructors and the owner of Go Freediving, The Beginner’s Guide to Freediving is the most comprehensive and FREE Freediving guide available online today.
The Beginner’s Guide to Freediving is split into 20 parts, covering everything a new Freediver could want to know. Dive in today.
If you’re interested in learning even more about freediving, either before or after your course, here are some books worth reading.
One Breath – A Reflection On Freediving
Written by Emma Farrell and published by Pynto ISBN 09542 3152X
Available here (signed copies will also be available on your course)
Manual of Freediving
Written by Umberto Pelizzari
and Stefano Tovaglieri
and published by
Idelson Gnocchi
ISBN 19286 49270
A complementary discipline, yoga is a great way of improving your freediving.
There are various schools of yoga but we recommend Iyengar yoga.
Yoga – The Path To Holistic Health
Written by B. K. S. Iyengar and published by Dorling Kindersley
ISBN 07513 26172
.
Answers to your frequently asked questions
I paid a deposit, how do I pay the balance?
The balance of your course must be paid no later than one month prior to course
To pay your balance, please use these BACs details:
HSBC
Go Freediving Limited
40-09-19
02587378
Amount:[enter amount]
Ref:RAIDbal[date]
I’ve registered on the RAID site, but I can’t find my course. What does this mean?
When you register on the RAID site you must nominate Go Freediving as your dive centre. This will prompt an email notification from RAID to us so that we can gift you your course. Occasionally, that message doesn’t arrive with us, so if after registering and 48 hours have lapsed, the course has not been allocated to you, just get in touch via info@gofreediving.co.uk and let us know. We can then issue your course manually for you. Please note; if your course is more than one month away, we will not gift your course to you immediately. This is to ensure that when you undertake your course you have the most up to date course materials. It also helps extend the time your course remains valid should you need to reschedule it.
What if I say ‘Yes’ to one of the Medical Questions. Does this mean I can’t do the course?
If you have answered yes to one of the medical questions, this means you will need to ask your local GP to complete the form indicating you are fit to take part in the course. Your signed medical form will then be valid for 6 months. We recommend asking your GP to add a ‘Valid Until XXX’ (preferably 3+ years), ‘Valid until further notice’ so that your medical certificate’s life is extended at no extra cost.
Some students see the question ‘Are you over 45?’ and believe this means they need a Doctor to sign them off. However it is a preliminary question, you have to be over 45 AND meet an additional condition listed further down.
Should I eat before attending the course?
Most definitely!
Freediving can be surprisingly strenuous and we have seen several students who have underestimated the importance of eating, sit out during dives after feeling unwell or light-headed simply because they have not eaten sufficiently before attending.
Please ensure you eat a substantial, energy-filled meal and are well hydrated approximately 2 – 3 hours before attending the start of the course. Also, bring nutritious energy-filled snacks. If you are bringing your own packed lunch, ensure you have plenty of food and liquid to keep your energy levels up.
What kit is provided?
We provide all kit applicable to the type of course you will be attending – fins, mask, snorkel, wetsuit (for some courses you will not need all items). You should not need to bring any kit. If you already have kit, you would be welcome to bring that along, provided it is suitable.
I have my own wetsuit, should I bring that?
Provided your suit is 3mm (pool) – 5mm (open water) thick it may be suitable. We do recommend bringing your wetsuit if you have one, as you may find this fits you better. Don’t worry if you don’t – we have a very broad selections of wetsuits and should be able to accommodate all shapes and sizes.
Can my friends/family come to watch?
In some cases family can come to watch, but we recommend checking with us first.
How can I contact you if I am late, delayed or am unable to attend?
If you need to contact us before the day of the course, please contact info@gofreediving.co.uk.
If you need to contact us URGENTLY (for example, within a few hours of the course), please call our on-call number +44 (0)7980 648 892
I need to change the date of my course, can I do that?
If you need to change your course date, we can help with that, however, there may be a £50 rescheduling fee. Please familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions for further details.
Further answers to FAQs can be found on our regular FAQ page.