"Ultimately they are both fantastic ways to explore the ocean and I believe that all freedivers should learn to scuba dive and all scuba divers should learn to freedive." This. Absolutely, spot on. I freedive and am SCUBA qualified. Love doing both, but each for its own reason. I like the challenge of freediving and freedom of not being encumbered with lots of equipment. But equally with SCUBA, I like the ability to stay under longer than I can hold my breath.
@@Raybond007 Freediving is lame and I just came here to say it’s lamer than scuba diving lol. I’ve done both. I have Scuba dived for 5+ years and it’s never gotten old, in fact it’s cooler every time I do it because I learn more skills (cave, wreck penetration, side mount, 2+ tanks, DPV aka sea scooters, etc). Freediving got boring in literally 2 days. Actually I was bored the first day but I figured I’d give it one more try. Very boring compared to scuba. It’s really only good if 1) you’re the kind of person who jumps on trends to look cool even if you don’t like the trend (yes for some weird reason Freediving is a trend lately, and I’m honestly convinced that many free divers secretly don’t even like it much), or 2) you aren’t able to afford buying scuba equipment so you get Freediving stuff cuz it’s cheaper. Lol that’s about the only 2 reasons I can think of to do Freediving
Of course! Competitive freedivers (more like line diving, not really 'free' diving at all) even close their eyes for focus. I think that's what Umberto Pellizari was referring to, and there's certainly a heap less emphasis on what your body is doing when scuba diving compared to freediving. I've got my advanced ticket in scuba, and it's certainly got it's advantages over breathholding, but freediving and spearfishing are my jam. It's getting back to primal, relaxed state of mind in a weightless world so far from the troubles of landlubbers. I think your channel's great by the way! Good delivery of information. I just started my own channel a few months ago (haven't added anything for a while because i've been on my gap trip), and you might've seen the video of the whale nudging the diver a few more months back- that was me.
I always close my eyes on decent it trully helps to keep me relaxed and makes me feel like i get down faster. When i open my eyes thats when i need to keep myself calm because i use more oxygen. Funny i find myself closing my eyes on decent even while scuba diving
„The scuba diver dives to look around. The freediver dives to be seen.“ Just kidding, I‘m a bubble maker, but I like you elevator people and probably will give it a try soon. 🤙🏻
Not really. If ur a beginner u need to get some training which could very well cost u the same as a scuba course. If u dont u run a higher risk of injury and doing stupid things that could kill u like decending with a snorkel in ur mouth (if only i could count how often i see that) now lets say u taught yourself well with online videos and practice. U still need to keep ur body and mind in top shape to get anything done. This means u need to set aside time out of ur day to run and meditate. Time=money. Scuba u just have to keep ur skills sharp and sinus in check. However i would gladly pay the price of learning to freedive all over again if i had too. Freediving will grow the power of your mind and teach u things about your body that scuba wont.
There's no "better" thing between the two. It's what suits you the most and under the specific circumstances each time. For me, scuba is "exploring". You can stay underwater more, you can watch more but you also need to prepare and calculate more before the dive. Free diving is "feeling". You can feel like a sea mammal. Practically you do exactly what a dolphin, a whale or a seal do and it is naturally simple. It is more of a sport too, rather than activity and also less expensive. :)
I love both. I was a scuba diver first and I struggled to unlearn my scuba finning, equalizing and comfortability in water. But I’m molchanovs certified now!!
Not really. U may not have to pay 500$ up front for a certification or 600-1k for the diving gear. But u do need to get some training if u plan on freediving regularly or spearfishing. A freediving course can very well cost u as much or more than a scuba course. You could refrain from doing this and just learning off of youtube videos but u run a higher risk of injury when u dont have any training (been there done that). Also freediving day to day training is much more time consuming than scuba ever will. (Time=money) with scuba u need to keep ur skills sharp by diving atleast once or twice every two weeks. With freediving u need to dive but u also have to keep ur body (lungs and mind) in optimal condition. Which means u need to incorporate more time out of ur day to do cardio and meditate. Scuba u just have to keep ur sinuses in check and remember ur training. Not saying scuba is cheap. But dont think freediving is just walking into a dive shop buying a pair of fins mask and snorkl and off to the ocean to meet flounder and ariel. But nevertheless freediving will teach u things scuba never could. And the impact it has on your psycology is golden and a much higher return on investment imo
attiume yami, That's pretty far-fetched. Scuba diving requires all the materials used for freediving plus extra. The fact that freediving takes longer to learn doesn't mean it's more expensive, at least not in the traditional sense. Time is money only when taken out of one's work time. Free time is free time and training during your free time can be considered a hobby, not an expense.
attiume yami It really depends on what kind of diving you will be doing, diving with a rebreather costs around $9000 for just the rebreather but renting basic gear is rather cheap. So diving can be more or less expensive than free diving
@@attiumeyami417 freediving on a vacation is way cheaper in a place like Hawaii, there is hundreds of incredible places right off the beach that you can explore for free. Vs having to rent scuba gear or go with a dive guide.
Have been Free diving since 10 years then scuba certified at 15 but since i like observing fish i just free dive now,and to quote Quint , i feel like a half assed astronaut with all that scuba gear on.
Very good and well explained video Adam, thanks!! Unfortunately I've never had the oportunity to scuba diving, But I really apreciate it!! I don't know exactly how to explain the reason why I like more freediving!! Maybe because of the way it looks like freedom, like a natural thing, like you're always trying your best and getting fascinated about what your body is able to do!! Unfortunately I didn't take neither a freediving course nor a scuba, but I'll certainly do both!!
It makes me so happy to know that I'm not too old to get into the sport, I didn't think I would be because I saw some spearfishermen who were in their late 50's. I'm very excited about getting into it!
I actually started out freediving and scuba diving right around the same time (within about 2 months of each other). While freediving, I could only valsalva. Because I was diving down so fast and couldn’t equalize quickly. But with scuba, I slowly learned to frenzel since I had more time while descending. Now I’m doing frenzel for both! I’ve only been diving for about 9 months now. Freediving depth - 55 feet Scuba depth - 100 feet Both on frenzel :)
You forgot one important point. I'm freediving and often people tell me that it's more dangerous than scubadiving, which is not... if you do it properly. Anyway nice video.
Both are beautiful and have their place in the world. When a diver of one kind tries to diss the other, they need a smack. Both can coexist just fine. I've never seen the problem. Thanks for an energetic and unbiased video dude! Rock on
I must say that with my current short bottom times I do envy scuba divers, but watching them get ready to dive really puts me off - here in the UK they are wearing A LOT of kit. I really enjoy going out for hours at a time to enjoy the meditation and swimming of free diving, but I will be giving scuba another go in the future. Great video.
I was thinking I'd take a freediving course, but then I realised that I wouldn't learn much, really. I can only do a beginner freediving course, but I'm already comfortable with Frenzel, finning, breatholding , and I only avoid going to depths greater than 10 m because I don't have a buddy, nor a wetsuit to keep me warm. So I think I'll do a scuba course
Great myth busting :) King of cool for suuuure. Already a scuba instructor and soon a freediving instructor I agree that these activities are different and divers should practice depending on what they want to do underwater. Football/Cricket analogy was the best!
Skills that transfer from free diving to scuba: Comfort underwater Learning not to panic Mask removal Learning how to keep warm Correct weighting Streamlining Skills free diving hinders in scuba: Moving to fast Equalisation Over confidence This may be different for different people, but that’s what I found going from 20+ years of free diving to scuba
Haha! Awesome vid. Although I have to say as a scuba instructor, I love teaching freedivers to scuba. They are just so comfortable in the water! I found that doing a lot of freediving actually increased my air consumption on scuba, not sure if anyone else has experienced that? Couldn't agree more that if you love the water, learn to do both. Thanks Adam!
Thanks heaps Marty! You know the only real issues I have with scuba divers is that they have become dependant on valsalva equalisation or even just wriggling their jaw ect and it just doesn't work for freediving haha but yes also I do think that freediving can increase your air consumption but it seems to be a case by case kind of situation from what i've seen with the divers that i know :)
I'm guessing that the increased air consumption comes from the increased lung volume as you practice. As a snorkeler and singer for many years as a lad, my lung capacity was well over 5litres and air consumption was really bad. With age and lack of practice (and smoking) lung capacity has decreased to around 4litres or so.....and air consumption has decreased significantly........as I said....its a hypothesis since I am not discounting more experience with greater control over breathing rates and techniques as another reason for better air consumption.
If you are new to diving in the ocean I'd suggest starting with scuba, when you go on a scuba excursion with a good dive guide you will see so much wildlife that they will point out and then you can ask questions about stuff at the surface. Ultimately I learned a ton from dive guides... but now I love free diving
Believe me, i'm a scuba diver (i don' t do scuba diving since quite a long time) but i think freediving is better !!!! Yes, you read right ! freediving let you know your body, your limits, it' s more natural and more complete , so congratulations to all freedivers.... i should do a freediving school one day.
Yes what you said towards the end is spot on, scuba is based on your collective experience and skill where as free diving is based on your ability and how well we have developed and expanded upon the limits of our own ability to hold our breath via our mammalian dive reflex.
Did scuba diving in Roatan a couple weeks ago and it was so relaxing being underwater for so long as we cruised around. Also got to experience equalizing up to 40 feet. I know 40 is laughable to most of you guys but it was amazing. Im still working on my breath hold. Most important rule in scuba is don't stop breathing.
This was a great and needed video. You hit a lot of true points that needed to be clarified for a lot of people. I personally always try to do both on any dive trip if it's possible. As you know it can be not possible though. Haha there are always gonna be more Scuba charters then Freedive (at least in the near future). I personally enjoy both, and as you said, that's the way it should be! Also congrats on this awesome growth of your channel! (It's all because of the sexy green wetsuit)
Also, are you aware you are on TV? In an Advil commercial. I just saw you a few minutes ago. Do you know they are using your footage? Are you gonna sue them? Haha, you probably know about it but I just wanted to make sure. ua-cam.com/video/4YrWY2b3Dug/v-deo.html That is the video (You are near the end).
I have tried both, I prefer........ Freediving for 3 reasons 1-it is free 😋😋 2- the freedom of going up and down . 3- the challenge of maximizing time under the water.
Well, I'm pretty interested in freediving not to compete, but to explore the underwater world, which you said it can be done by SCUBA. In fact, using freediving to explore the underwater world like coral reefs can actually beat SCUBA for several reasons. Number one, recreational freediving costs less than SCUBA. B, freedivers barely exhale bubbles underwater that would scare the fish. C, it has much fewer equipment needs than SCUBA because to freedive in a tropical area, all you need is a mask, preferably, low volume, and snorkel, meaning you can freedive while on snorkeling trips. D, there are much fewer decompression worries for freediving than for Scuba. I don't want to freedive for competition, though pushing my breath holding time and acting competitive will surely help my breath hold dives and breathing for SCUBA dives. I have never went diving, neither freediving nor SCUBA. But I know all this because I'm attracted to the ocean and I'm studying for Marine Biology, not to mention that living in Florida makes it a big plus. Plus, I kinda practice freediving by doing long underwater swims during my swim workout. So far, I could do 25 yards underwater without fins and 50 yards with fins.
Ok, dumb question, but I figure this is the place to ask. I grew up in the ocean, free diving. I've heard that it's a terrible and dangerous idea to take a breath from a scuba tank at depth while freediving.... what would happen and why? Keep up the great videos! They are all really great.
Definitely a dangerous thing. The gas would expand in your lungs quickly as you ascend and your lungs would be compressed before you even took the breath from the regulator so taking the breath itself would be dangerous because a rapid expansion of the lungs while they are compressed isn't healthy for them
Adam Freediver you are right! But the part about your lungs compressing is wrong, because pressure of the surroundings = pressure in your lungs. If i am wrong correct me :)
@@norgamer643 Well, gas expands if pressure is decreased. That's the risk. If you take in a pressurized air from Scuba down deep and then go up without exhaling, the gas will expand and damage your lungs...
I just want to point out that it's also Dangerous to ascend to the surface too fast if your free diving a deeper depth, let's say over 10 meters deep or even less. Cause the deeper you dive the bigger is the water pressure on your body including ofc your lungs, so you need to let your body adapt gradually
I feel that scuba diving is more accessible to beginers, because you get the the results and enjoy the evironment more quickly in scuba diving. In free diving i feel you need to develop breathing techniques and swimming technique before enjoying yourself. Or maybe that's just because I am addict to my air tank and feel naked without if on the water ;)
hahaha you do have a point. It can take some people longer to be a competent freediver but for most I takes barely any time at all. The breathing techniques take 30 minutes to learn and in most cases after a 2 day freediving course students are freediving confidently
saw your 104m freedive yesterday.. unbelievable man... props to you. !! subbed ! .. keen to get into this freedive thing... im from wellington nz. have u ever been in the water here ?! im looking to start spearfishing and getting kai around here ( fish, paua, mussles, kina, crays...) keep up the good work! love your vids cheers !
I really like this video, although I think it portrays the relationship between freedivers and scuba divers as excessively adversarial than it actually is. Most freedivers I know are also scuba divers. As someone who recently became certified for both, and enjoys both, I'm often faced with the question, "Do I want to freedive in this situation or would it be better to scuba dive?" I think you only partially addressed the question in that video. Instead of asking "Which is better?" It makes more sense to ask, "When is one a preferable approach over the other? Or have advantages?" Freediving is probably not the best way to go about macro photography, for example. On the other hand, it might be a great skill to have when you're on a boat and the prop is fouled, or if the dive site is difficult to access with a boat and it's better to hike in. Who wants to carry 70 lbs of gear up and down hills? For people who love to explore underwater, freediving and scuba are complimentary techniques.
I agree. But just want to say as a person just learning to freedive I can tell you it parts of it do NOT feel natural at first. Sure the swimming around part is amazing with no gear but going deep and training your brain to ignore "panic" signals that your body is sending I don't think feels natural.
Ive had animal interaction as a scuba diver I had a huge moray swim up to me and let me rub its head it was super Its true you are slower while scuba diving but I like to take it all in its sort of a zen experience for me I think freediving wouldnt fit the experience I am looking for but very well put together video
Freedivers can visit inaccessible areas without a boat because they are not carrying a ton of gear. They can drift with the current parallel to the shore then walk back to the starting point.
I feel like they are different but the basic kit a freediver uses is much more efficient than what a scuba diver is influenced to buy. That being said, each group could learn a thing or two from each other and come out better for it. I love that the efficiency factor of wetsuits, fins, and masks is starting to slowly creep into the scuba gear. There's so much we teach each other. I've done both but I feel I get more time in the water with freediving. And added advantage of that is that 60ft is not so deep to me anymore. Now CCR diving gives you the advantages freediving gives you by being silent underwater but you're encumbered by a bulky, expensive, rebreather rig but you stay down much longer than on open circuit. Spearfishing is a whole other animal and Spearos have their own language. Would probably not be a Spearo but I love to all the camo gear they wear!! 😎
Mate can I ask, I’m beginning snorkelling and I bought the cressi free frog. Are you familiar with these fins and are they a better long term choice then the Rondinella? I feel like I may have gone a little over board or is the free frog a better choice of fine to grow with?
Hey, Adam! I love this video. I haven't taken courses for either (yet), and I know you kinda explained how freediving doesn't enhance your scuba time, but... Would you be able to enhance your freediving with something like those smaller "spare air" tanks? Would you be able to use one of those in stead of going up to the surface? As ever your videos are great, thank you for everything you do!
Thank you :) well actually those small air tanks are so so so extraordinarily dangerous and it would be a very fast way to die if you used one when you freedive. It's because of the different things that happen in your body when you're breathing compressed gas underwater
Ah yes well, that is what I suspected. I suppose I will just have to get good at it and diligently save up for some proper courses. Thank you so much for your reply!! You're the best!
Breath control is possibly the most important skill a scuba diver can master. This is not holding your breath but breathing with full or emptier lungs as well as timing your breathing to work alongside buoyancy control and adjustments in attitude underwater. I believe that mastering this control is made easier by honing your free-diving skills and some breath control meditation. Just my 2 cents worth from thousands of instruction scuba dives at all levels.
Hi Adam, I just came back from Mauritius island , lot of scuba diver have turned to freediving , recently the discover the causes of death of many among them , and were not accidental but was due to the compressed air in the tank, it appears that compressed gas is like smoking cigarette , one dive equals to 4 packs of cigarette , so overtime the lungs got busted , well homework for you to do and let us know your thoughts. Saleem
Scuba and free diving are 2 vvveeerry different things each one has its pros and cons and I think you should never compare them but awesome video and I do both Btw :))
I'd have to disagree with the breathing. I previously DRANK air for scuba diving. Then between dives my dive instructor mentioned he did free diving and gave us some tips. immediately I went for my second dive and the air consumption was significantly better because I remembered what he said about free diving. Since then I've been really good with my air consumption
I see a couple of commenter have hinted at the things we learn from each other.......counting myself as a pure scuba diver at the moment.......Adam, would you mind clarifying one thing for me please........why don't scuba divers use the longer more efficient free diving fins? I know scuba is supposed to be a slower pace but that's to conserve air so surely better fins would fix this. Obviously the drag issue of the equipment is a concern, but again, better fins would reduce the effort? Is it purely a matter of space...in bags or on boats? Or is it simply that other scuba divers would look at you funny if you arrived on a trip with long fins? I'm looking forward to hearing your take on this.
I think it's a few things....for starters most dive centres wouldn't want to use long fins because their students (who are beginners) would not have as much control and would destroy the coral etc. I know many scuba divers that do use freediving fins but I think that because they aren't necessary dives dont want to carry around the extra gear...also like with everything the gear that we use has as much to do with culture as is does with efficiency so most divers just perpetuate the current Scuba culture with fins
Thanks for the response. I didnt realise that some scuba divers actually do use the longer fins....am glad to hear it. I can definitely see a use for them, especially on exploration dives, when a buddy and I are diving in new places and one doesn't know what may happen on the site and one may suddenly need the additional speed or power to get out of trouble
Free diving fins can also fatigue a diver a lot quicker (all though you travel further, you use a lot more energy and therefore air) especially if their leg muscles aren’t used to the extra strain. And the manoeuvrability of long fins generally in close proximity to other people, plants, animals etc. is not as good as shorter style fins
I'm a freediver and i broke up my scuba diving curse... i can't get it in my head that i have to breathe .. i practise it for a lot of times but i can't..i don't know why :/ But at freediving i'm free and i have the feeling that i can do anything! :)
#Myth Freedivers are those guys who are constantly going up and down while scube diving lol 📈. Nah joking, very nice video! I love both, freedivng and scuba diving, even though I'm more snorceling than freedivng (never got much deeper than 10m)... But I feel like you should take a course before going deeper and where I life arent any opportunities for that 🙄
Very spot on! I wouldn't have been as polite as you saying Scuba relies less on physical abilities.. I would have just said that scuba divers swim like cows, lol but that's my two cents (as a scuba diver who's worked very hard to be more agile and efficient at swimming)
While freediving I have learned to be more relaxed. Applied to scuba my air consumption was actually better. Also equalizing is transferable IMO.. at least to depths that I am comfortable with. When starting with scuba you will be shown how to equalize from your belly and once you start doing freediving you will find out that this is not the best way...then you will learn frenzel.... and use it while on scuba because it's just more efficient and easier. At the moment though, scuba is just too "complicated" ... 50kg of equipment, tanks etc... I have lost the interest... nevertheless it's good to be certified especially if you are going to some places that are beyond your freediving capabilities OR you just want to have way more bottom time (wrecks and stuff I guess).
U forgot an important one: If u plan on spearfishing anywhere outside of the US then forget scuba and take a freediving course cause most countries ban speafishing on scuba
Thanks so much bro ;)..i like free diving more than scuba for me.. I did't try scubd but maby some day I'll try...Knowing that I'm Not good on both :/ .. before 8 years ago i was live in Palestine..I received a bullet from an Israeli soldierin in my chest...at the end I have only one lung. .I can't really shut my breath for 30 seconds only.. hope i can in next life ^_^
The way I started freediving was I was scuba diving and I just got bored of breathing
hahaha me too :)
‘Bored of breathing’ lmao, do you get bored of breathing on land?
Then just stop breathing lmao
Lol
@@SeekerLabs that can kill you in scuba!
"Ultimately they are both fantastic ways to explore the ocean and I believe that all freedivers should learn to scuba dive and all scuba divers should learn to freedive." This. Absolutely, spot on.
I freedive and am SCUBA qualified. Love doing both, but each for its own reason. I like the challenge of freediving and freedom of not being encumbered with lots of equipment. But equally with SCUBA, I like the ability to stay under longer than I can hold my breath.
If you think that, why are you wasting your time on a freediving channel?
I enjoy the information in your videos but I feel like you are yelling at me.🤨
@@Raybond007 Freediving is lame and I just came here to say it’s lamer than scuba diving lol. I’ve done both. I have Scuba dived for 5+ years and it’s never gotten old, in fact it’s cooler every time I do it because I learn more skills (cave, wreck penetration, side mount, 2+ tanks, DPV aka sea scooters, etc). Freediving got boring in literally 2 days. Actually I was bored the first day but I figured I’d give it one more try. Very boring compared to scuba. It’s really only good if 1) you’re the kind of person who jumps on trends to look cool even if you don’t like the trend (yes for some weird reason Freediving is a trend lately, and I’m honestly convinced that many free divers secretly don’t even like it much), or 2) you aren’t able to afford buying scuba equipment so you get Freediving stuff cuz it’s cheaper. Lol that’s about the only 2 reasons I can think of to do Freediving
"The scuba diver dives to look around. The freediver dives to look inside." -Umberto Pellizari
I like the quote but I think that all divers dive for their own reasons and I personally like to look around a lot when I'm freediving
Of course! Competitive freedivers (more like line diving, not really 'free' diving at all) even close their eyes for focus. I think that's what Umberto Pellizari was referring to, and there's certainly a heap less emphasis on what your body is doing when scuba diving compared to freediving. I've got my advanced ticket in scuba, and it's certainly got it's advantages over breathholding, but freediving and spearfishing are my jam. It's getting back to primal, relaxed state of mind in a weightless world so far from the troubles of landlubbers.
I think your channel's great by the way! Good delivery of information. I just started my own channel a few months ago (haven't added anything for a while because i've been on my gap trip), and you might've seen the video of the whale nudging the diver a few more months back- that was me.
I always close my eyes on decent it trully helps to keep me relaxed and makes me feel like i get down faster. When i open my eyes thats when i need to keep myself calm because i use more oxygen. Funny i find myself closing my eyes on decent even while scuba diving
„The scuba diver dives to look around. The freediver dives to be seen.“ Just kidding, I‘m a bubble maker, but I like you elevator people and probably will give it a try soon. 🤙🏻
@@leopoldbloom4835 "Elevator people" hahaha, I love that man :) If you're in Tasmania I can instruct you!
I freedive because it's "free". Scuba is expensive. *sigh
hahahaha too true
Not really. If ur a beginner u need to get some training which could very well cost u the same as a scuba course. If u dont u run a higher risk of injury and doing stupid things that could kill u like decending with a snorkel in ur mouth (if only i could count how often i see that) now lets say u taught yourself well with online videos and practice. U still need to keep ur body and mind in top shape to get anything done. This means u need to set aside time out of ur day to run and meditate. Time=money. Scuba u just have to keep ur skills sharp and sinus in check. However i would gladly pay the price of learning to freedive all over again if i had too. Freediving will grow the power of your mind and teach u things about your body that scuba wont.
@@attiumeyami417 yeah scuba is more expensive any way you put it bud.
**Buys $300 worth of equipments for freediving.
@@arifmucahitkeklik8272 I have Bought a mask 5 euro and 10€ fins so, I do free dive with 15€ of investment
There's no "better" thing between the two. It's what suits you the most and under the specific circumstances each time. For me, scuba is "exploring". You can stay underwater more, you can watch more but you also need to prepare and calculate more before the dive. Free diving is "feeling". You can feel like a sea mammal. Practically you do exactly what a dolphin, a whale or a seal do and it is naturally simple. It is more of a sport too, rather than activity and also less expensive. :)
I love both. I was a scuba diver first and I struggled to unlearn my scuba finning, equalizing and comfortability in water. But I’m molchanovs certified now!!
One of them is like Iron Man, with high tech equipment. And the other is like Superman, with little equipment and special powers.
great video adam. I like free diving because its cheaper then scuba.
The Free Dive Kid
For me not even i trained at home alone learned online
Not really. U may not have to pay 500$ up front for a certification or 600-1k for the diving gear. But u do need to get some training if u plan on freediving regularly or spearfishing. A freediving course can very well cost u as much or more than a scuba course. You could refrain from doing this and just learning off of youtube videos but u run a higher risk of injury when u dont have any training (been there done that). Also freediving day to day training is much more time consuming than scuba ever will. (Time=money) with scuba u need to keep ur skills sharp by diving atleast once or twice every two weeks. With freediving u need to dive but u also have to keep ur body (lungs and mind) in optimal condition. Which means u need to incorporate more time out of ur day to do cardio and meditate. Scuba u just have to keep ur sinuses in check and remember ur training. Not saying scuba is cheap. But dont think freediving is just walking into a dive shop buying a pair of fins mask and snorkl and off to the ocean to meet flounder and ariel. But nevertheless freediving will teach u things scuba never could. And the impact it has on your psycology is golden and a much higher return on investment imo
attiume yami, That's pretty far-fetched. Scuba diving requires all the materials used for freediving plus extra. The fact that freediving takes longer to learn doesn't mean it's more expensive, at least not in the traditional sense. Time is money only when taken out of one's work time. Free time is free time and training during your free time can be considered a hobby, not an expense.
attiume yami It really depends on what kind of diving you will be doing, diving with a rebreather costs around $9000 for just the rebreather but renting basic gear is rather cheap. So diving can be more or less expensive than free diving
@@attiumeyami417 freediving on a vacation is way cheaper in a place like Hawaii, there is hundreds of incredible places right off the beach that you can explore for free. Vs having to rent scuba gear or go with a dive guide.
Have been Free diving since 10 years then scuba certified at 15 but since i like observing fish i just free dive now,and to quote Quint , i feel like a half assed astronaut with all that scuba gear on.
hahahaha that's a brilliant way to sum it up :) I also started with scuba and then moved to freediving
Very good and well explained video Adam, thanks!! Unfortunately I've never had the oportunity to scuba diving, But I really apreciate it!!
I don't know exactly how to explain the reason why I like more freediving!! Maybe because of the way it looks like freedom, like a natural thing, like you're always trying your best and getting fascinated about what your body is able to do!!
Unfortunately I didn't take neither a freediving course nor a scuba, but I'll certainly do both!!
I've tried both scuba and freediving and in a nutshell i think keyword and skills would be....
Freediving = breath hold
Scuba = breathing underwater
hahahaha that is a pretty straight forward way to seeing it
Bro idk why i just rlly like his energy
It makes me so happy to know that I'm not too old to get into the sport, I didn't think I would be because I saw some spearfishermen who were in their late 50's. I'm very excited about getting into it!
I actually started out freediving and scuba diving right around the same time (within about 2 months of each other). While freediving, I could only valsalva. Because I was diving down so fast and couldn’t equalize quickly. But with scuba, I slowly learned to frenzel since I had more time while descending. Now I’m doing frenzel for both! I’ve only been diving for about 9 months now. Freediving depth - 55 feet
Scuba depth - 100 feet
Both on frenzel :)
You forgot one important point. I'm freediving and often people tell me that it's more dangerous than scubadiving, which is not... if you do it properly. Anyway nice video.
that is true! Statistically Scuba diving is much more dangerous
Both are beautiful and have their place in the world. When a diver of one kind tries to diss the other, they need a smack. Both can coexist just fine. I've never seen the problem. Thanks for an energetic and unbiased video dude! Rock on
Definitely a place for both sports!! Glad you enjoyed the video!
I must say that with my current short bottom times I do envy scuba divers, but watching them get ready to dive really puts me off - here in the UK they are wearing A LOT of kit. I really enjoy going out for hours at a time to enjoy the meditation and swimming of free diving, but I will be giving scuba another go in the future. Great video.
I was thinking I'd take a freediving course, but then I realised that I wouldn't learn much, really. I can only do a beginner freediving course, but I'm already comfortable with Frenzel, finning, breatholding , and I only avoid going to depths greater than 10 m because I don't have a buddy, nor a wetsuit to keep me warm. So I think I'll do a scuba course
Great myth busting :) King of cool for suuuure. Already a scuba instructor and soon a freediving instructor I agree that these activities are different and divers should practice depending on what they want to do underwater. Football/Cricket analogy was the best!
Thanks Billy! One day we're going to have to go for a dive together
That would be great if you ever want to swim with humpbacks around Reunion Island :)
*Man.. I love your energy and knowledge so much. Thanks for these*
Absolute pleasure Pauly :) thank you!
I like scuba diving even though I’m still a beginner in the PADI course
Skills that transfer from free diving to scuba:
Comfort underwater
Learning not to panic
Mask removal
Learning how to keep warm
Correct weighting
Streamlining
Skills free diving hinders in scuba:
Moving to fast
Equalisation
Over confidence
This may be different for different people, but that’s what I found going from 20+ years of free diving to scuba
Cannot agree more! Both activities have a lot in common, especially mental level to be comfortable underwater.
yeah, that' s why i consider freediving more complete (and i' m just a scuba diver that have fun freediving sometimes)
Haha! Awesome vid. Although I have to say as a scuba instructor, I love teaching freedivers to scuba. They are just so comfortable in the water! I found that doing a lot of freediving actually increased my air consumption on scuba, not sure if anyone else has experienced that? Couldn't agree more that if you love the water, learn to do both. Thanks Adam!
Thanks heaps Marty! You know the only real issues I have with scuba divers is that they have become dependant on valsalva equalisation or even just wriggling their jaw ect and it just doesn't work for freediving haha but yes also I do think that freediving can increase your air consumption but it seems to be a case by case kind of situation from what i've seen with the divers that i know :)
I'm guessing that the increased air consumption comes from the increased lung volume as you practice. As a snorkeler and singer for many years as a lad, my lung capacity was well over 5litres and air consumption was really bad. With age and lack of practice (and smoking) lung capacity has decreased to around 4litres or so.....and air consumption has decreased significantly........as I said....its a hypothesis since I am not discounting more experience with greater control over breathing rates and techniques as another reason for better air consumption.
If you are new to diving in the ocean I'd suggest starting with scuba, when you go on a scuba excursion with a good dive guide you will see so much wildlife that they will point out and then you can ask questions about stuff at the surface. Ultimately I learned a ton from dive guides... but now I love free diving
Believe me, i'm a scuba diver (i don' t do scuba diving since quite a long time) but i think freediving is better !!!!
Yes, you read right ! freediving let you know your body, your limits, it' s more natural and more complete , so congratulations to all freedivers.... i should do a freediving school one day.
Yes what you said towards the end is spot on, scuba is based on your collective experience and skill where as free diving is based on your ability and how well we have developed and expanded upon the limits of our own ability to hold our breath via our mammalian dive reflex.
Did scuba diving in Roatan a couple weeks ago and it was so relaxing being underwater for so long as we cruised around. Also got to experience equalizing up to 40 feet. I know 40 is laughable to most of you guys but it was amazing. Im still working on my breath hold. Most important rule in scuba is don't stop breathing.
Nice vid. Regarding noise you can also use a rebreath system
This was a great and needed video. You hit a lot of true points that needed to be clarified for a lot of people. I personally always try to do both on any dive trip if it's possible. As you know it can be not possible though. Haha there are always gonna be more Scuba charters then Freedive (at least in the near future). I personally enjoy both, and as you said, that's the way it should be!
Also congrats on this awesome growth of your channel! (It's all because of the sexy green wetsuit)
Also, are you aware you are on TV? In an Advil commercial. I just saw you a few minutes ago. Do you know they are using your footage? Are you gonna sue them? Haha, you probably know about it but I just wanted to make sure.
ua-cam.com/video/4YrWY2b3Dug/v-deo.html
That is the video (You are near the end).
I have tried both, I prefer........ Freediving for 3 reasons
1-it is free 😋😋
2- the freedom of going up and down .
3- the challenge of maximizing time under the water.
Really good vid. Just discovered u & esp like your breath hold practice suggestions. Liking your general attitude & specific advice.
thanks so much Scott :) stoked that you liked it
I am scuba... but freedive seems AWESOME and easy !
it really is so much fun!
Im "doing" both and personally both are great to me
I do both and they just can't be compared. It's just too different. My advice jf you love water do both. You just gonna love it :)
Thank you for the honest view, I'm waiting for a sequel, even more honest: "Why I like free-diving much better?"
Well, I'm pretty interested in freediving not to compete, but to explore the underwater world, which you said it can be done by SCUBA. In fact, using freediving to explore the underwater world like coral reefs can actually beat SCUBA for several reasons.
Number one, recreational freediving costs less than SCUBA.
B, freedivers barely exhale bubbles underwater that would scare the fish.
C, it has much fewer equipment needs than SCUBA because to freedive in a tropical area, all you need is a mask, preferably, low volume, and snorkel, meaning you can freedive while on snorkeling trips.
D, there are much fewer decompression worries for freediving than for Scuba.
I don't want to freedive for competition, though pushing my breath holding time and acting competitive will surely help my breath hold dives and breathing for SCUBA dives. I have never went diving, neither freediving nor SCUBA. But I know all this because I'm attracted to the ocean and I'm studying for Marine Biology, not to mention that living in Florida makes it a big plus. Plus, I kinda practice freediving by doing long underwater swims during my swim workout. So far, I could do 25 yards underwater without fins and 50 yards with fins.
That's awesome :) just make sure you don't push those swims out too far! haha but yes I agree with everything you said :) you're absolutely right
Ok, dumb question, but I figure this is the place to ask. I grew up in the ocean, free diving. I've heard that it's a terrible and dangerous idea to take a breath from a scuba tank at depth while freediving.... what would happen and why? Keep up the great videos! They are all really great.
Definitely a dangerous thing. The gas would expand in your lungs quickly as you ascend and your lungs would be compressed before you even took the breath from the regulator so taking the breath itself would be dangerous because a rapid expansion of the lungs while they are compressed isn't healthy for them
Adam Freediver you are right! But the part about your lungs compressing is wrong, because pressure of the surroundings = pressure in your lungs. If i am wrong correct me :)
@@norgamer643 Well, gas expands if pressure is decreased. That's the risk. If you take in a pressurized air from Scuba down deep and then go up without exhaling, the gas will expand and damage your lungs...
I just want to point out that it's also Dangerous to ascend to the surface too fast if your free diving a deeper depth, let's say over 10 meters deep or even less. Cause the deeper you dive the bigger is the water pressure on your body including ofc your lungs, so you need to let your body adapt gradually
Adam, it's a big pleasure to watch all your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledges ❤️
You're so welcome Victoria! thank you :)
Awesome video!! I hope you never stop your youtube videos!!
Thank you :) I definitely wont!
I feel that scuba diving is more accessible to beginers, because you get the the results and enjoy the evironment more quickly in scuba diving. In free diving i feel you need to develop breathing techniques and swimming technique before enjoying yourself. Or maybe that's just because I am addict to my air tank and feel naked without if on the water ;)
hahaha you do have a point. It can take some people longer to be a competent freediver but for most I takes barely any time at all. The breathing techniques take 30 minutes to learn and in most cases after a 2 day freediving course students are freediving confidently
Hi Adam !!! Can you make a Video where you show us ,how you take care of your freediving equipment ???!!!!😮
this is what I’ve learned from this video: I wanna do both.
a friend of mine is a scuba diver he told me sea lions are dangerous. now i know why. thank you adam.
saw your 104m freedive yesterday..
unbelievable man... props to you. !!
subbed ! ..
keen to get into this freedive thing... im from wellington nz. have u ever been in the water here ?!
im looking to start spearfishing and getting kai around here ( fish, paua, mussles, kina, crays...)
keep up the good work!
love your vids
cheers !
I do both.
I do as well :)
Really interesting video; I am a scuba diver and I will take freediving courses in a couple weeks so this video was super useful, thanks !!!
I really like this video, although I think it portrays the relationship between freedivers and scuba divers as excessively adversarial than it actually is. Most freedivers I know are also scuba divers. As someone who recently became certified for both, and enjoys both, I'm often faced with the question, "Do I want to freedive in this situation or would it be better to scuba dive?" I think you only partially addressed the question in that video. Instead of asking "Which is better?" It makes more sense to ask, "When is one a preferable approach over the other? Or have advantages?" Freediving is probably not the best way to go about macro photography, for example. On the other hand, it might be a great skill to have when you're on a boat and the prop is fouled, or if the dive site is difficult to access with a boat and it's better to hike in. Who wants to carry 70 lbs of gear up and down hills? For people who love to explore underwater, freediving and scuba are complimentary techniques.
freediving is much more natural... I've started scuba recently, and I enjoy it, but it's not the same :)
I agree. But just want to say as a person just learning to freedive I can tell you it parts of it do NOT feel natural at first. Sure the swimming around part is amazing with no gear but going deep and training your brain to ignore "panic" signals that your body is sending I don't think feels natural.
Im a scuba instructor and taking freediving course now.
Best thumbnail I've seen in a long time :'D. Keep it up Adam
Ive had animal interaction as a scuba diver I had a huge moray swim up to me and let me rub its head it was super
Its true you are slower while scuba diving but I like to take it all in its sort of a zen experience for me I think freediving wouldnt fit the experience I am looking for but very well put together video
Freedivers can visit inaccessible areas without a boat because they are not carrying a ton of gear. They can drift with the current parallel to the shore then walk back to the starting point.
I feel like they are different but the basic kit a freediver uses is much more efficient than what a scuba diver is influenced to buy. That being said, each group could learn a thing or two from each other and come out better for it. I love that the efficiency factor of wetsuits, fins, and masks is starting to slowly creep into the scuba gear. There's so much we teach each other. I've done both but I feel I get more time in the water with freediving. And added advantage of that is that 60ft is not so deep to me anymore.
Now CCR diving gives you the advantages freediving gives you by being silent underwater but you're encumbered by a bulky, expensive, rebreather rig but you stay down much longer than on open circuit. Spearfishing is a whole other animal and Spearos have their own language. Would probably not be a Spearo but I love to all the camo gear they wear!! 😎
Mate can I ask, I’m beginning snorkelling and I bought the cressi free frog. Are you familiar with these fins and are they a better long term choice then the Rondinella? I feel like I may have gone a little over board or is the free frog a better choice of fine to grow with?
Thank you this answered my questions. Peace and Grace to you!!
Hey, Adam! I love this video. I haven't taken courses for either (yet), and I know you kinda explained how freediving doesn't enhance your scuba time, but...
Would you be able to enhance your freediving with something like those smaller "spare air" tanks? Would you be able to use one of those in stead of going up to the surface?
As ever your videos are great, thank you for everything you do!
Thank you :) well actually those small air tanks are so so so extraordinarily dangerous and it would be a very fast way to die if you used one when you freedive. It's because of the different things that happen in your body when you're breathing compressed gas underwater
Ah yes well, that is what I suspected. I suppose I will just have to get good at it and diligently save up for some proper courses.
Thank you so much for your reply!! You're the best!
Freediving is better because i like how it relies more on physicality. How long can you hold your breath, how much pressure you can withstand etc.
I feel the same bro :)
Adam...time to do the video on wetsuits for freediving/spearfishing/scuba diving! I see them right behind you...is this the epic lead in??
mwahahahahaha oh he knows my secrets now :P
free diving cheaper = sold
hahah too true!
exactly my reason... broke!
Breath control is possibly the most important skill a scuba diver can master. This is not holding your breath but breathing with full or emptier lungs as well as timing your breathing to work alongside buoyancy control and adjustments in attitude underwater. I believe that mastering this control is made easier by honing your free-diving skills and some breath control meditation. Just my 2 cents worth from thousands of instruction scuba dives at all
levels.
You always do great videos. I wish you good luck man ♡
Thank you so much my friend :)
I like to compare SCUBA to Paddleboarding and Freediving to Surfing.
I like the comparison bro :)
Hi Adam,
I just came back from Mauritius island , lot of scuba diver have turned to freediving , recently the discover the causes of death of many among them , and were not accidental but was due to the compressed air in the tank, it appears that compressed gas is like smoking cigarette , one dive equals to 4 packs of cigarette , so overtime the lungs got busted , well homework for you to do and let us know your thoughts.
Saleem
I recommend some books to that subject: pro scuba from tim ecott "Neutral Buoyancy" & pro freediving: "Deep Sea" from James Nestor
Scuba and free diving are 2 vvveeerry different things each one has its pros and cons and I think you should never compare them but awesome video and I do both Btw :))
I love freediving!
Too soft Adam 😂😂😂 Freediving is the best! 😎😎
I'd have to disagree with the breathing. I previously DRANK air for scuba diving. Then between dives my dive instructor mentioned he did free diving and gave us some tips. immediately I went for my second dive and the air consumption was significantly better because I remembered what he said about free diving. Since then I've been really good with my air consumption
Use those small tanks that last 15 min and u got the ability of free diving and the time of scuba diving
Those tanks are actually really dangerous. The risk of decompression illness if you freedive with them is really high :)
I lived on an island when I was a kid and couldn't afford scuba stuff, so I taught myself to free dive
Nice one Seth :) that's the other thing about freediving...it's much cheaper
Some SCUBA courses introduce you to concepts of freediving for the purpose of scoping out new dive sites without needing to depleat any air sources.
I would love to freedove but I suck at holding my breath and I’m terrified of drowning
I see a couple of commenter have hinted at the things we learn from each other.......counting myself as a pure scuba diver at the moment.......Adam, would you mind clarifying one thing for me please........why don't scuba divers use the longer more efficient free diving fins? I know scuba is supposed to be a slower pace but that's to conserve air so surely better fins would fix this. Obviously the drag issue of the equipment is a concern, but again, better fins would reduce the effort? Is it purely a matter of space...in bags or on boats? Or is it simply that other scuba divers would look at you funny if you arrived on a trip with long fins? I'm looking forward to hearing your take on this.
I think it's a few things....for starters most dive centres wouldn't want to use long fins because their students (who are beginners) would not have as much control and would destroy the coral etc. I know many scuba divers that do use freediving fins but I think that because they aren't necessary dives dont want to carry around the extra gear...also like with everything the gear that we use has as much to do with culture as is does with efficiency so most divers just perpetuate the current Scuba culture with fins
Thanks for the response. I didnt realise that some scuba divers actually do use the longer fins....am glad to hear it. I can definitely see a use for them, especially on exploration dives, when a buddy and I are diving in new places and one doesn't know what may happen on the site and one may suddenly need the additional speed or power to get out of trouble
Free diving fins can also fatigue a diver a lot quicker (all though you travel further, you use a lot more energy and therefore air) especially if their leg muscles aren’t used to the extra strain.
And the manoeuvrability of long fins generally in close proximity to other people, plants, animals etc. is not as good as shorter style fins
I'm a freediver and i broke up my scuba diving curse... i can't get it in my head that i have to breathe .. i practise it for a lot of times but i can't..i don't know why :/
But at freediving i'm free and i have the feeling that i can do anything! :)
True :) I do feel much more free when freediving
Adam has inspired me to travel the world to dive!! I have a few novice videos if you wish to see!🙂
Maybe do not know about rebreather diving, making no bubbles…? I love both, but diving is not exclusively a bubble-bound activity.
I'd LOVE to SCUBA, but due to a neurological condition I am not permitted to. But nobody can stop me from freediving! ;-)
hahahah yeah buddy!
Freedive is awesome 👻✨
Also you dont need as much stuff for freediving which is good.
that is true :)
Free diving can enhance ypur breathing so thats why i love free diving
Looking super fresh with that clean shave!
#Myth Freedivers are those guys who are constantly going up and down while scube diving lol 📈.
Nah joking, very nice video! I love both, freedivng and scuba diving, even though I'm more snorceling than freedivng (never got much deeper than 10m)... But I feel like you should take a course before going deeper and where I life arent any opportunities for that 🙄
Someone pls tell me the difference between FREE DIVING and SKIN DIVING, i have the choice to do one of them but i dont know what I may prefer, thanks!
They are exactly the same. But anyone who wants to teach you Skin Diving won't know what they're talking about haha. Take a Freediving course :)
Both are better.
all round diver ;)
Very spot on! I wouldn't have been as polite as you saying Scuba relies less on physical abilities.. I would have just said that scuba divers swim like cows, lol but that's my two cents (as a scuba diver who's worked very hard to be more agile and efficient at swimming)
hahahaha You just cracked me up! I have a huge respect for a scuba diver who has developed their swimming skills and agility :)
Love the ocean too much to only explore it one breath at a time
I am puzzled can u breath underwater while snorkling/free email diving
100 % agree!
great minds think alike Riggo
Try visiting moalboal here in philippines adam. :-)
I'm coming to moalboal in January :)
I thought Jacques Mayol was the first to descend below 100 m, at 49 ?
(French pride haha....)
who were you referring to ?
hey adam which one is more risky??
Scuba diving has a higher injury rate
thanks adam ☺☺
I feel like overall free diving is better for your health, your ego/swag if you wanna call it that and your observation while under water
hookah diving is great to,forgot that one?
It's such a niche that I didn't feel the need to mention it
I am a scuba diver, and I would like to learn how to free dive safely.
Hey Josh there are so many places where you can take a freediving course :) just do a few google searches for your area
Adam Freediver thanks
How about spearfishing? I want to see adam spearing big fish..great video sir
Everyone should know both unless they can’t afford scuba. Can’t agree with the bubble . You can use rebreather
While freediving I have learned to be more relaxed. Applied to scuba my air consumption was actually better. Also equalizing is transferable IMO.. at least to depths that I am comfortable with. When starting with scuba you will be shown how to equalize from your belly and once you start doing freediving you will find out that this is not the best way...then you will learn frenzel.... and use it while on scuba because it's just more efficient and easier. At the moment though, scuba is just too "complicated" ... 50kg of equipment, tanks etc... I have lost the interest... nevertheless it's good to be certified especially if you are going to some places that are beyond your freediving capabilities OR you just want to have way more bottom time (wrecks and stuff I guess).
U forgot an important one:
If u plan on spearfishing anywhere outside of the US then forget scuba and take a freediving course cause most countries ban speafishing on scuba
too true.
it's legal to scuba dive and spearfish in the US?? waoh.
Thanks so much bro ;)..i like free diving more than scuba for me.. I did't try scubd but maby some day I'll try...Knowing that I'm Not good on both :/ .. before 8 years ago i was live in Palestine..I received a bullet from an Israeli soldierin in my chest...at the end
I have only one lung. .I can't really shut my breath for 30 seconds only..
hope i can in next life ^_^
Certification question: Aida v PADI. Differences, benefits?
.
Everything over PADI haha
Why? I am out of the loop. Here in Germany we have CMAS and AIDA and that's pretty much it.