Joining the club

We are a friendly bunch of freediver’s based out of the Dolphin Centre Poole, Dorset. We welcome both new and experienced freedivers.

New Freediver

If you are new to freediving then welcome to a sport that will change your life and introduce you to some amazing new friends! Before you can join the club, you will need complete our introduction to freediving course (AIDA1).

Experienced Freediver

We welcome any freedivers with a recognised freediving qualification from agencies such as AIDA, PADI, SSI, or Molchanov. If your qualification is from RAID, Apnea Total or another agency not mentioned then get in touch and we will be able to discuss what you need to do to join the club.

Our sessions run on Tuesdays between 6:30pm – 9:30pm.

For pool sessions, what kit do I need to bring with me?

For weekly club sessions, we recomend purchasing fins, a mask and snorkel, weight belt and weights and a 3mm shortie wetsuit. We can help you to choose the correct kit to purchase and direct you to the best site to get your kit from. 

You can also hire fins, a mask and snorkel, weight belt and weights subject to availability for £10 per session  

 

 

Is freediving safe?

All sports come with inherent risk, freediving is safe when practiced correctly and responsibly. On our courses we will teach you how to progress safely and also how to minimise risk in freediving which includes diving with a trained buddy and diving within you limits. 

Can I just come along as and when I'm free?

We prioritise providing an optimal learning environment for students, to achieve this, we maintain a cosy space with smaller class sizes, particularly for beginner sessions. This approach ensures personalised attention and a better experience for all participants. Additionally, our need to book lanes in advance means we operate on a monthly booking schedule. This helps us manage class sizes effectively. If you’re interested in joining or require further information, please feel free to Contact Us for more details.

I have a health condition can I still join the club?

We are not doctors so we can’t give you medical advice. However, we will provide you with a medical form before you come on the course to complete. If you answer yes to any of the questions or you are unsure then we recommend speaking to your G.P.  We can also provide details for a Dive Doctor who is experienced in advising on freediving as some GP’s won’t sign medical forms off for SCUBA and freediving. 

What level of fitness is required for freediving?

Being fit is beneficial for freediving like most sports, however freediving does not require the same level of aerobic fitness as running for example. So, as long as you are comfortable swimming 100m non-stop then you should be fine on our introduction to freediving course. 

Am I too old to start freediving?

Freediving can be enjoyed at any age, the oldest freediver we have been diving with is 84, as long as you can swim 100m non-stop and don’t have any health conditions that would stop you diving then you will be fine. 

Does the course provide a recognised qualification?

Yes, the course provides you with an internationally recognised freediving qualification from AIDA International 

Why does the course take place in a swimming pool and not in open water?

Have you head the phrase “walk before you run”?  Whilst there are course providers that will take you straight out to sea or to a lake, these can overwhelm some students who may struggle to learn the basics in these environments and come away from their course disappointed. 

Swimming pools provide a warm and controlled environment to learn key skills for freediving such as how to hold your breath, kick correctly and equalise. We start the course in 1m of water and finish the course in the 4m dive pool so regardless of your ability or water confidence you have time to gradually adapt to freediving. 

 

I have been freediving for years but don't have a qualification can I skip the course and join the club?

It is important for all club members to have a solid foundation in freediving to enable them to safely buddy other students and our insurance requires all members to hold a freediving qualification therefore you will need to complete a freediving course before joining the club.  

 

I'm a scuba instructor do I need to do a course to join the club

Although Scuba and freediving both take place underwater, this is where the similarities end therefore you will need to undertake a course before joining the club.

Pool Sessions

Join us in the pool for our Tuesdays sessions from 7:30-8:30 at the Dolphin Leisure Centre, Kingland Rd, Poole BH15 1TN.

Vobster Sessions

From April through to September we run courses, coaching and also fun diving sessions at Vobster Quay, the UK’s leading dive location with depths from 5-36m.