Freediving in Honduras: What You Want to Know
I love the water so much you could just call me little mermaid. Seriously. Learning to freedive in Honduras is a dream come true. Getting to do it on my birthday is the wave to my ocean.
As I explored Central America this year, I came across freediving with Chelsea Kauai and Lisa Homsy. Although I am advanced certified in scuba diving, the last few times I dived I found myself dehydrated with a pounding headache no matter how much water and electrolytes I drank.
I love exploring the deep blue sea. I have gotten to scuba dive in some of the most magical places on the planet like Cozumel, Jamaica, and Egypt. I don't care for the regulator, tank, compressed air, and weight of the equipment when scuba diving.
I found myself diving in every way to freediving.
You may be wondering what is freediving. Don't you just mean snorkeling? Nope.
Freediving is a completely different way to experience the underwater world compared to scuba diving and snorkeling.
Let's dive into my experience with learning to freedive in Honduras for my birthday. I'll share everything you want to know about freediving.
All About Freediving
Freediving is the ultimate example of freedom. I want you to know this is my first time going freediving. I am by no means an expert.
In the course of my AIDA Introduction to Freediving, I received a theory class at Roatan Freediving School and Training Center. During my 2+ hours in the water, I avidly applied what I learned with breathing, types of entries into the water, and recovery breathing.
My instructor, Marc is amazing. He is very present, peaceful, and present. When I watched his first freedive in the water, I marveled in awe and wonder. Watching freediving is an experience in itself. It's both an art and slower than you imagine.
During my entire lesson, I applied what I learned surprising myself in at the speed of my improvements in freediving.
I found a new level of freedom with freediving.
I ended up freediving 30 feet during my first time!
I initially thought of freediving in the best Cenotes in Mexico. However, I decided to do my first freediving experience in Honduras for my birthday. I am so grateful I did!
Freediving is mind-blowing in many ways. I don't think that years ago I could have maintained the level of openness, peace, and calmness I did during my freediving experience.
Freediving is a form of underwater diving that depends on one breath vs. the use of a snorkel while viewing the marine life in snorkeling or breathing with an oxygen tank and regulator like in scuba diving.
Your dive is dependent on one single breath. Since freediving is done in one breath, the dive is short when compared to scuba diving. In scuba diving, your dive may last about 30 minutes to an hour depending on the amount of air you consume and the depth you dive.
Freediving frees your mind to infinite possibilities.
While freediving is done in one single breath, don't let that fool you. Freedivers have dived to 70-100+ meters, or 200-300 feet with one breath! Talk about being mind-blown! One breath goes a long way. With my dive of 30 feet, I felt peaceful, serene, and mind-blown at the same time.
By focusing on completing 10+ breathing cycles before each dive, I felt present, prepared, and peaceful. During my dives, I never felt like I was running out of air at any moment. I surfaced each time with more than enough air in my tank so to speak.
Why Freediving in Roatan, Honduras
I chose to do my freediving in Roatan, Honduras because of the worlds second largest coral reef, calm waters, and types of sharks.
The island of Roatan is located 30 miles off the north coast of Honduras among the worlds second largest coral reef. Unsurprisingly, the reef attracts many fish, and is world famous for scuba and free diving.
Roatan, Honduras West End and West Bay Beaches
