Nick Pelios
Freediver, Creator
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Nick Pelios
Freediver, Creator
I made my first freediving mistake before I even got in the water. I was in a rush, nervous, and trying way too hard to look like I belonged. I showed up with the wrong gear, didn’t hydrate properly, and nearly panicked five meters down because I thought pushing through discomfort made me tough. It didn’t. It made me stupid. That first day taught me more than any course could. And if you’re just starting your freediving journey, maybe these eight mistakes I and so many others have made will help you avoid learning the hard way.
On the surface (pun intended), freediving looks like a game of breath-holding. Dive in, hold your breath, come up. Easy, right? But it’s not about brute force. It’s not about gritting your teeth and white-knuckling through contractions. Freediving is about efficiency, relaxation, and awareness. The moment you start to fight, you’re doing it wrong. Beginners often focus only on how long they can hold their breath. But what really matters is how relaxed you can stay while doing it. It’s not a contest. It’s a conversation with your body.
Avoid it by slowing everything down. Learn to breathe better before trying to dive deeper.
You wouldn’t walk into a climbing gym and try to scale the highest wall with no harness, right? Freediving deserves the same respect. Too many beginners watch a couple of YouTube videos and think they’re ready for 20 meters. They’re not. Freediving is more than a sport. It’s a science. You need to understand equalization, CO2 tolerance, blackout protocols, and what your body is actually doing at depth.
Avoid it by taking a certified freediving course with a reputable instructor. It’s not just for safety. It’s the foundation for everything else.
This one’s a biggie. People dive alone because they’re embarrassed, impatient, or think they know better. But the ocean doesn’t care about your confidence. Shallow water blackouts are real. One wrong move and you might never come up. Freediving alone isn’t brave. It’s reckless.
Avoid it by always diving with a trained buddy. Someone who knows how to spot you, rescue you, and respect the sea.
You’re on the buoy. Your heart’s pounding. You take a big breath and kick down like your life depends on it. It doesn’t. That’s the problem. Most beginners try to get to depth too fast. They waste energy, fail to equalize, panic, and shoot back up frustrated. Going fast doesn’t get you deeper. Going calm does.
Avoid it by focusing on technique. Streamline your body. Relax your legs. Equalize early and often. Let gravity help.
Freediving isn’t just physical. Your mind will throw everything at you—fear, doubt, boredom, ego. If you don’t train your thoughts, they’ll control your dive. That tight feeling in your chest? That urge to breathe at 15 meters? That’s not danger. That’s your brain panicking. Know the difference.
Avoid it by practicing mindfulness. Meditate. Visualize. Get comfortable with discomfort. Mental strength is a muscle too.
Raise your hand if you’ve bought fins that looked cool but felt like paddling with bricks. (Guilty.) Or a mask that leaks. Or a wetsuit that makes you feel like a sausage. The wrong gear can ruin a dive. Not just comfort-wise, but performance-wise. Beginners often skimp on essentials or buy whatever Instagram tells them to.
Avoid it by trying gear before you buy, borrowing, or asking experienced divers for advice. Invest in fit, not hype.
You surface. You made it. You’re proud. But instead of doing a proper recovery breath, you smile, talk, high-five, and forget the one thing that actually keeps you from blacking out. Recovery breathing isn’t optional. It re-oxygenates your brain. It stabilizes your nervous system. It’s what lets you dive again.
Avoid it by practicing recovery breathing until it becomes instinct. Inhale gently. Exhale slowly. Repeat at least three times. Don’t skip it.
You know who dives 30 meters after three months? Someone who trains full-time, eats like a monk, and probably doesn’t have a day job. That’s not you. And that’s okay. Freediving isn’t a race. But beginners love to compare. They chase numbers, post stats, and forget that depth is personal. Your journey is yours. Celebrate the 10-meter dive if it felt right. Celebrate the 2-minute breath-hold if it was calm. You’re not here to beat anyone.
Avoid it by remembering why you started. Let progress unfold naturally. Stay humble. Stay curious.
Freediving will humble you. It will frustrate you. It will change how you breathe, how you move, how you think. You will make mistakes. But if you approach it with patience, humility, and respect, it will also give you something rare: a way back to yourself. The ocean doesn’t care how deep you go. It cares how honest you are when you get there.