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As with any sport or hobby, everyone tends to get very excited initially and spends excessive amounts of money on equipment that might not be actually needed. These are the 6 best investments you can do when it comes to freediving.
The first, and most important investment you are going to make when you start freediving is in your freediving education. There are many vital rules all freedivers must know before they get in the water and on the line. This includes our physiology, equalization, and most importantly, safety. No matter how high quality your equipment may be, there is no point in making the investment if you don't know how to use your gear properly! Also, many training schools/locations require you to be a certified AIDA 3 (or the equivalent at a different agency) in order to dive on your own. Knowledge is power, the more we learn about what we are capable of underwater, the higher our performance and comfort level will be. Courses will also stress how vital safety is. Freediving is a safe sport as long as you and your buddy are competent safeties. Safety also means recognizing the signs of bad conditions, a distressed diver, and recognizing the signs of trouble within yourself and your buddy.
The wetsuit is a piece of equipment that you are always going to have on you when you are in the water, so it's important to invest in a wetsuit you are comfortable in and that suits the environment you'll be diving in. Colder waters? A 5mm suit might be the one for you. 21-26 degree water? Try a 3mm suit out! And anything warmer than 27 degrees you would most likely do best in a 1.5mm wetsuit. Of course, it will vary depending on your own tolerance and preference. Not only does a wetsuit keep you warm and streamlined on all of your dives, but it will also protect you from ocean critters such as jellyfish, as well as all the elements nature will throw at you. Wetsuits will range from low to high grade, but the right wetsuit will last you for years if you take proper care of it. If you would like something made of a higher quality neoprene and a tailored fit, you might need to invest a bit more. Off the rack wetsuits will range from 200-400 USD, while the higher-end suits are between 450-900 USD.
Of course, the fins. I would like to mention that there are 2 disciplines that do not require fins, so you can freedive without them in some cases! However, in order to safety your buddy and explore bi-fin freediving, it is highly recommended to get a pair. Depending on the material and stiffness of your fins, your technique will vary to accommodate them, so it's nice to buy a pair that you enjoy the feel of and that compliments your kick. As a beginner, most people go with plastic fins. Why? They are often the least expensive. They're a nice choice for those who are just getting into the sport and aren't sure they want to pursue freediving fully. If you decide to take a course and start freediving recreationally, you may want to upgrade. The material that is higher quality than plastic would be an inexpensive fiberglass blade. Fiberglass will offer you better propulsion than plastic and aren't much more expensive typically. Although, If you know that you are going to be diving relatively often, I would skip the fiberglass and go straight to carbon as it is the material of choice for almost all professional divers. Once you change to carbon, it is hard to go back to plastic or fiberglass.
An underrated piece of equipment will be your actual buoy and line set up. I cannot stress how important this is. Many divers will make their own inadequate setups with clear safety hazards or old equipment. You don't want this to be the case. The buoy you want to be strong and secure. You want the material to be strong enough to support your bottom weight and extra gear and have a very little stretch. The bottom weight and stopper ball should be bought from an official freedive reseller to ensure it will last you and doesn't need to be frequently replaced. With that being said, do not make any safety equipment such as pulleys and lanyards by yourself, it is simply not worth the risks that come with it. That being said, never be afraid to tell your dive buddy that you don't feel comfortable on their setup.
If you are new to freediving, you might think that any old mask and snorkel will do the job. While yes, you can get by with a generic mask and snorkel, it's worth the extra few dollars to invest in freediving specific gear. Scuba or snorkeling masks often are high volume and will require more effort to equalize. We recommend finding a lower volume mask that will make equalization more efficient as well as last you through the years. As for a snorkel, I would recommend a basic “J-tube” snorkel with a very flexible material. Stiff tubes and wide mouthpieces will make your breath up less pleasurable. It will also be worth it to find a snorkel that floats or has a float attachment as we often take our snorkel on and off many times within a session.
As a casual snorkeler, there is not much need for a dive watch. However, once you begin exploring depth, a dive watch is an indisputable piece of equipment to always have with you. Not only to track progress but for safety as well. You can track your surface interval time, your depth and dive time, time your fellow divers properly on their own dives and utilize alarms to indicate which phase of the dive you are on. You don't need to break the bank in order to purchase your own. You can get a great watch with basic functions for less than 200 USD. If you are getting serious about your diving, there are mid-range options that range around 300-500 USD or the high-end 500-1000USD watches with top-of-the-line technology that is sought after by all deep freedivers.
Remember, the poor man buys twice. Once you've made your investments in gear, the most important thing to make it last will be to take care of it! You must not forget to make purchases that will aid you on your freediving journey. You want to buy high-quality products as well as take time to rinse and properly store your gear.
Buy a reef-safe lubricant for your wetsuit (depending on the material) so that you don't risk tearing and damaging it once you've gotten out of the water. Soak it well in fresh water and hang it to dry properly. In case of tears, invest in a high-quality neoprene glue and prevent further damage. To protect your suit from cracking and wearing in the elements, invest in a decent rash guard for between dives or for shallow sessions. Sun damage is one of the quickest ways to ruin a good wetsuit.
Have tight foot pockets on your fins? Invest in a shoehorn and/or silicon grease to prevent them from loosening. A fitted foot pocket means less energy loss on dives. If you aren't going to be diving deep or would like to train your kicking and efficiency, it would be worth it to invest in a short pair of swimmer/training fins as well.
A freediver's equipment is an extension of their diving. Most of the pros are very specific with what equipment they dive with and why. To start investing in equipment yourself, begin with research about each product and speak with some freediver that you know about why they chose the equipment they use themselves.