Questions, answered

Freediving is diving underwater on a single held breath — using intentional breathing and relaxation to extend your depth, your time underwater, and your body awareness. Snorkeling is floating and observing from the surface. Freediving is as much about mastering your mind as it is a physical sport.

Scuba divers breathe from a tank, which lets them stay underwater for long stretches. Freedivers dive on one held breath, so training focuses on relaxation, efficient technique, and safety rather than equipment — no tank, no regulator, far less gear.

Taught freediving is. Divers Alert Network incident data shows the overwhelming majority of breath-hold emergencies involve untrained, unsupervised swimmers — not students in structured instruction. Every session is led by a Molchanovs-certified instructor, begins with a medical questionnaire, and follows the one-up-one-down buddy rule: you never train alone, and every student trains as a safety diver first. Risk rises sharply outside that framework — which is exactly why certification exists.

No. Students range from complete beginners to people in their seventies. Freediving isn't about adrenaline or an athletic build — it's about calming your mind and learning good technique. Basic comfort in the water matters far more than raw athleticism.

For relaxation, stress control, travel, and connecting with the ocean — a mental challenge as much as a physical one. Many students find the breathing and relaxation skills carry over into everyday stress and high-pressure situations.

No. Most students arrive with zero freediving background. The Wave 1 course teaches everything from the ground up, starting with breathing and relaxation before any diving — and if you'd rather sample it first, a trial session is the natural entry point.

A single, complete lesson — private or group — with no obligation to continue. Not a demo: you learn the freediving breath, hold your first supervised breath-holds, and leave knowing what the sport feels like.

A lesson is one bookable training session. A course is the structured, multi-session path to Molchanovs certification — completed through either lesson format. Lessons are how you train; the course is the credential.

The Molchanovs Wave (open-water) levels — Wave 1 and Wave 2 — the open-water pathway of the Molchanovs ladder, delivered entirely in NYC. See the courses →

Complete the Molchanovs Wave 1 course: classroom theory combined with in-water practice, ending in a skills and performance assessment that earns an internationally recognized certificate. The first Wave 1 course runs December 5–13, 2026. See dates and standards →

We strongly recommend starting at Wave 1: it covers foundational skills — breathing, blackout rescue, technique — that aren't repeated at higher levels. If you have genuine prior experience, an evaluation session can assess whether you're ready to skip ahead.

General good health, comfort in the water, and the ability to swim. You'll complete a short medical questionnaire before your first session.

Courses are performance-based, not rushed. You're certified when you demonstrate the skills, at your own pace — and adding an extra session to finish is normal, not a failure.

Courses take place in the pool, so depth is limited to the pool and isn't the focus at Wave 1. The course builds breath-hold, horizontal distance, relaxation, and safety skills — the foundation for diving deeper in open water later.

Move on to Molchanovs Wave 2, which adds deeper theory and more advanced in-water standards. Between courses, ongoing private or group lessons keep your skills sharp and your numbers improving.

Yes. Freediving NYC teaches the Molchanovs Wave (open-water) certification levels — Wave 1 and Wave 2 — so you earn the open-water track of the internationally recognized Molchanovs system, delivered right in New York City.

Yes. Molchanovs is an internationally recognized freediving education system, so your certificate is valid for training and diving anywhere in the world.

It lets you train and keep progressing anywhere in the world under a globally recognized system. It also connects you to the worldwide Molchanovs Movement community and makes you eligible for trips, masterclasses, and events reserved for certified freedivers.

You'll complete a medical questionnaire before your first session. If you answer "no" to every question, you can generally proceed. A "yes" answer or any uncertainty means seeing a doctor first and bringing signed clearance to your first session.

Talk to your doctor first. Many people with mild, well-managed conditions can freedive safely, but it needs medical sign-off — and the questionnaire is how we flag it before you're in the water.

No — that's normal pressure discomfort, not a sign you can't freedive. Every course includes a dedicated equalization lesson, and it clicks anywhere from minutes to a couple of months of practice. How equalization works →

Yes — that's exactly what the course teaches. Most students reach a comfortable breath-hold of a few minutes during their first course. Struggling at the start is almost always about relaxation and technique, not a physical limit.

Freediving trains you to control your heart rate through breathwork — which carries into daily life as better stress management, focus, and calm. Regular training also builds lung capacity, strength, and endurance.

Arrive rested and hydrated. Sleep well the night before, eat something light an hour or two ahead, skip alcohol the day before, and go easy on caffeine that morning.

A swimsuit, a towel, and something to write with. The school supplies the freediving gear you need for training, and a dedicated gear lecture helps you decide what's worth buying later. Your confirmation covers entrance, timing, and session structure.

Better not to. Freediving masks are low-volume, which makes equalizing much easier than with a bulkier scuba mask. During the course you can try different masks and fins before deciding what to buy.

Glasses can't be worn under a mask. Soft contact lenses are generally fine, and prescription masks are available if you need stronger correction.

No-fins diving relies entirely on body technique and streamlining rather than propulsion from equipment. It's one of the core disciplines taught progressively through the levels, alongside bi-fin and monofin technique.

Mouthfill is an advanced equalization technique for depth, used once standard Frenzel equalization is no longer enough. It belongs to the depth levels — so it isn't part of Wave 1.

No. Everything you need for the course is provided — try the loaner gear first. Once you know which mask, fins, and suit actually fit you, you'll buy with confidence.

St. Bart's Church pool, 109 East 50th Street, Midtown Manhattan — indoors, 9 feet deep, subway-close, year-round. Tuesday evenings, Saturday mornings and afternoons, Sunday evenings. Locations & schedules →

We publish real numbers, not "contact us for a quote." A trial session is $50; group lessons start at $95 per session with packages down to $75; private lessons start at $200 per session with packages down to $150. Wave 1 certification is $450, Wave 2 is $550 — $900 for both together. See the full grid →

All instructors teach to the same Molchanovs standard, so pick whichever date fits your schedule. If you'd like to choose someone specific, instructor bios are on the about page.

Choose your starting point — a trial session, Wave 1, or lessons if you're already certified — then pick a date directly in our online booking system. One short request through the site, a personal reply usually within a day, and you're in the water with a coach. Book a lesson now →

Or try a free masterclass →