Upcoming classes (Place deposit through “store” link)
Freediver: Cost $550 ($275 Refresher)
This program teaches fundamental Freediving techniques for comfortable enjoyment in the aquatic world to depths of 20m / 66ft. You will also practice Static Apnea to help develop your breath-holding abilities and in-water comfort.
Your PFI Freediver course will cover fundamental topics such as:
• Essential Safety procedures for Breath-Holding at Freediver Level
• Proper Breathing Techniques for Freediving and Snorkeling
• Confined-Water skill development i.e. Static Apnea
• Open-Water skill development i.e. technique for Deep Diving!
• Equalization for Deep Diving
• Equipment for Freediving and Snorkeling
• The fundamental Physics & Physiology of Freediving—what happens to your body at depths!
Course Syllabus
Level 1 Safety & Problem Management
Freediving Equipment
Physics and Physiology for the Level 1 Freediver
Freediving Technique Development
Correct Breathing for Freediving
Breathing and Breath-Hold Technique Development
Intermediate Freediver: Cost $850 ($425 Refresher)
Learn to freedive down to a maximum depth of 40m/132 feet!
The PFI Intermediate Freediver course instructs competent and comfortable freedivers in essential safety and problem management for breath-hold diving, with a high emphasis on proper technique development. This program also includes details on training and equipment for diving to depths of 40 meters/132 feet. Instructors will cover the following topics:
- Intermediate Safety and Buddy Procedures
- Proper Ventilation for Gas Saturation and Volume
- Equipment for Performance Freediving
- Psychological Aspects of Freediving
- Detailed Physics and Physiology of Freediving
- Confined-Water Static Apnea Development
- Open-Water Constant Ballast Development
- Techniques for Intermediate Freediving
IS THIS COURSE FOR YOU?
- You have basic experience in scuba, freediving, and/or spearfishing
- You’re interested in freediving in the 25-40m/80-132 feet range
- You’d like to learn to hold your breath between 3-5 minutes
- You’re not sure of extended freediving physiology or the physics that affect you during your freedives and want to know the details
- You want to learn how to safely deep dive
SKILLS
There are many skills which will be practiced repeatedly, simulated, and taught throughout the duration of every course. It should be noted that in order to pass course, a student must complete all the classroom sessions as well as the pool and ocean sessions. In accordance with participation, a student will receive a certificate based on the skills and objectives they complete, even if it is lower than the course they are currently taking. There are pool and ocean qualifications to pass each PFI course. If a student only wants to pass the pool section, the instructors at PFI are happy to accommodate but will need to be informed before the class begins. At the end of the Intermediate Freediver course, a student will be able to perform:
- Adequate safe buddy skills, showing how to perform a rescue to PFI standards
- Prepare gear without the instructor’s help
- Perform a 3:00 static in the pool with opportunity to increase to maximum capacity
- Dive with proper technique to 25 meters constant weight and free immersion using the PFI method of entrance and exit with proper recovery breathing
- If only receiving pool certificate, must complete 50 meter dynamic plus the 3:00 static
CLASSROOM
- Attend all classroom teaching sessions
- Stretching and equalizing workshops
- CO2 and 02 training workshops
- Complete all quizzes in manual
- Complete pre learning quiz before class
- Pass final with 80 percent or more
WATERMANSHIP & STAMINA
- Prepare freediving equipment without instructor assistance
- Proper entry procedure (select best local option)
- 100 meter continuous swim without fins, snorkel, wetsuit, or flotation
- Minimum of five minute tread
CONFINED WATER
- Minimum of four consecutive static breath-holds without any hypoxic symptoms minimum 3:00
- Recovery breathing and coaching
- Pool only: Minimum of three dynamic performances
- Pool only: Complete a minimum 50m dynamic apnea
- Manage LMC, blackout on surface and underwater
- Finding blackout diver on surface
- Negative pressure dives
OPEN WATER
- Recovery breathing and coaching for buddy
- Eight constant ballast dives reaching minimum 25m/82ft using proper entrance and exit
- Emergency rescue and problem management (rescue scenarios), surface and underwater
- Including LMC, blackout at surface and underwater
- Full mask flood and ascent from 10m/33 feet
- Eight free immersion dives to 25m/82 feet
- Weight belt removal and ascent from 10m/33 feet
FORMAT / DURATION – 4-DAYS
This course is taught by highly trained PFI Instructors at locations all over the world.
The PFI Intermediate Freediver course includes:
- Classroom Sessions
- 2 Confined Water sessions
- 3 Open Water sessions
The schedule and layout/order of these sessions vary slightly by location. The program is typically run over 4 days.
PREREQUISITES
- Freediver course or equivalent experience with freediving, spearfishing, or scuba diving (general comfort in the water)
- You have basic freediving experience and can achieve depths anywhere from 6–30m/20–99 feet with relative comfort
- You have a breath-hold time of around one minute or longer
- Good health and fitness—check the PFI Medical Form
- 12 years of age with guardian permission
- Constant Ballast (unassisted freedive) of 6 meters/20 feet
WHAT TO BRING: BASIC SNORKELING AND SCUBA EQUIPMENT CAN BE USED BUT WE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT FREEDIVING SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT IS USED FOR THIS COURSE.
For this course, each diver is responsible for bringing his or her own equipment:
- Mask, snorkel, fins
- Full wetsuit (3mm for warm water locations; 5-7mm for cold water locations)
- Rubber weight belt and small number weights
- Timing device or Freedive Computer
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Your PFI Advanced Freediver course will cover topics such as:
- Safety and Buddy Procedures for Advanced Freediving
- Equipment for Advanced Freediving & Competitions
- Psychological Aspects of Advanced Freediving & Competitive Freediving
- Land & Confined-Water Training and Evaluation Programs
- Freediving Competition Standards & Procedures
- Advanced Static Apnea
- Advanced Dynamic Apnea (depending on location)
- Open Water Constant Ballast Development & Training (60m maximum depth)
Is this course for you?
- You’re an experienced comfortable freediver and have completed the PFI Intermediate Freediver course
- You’ve completed an Intermediate Freediver level course with another recognized agency PLUS have completed the PFI Freediver Crossover Exam
- You’re interested in a program with a high level of focus on technique development and open water constant ballast training
- You want to learn advanced level training programs and have a desire to train in a safe and highly supervised environment
Format/Duration
This course is taught by highly trained PFI Instructors at locations all over the world. The PFI Advanced Freediver course includes, at a minimum:
- Classroom: 22 hours
- Confined water: 10 hours
- Open water: 15 hours
Skills
Some of the skills a student will be able to perform at the end of the PFI Advanced Freediver course are:
- Working in a safety team
- Adequate safe buddy skills, performing a rescue to PFI standards
- Prepare gear without help of instructor
- Perform a minimum 4-minute static in the pool with opportunity to increase to maximum capacity
- Dive with proper technique to a minimum of 40m/132 ft constant weight and free immersion using PFI methods of entrance and exit with proper recovery breathing and without hypoxic symptoms
Prerequisites
- PFI Intermediate Freediver certification or equivalent with PFI Intermediate Freediver Crossover Exam
- Comfort with intermediate level freediving depths, anywhere from 25–40m/82–132 ft
- Static breath-hold time of three minutes or longer
Course Components
Classroom
- Attend all classroom teaching sessions
- Stretching and Equalizing workshops
- CO2 and O2 training workshops
- All equipment workshops
- Complete all quizzes in manual
- Complete pre learning quiz before class
Watermanship and Stamina
- Prepare freediving equipment without instructor assistance
- Proper entry procedure (select best local option)
- 200-meter continuous swim without fins, snorkel, wetsuit, or flotation
Confined Water
- Minimum of four consecutive static breath-holds without any hypoxic symptoms minimum 4:00
- Recovery breathing and coaching
- Manage LMC, blackout on surface and underwater
- Finding blackout diver on surface
- Negative pressure dives
Open Water
- Recovery breathing and coaching for buddy
- 12 target free immersion dives reaching minimum 40m/132ft using proper entrance and exit procedures
- Emergency rescue and problem management (rescue scenarios), surface and underwater as a Safety Team
- Including LMC, blackout at surface and underwater
- Full mask flood and ascent at depth of 20 m/66 ft
- Weight removal and ascent from 20 m/ 66 ft
Equipment Used:
- Low Volume Mask—fluid goggles and/or nose clip optional
- Snorkel
- Full Hooded Wetsuit (3mm for warm water locations; 5-7mm for cold water locations)
- Rubber weight belt and weights in .5-1Kg/1-2lb increments
- Freediving bi-fins or monofin—if using a monofin for target dives, also bring bi-fins for Safety Freediver training
- Freediving computer plus an additional waterproof timing device
- Lanyard
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Spearfishing 1: Cost $150 ($180 w/optional pool session)
An introduction to the world of spearfishing. This class will discuss how to safely and legally start harvesting food from our oceans. You will get familiar with all of the gear and how to use/care for it and then go out and practice shooting targets and re-rigging your setup.
Outline:
-Regulations
-Hazards
-Gear
-Sustainability/ethical harvest
-Practical application
Spearfishing 2:
Take your skills to the next level. Learn alternate ways to run your setup, from tying your own bands to rigging breakaways for your next tuna adventure. This class focuses on safety and will give you time in the classroom rigging gear and time in the water putting it to use harvesting fish!
The PFI Introduction to Freediving course is an experience program that educates curious audiences on safety and problem management of freediving and breath-holding. This program does not include specific skills development or certification, but provides a foundation for people who want understand the benefits of freediving before taking a recreational freediving course. This course teaches:
- Safety and Problem Management for Apnea Training
- Near Blackout and Blackout Management
- Introduction to Static Apnea (maximum 2:00)
- Introduction to Dynamic Apnea (maximum 25m/82’)
Is this course for you?
- You are interested in understanding the basics of freedive training and technique
This entry level certification course is for individuals wishing to learn the basics of surface snorkeling or limited skin dives for the purpose of enjoying the underwater realm in a safe, knowledgeable and comfortable manner.
The objective of this course is to train individuals in the benefits, skills, techniques and safety & problem management for snorkeling to depth no greater than 5m / 16’.
The PFI Safe Buddy program is designed to educate uncertified Freedivers, and aquatic minded persons, in the Safety and rescue techniques necessary for Breath-holding. This program will help to increase safety awareness during recreational breath-holding/freediving activities. This course does not include any instruction on increasing Freediving performances or improving personal freediving technique. This course teaches:
- Safety and Problem Management for Apnea Training
- Near Blackout and Blackout Management
The following classes are available by appointment or request:
Refunds and Cancellations
STUDENT RESCHEDULE OR CANCELLATIONS (PFI/NAUI)
Because The Oregon Freediving Company has the highest commitment to quality courses with small instructor to student ratios, we book our instructors in advance and are unable to issue refunds for cancellations on the course. However, we can issue a credit on account (with administration fees) if you need to reschedule your course date. The fee schedule is as follows:
- More than 14 days notice: you can move to another course location and/or date with only a $75 administration fee. You can log into your account and cancel/change the course yourself.
- Less than 14 days notice: you can move to another course location and/or date with an administration fee of 25% of the total course cost. You will need to contact your instructor to have this done.
- 7 days notice: you can move to another course location and/or date with an administration fee of 50% of the total course cost. You will need to contact your instructor to have this done.
- Less than 7 days notice or no notice: you may lose your full course payment. Please contact your instructor to have this done.
If you are registered for a course that requires additional fees (such as hotel and travel) and we are not given at least 2 weeks notice of change, then such fees may be deducted from your course deposit as well as any change fee.
If we have to cancel a course due to conditions or instructor health we will make every effort to reschedule as soon as possible with the same group of students and you will have the option to bump to any future equivalent course already on the calendar.
Your credit will be with the instructor through which your original course was booked.