Katrina Julia

Oct 14, 20216 min read

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.

Freediving in Honduras with Roatan Freediving

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

Roatan Freediving School & Training Center

Esteban Darhanpe, originally from Argentina brought freediving to Roatan years ago.

Since being in Honduras, Esteban and Roatan Freediving have certified freedivers from all around the world, and hosted the AIDA International Freediving competition and Caribbean Cup Freediving Competition.

Roatan Freediving is incredible. Regina answered several questions in advance of my freediving. With their level of professionalism, safety and enjoyment, I highly recommend them!

Adventures include:

AIDA Intro and Courses
APNEA Courses
PADI Courses
Shark Dive
Underwater Cinematography

The underwater adventure lover is exposed to extensive options from intro to freediving to certification courses to advanced and instructor certifications.

There is an adventure for everyone!

They definitely had me at hello!

My Experiences with Roatan Freediving

This is my first time experiencing freediving and having an adventure with Roatan Freediving.

Thanks to my experiences, connecting with Regina, and guides like Marc, it likely won't be my last!

I set up the experience with Regina via Instagram and What's App.

Before my adventure, I reviewed information via the Roatan Freediving website.

It helped me get a glimpse of the freedom focused adventure I would encounter.

Nothing could fully prepare me for the freedom.

Every part of the experience floated me away!

Freediving in Roatan, Honduras

Nothing I ever say will do the freediving experience justice. I will do my best to share the excitement.

Close your eyes. Imagine it is you.

After arriving at Roatan Freediving School and Training Center, I met Regina and Marc. After signing the waiver, I started the theory portion of the course with my instructor, Marc.

We covered the basics of what to expect, entries into the water, and breathing techniques.

Marc helped me get ready with my wetsuit, weight belt, mask, and fins. We left West End in Roatan, Honduras by boat taking a 10 minute boat ride close to West Bay Beach.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

When we arrived at the dive sight, Marc, Ricardo, Esteban and the other instructors set up the buoys and line for diving. While I waited, I filmed videos and practiced breathing.

Once Marc got ready to start the lesson, I jumped in! Step by step, Marc showed me dives, and the types of entry. For the first part of the lesson, we focused on head-first entries, keeping my head focused in front of me, and recovery breathing.

With each and every dive, I got better and better.

I marveled at the calm and freedom I felt challenging myself each time.

The second part of the lesson we transitioned to feet first diving down the line.

I closed my eyes several times on my descend and my ascend.

I loved the feeling of controlling my exhales breathing underwater.

For the final part of our lesson, we practiced what is called the duck dive where you swim leveraging your arms in a super man type position swimming down with your fins without the line.

I loved all the methods for different reasons. The duck dive felt the most free.

I started off diving about 9 feet and progressed to 30 feet throughout my lesson and dives.

Freediving is an individual sport in every way. You are the one who focuses on your breathing before your dive, calmness during your dive, and controlled breathing. Things that impact people freediving include the levels of fear, ability to control the mind, and ability to equalize your ears while diving.

I am able to both naturally equalize and lightly blow in all the types of entry for freediving.