The Apnea Survival Instructor training can be delivered privately or remotely using a flexible blend of online, live zoom, video or in person face to face training,
Who is the course for?
Anyone who wishes to teach our innovative breath holding, breathing and stress control methods.
Do you have an existing coaching or instructing certification or possess a reasonable aquatic skill set? If so, our Instructor training program may be a perfect compliment for your existing suite of tools or a great first step in your quest to pass on knowledge to others. We’ll teach you to deliver training that provides benefits not only for dealing with surfing hold downs but also enhancing health and performance and stress control across all manner of disciplines. Our Apnea Survival Instructor training will also give you a very unique point of difference by enabling you to deliver cutting edge breath hold, breathing and stress control education that can be integrated into any facet of life.
Breathing and Apnea training is a ‘secret weapon’ for health and performance-based disciplines and can be an awesome asset for coaches who wish to arm themselves with tools to boost their clients psychophysiological performance adaptations, provide high intensity but low impact conditioning options, with low injury risk or and create fun, low impact rehab alternatives, improve decision making, instill calm under pressure, improve stress control, general coping skills, vagal toning, nervous system function and sleep.
All Surf Apnea and CWI training techniques are suitable for water based athletes like surfers, but also with general populations. Such as, mature aged folk, people with physical disabilities / injuries, ball sports codes like Aussie rules and Rugby league or corporate team building and mental health events. Our teachings have been used by corporate organisations, allied health professionals, community support workers, specialist first responders, military and fighting sports. Which is testament the broad relevance of the training’s content and attesting to its value adding ability.
Flexible delivery alternatives
All our Instructor training can be delivered in a private, blended and flexible combination of online, live zoom, and video presentations or in person. The Full Apnea Survival Instructor training (which includes the Surf apnea course, Breath FX – functional breathing and Cold Water Immersion Instructor) comprising 4-5 days live or face to face deliver plus 40 hours of online learning. We may also offer a RPL process for existing freediving instructors and validated subject matter expert.
Once you have paid for the course , access to the online the learning material is provided and you can start your learning immediately. Then you can shoot us an email and we’ll discuss options to complete the live zoom or face to face components of the certification.
The Apnea Survival Instructor training is a deep immersion into our teachings requiring the development of knowledge and commitment to our training and philosophies and a bit of skin in the game to complete. This process ensures all Apnea Survival Instructors develop a high degree of knowledge and skill relative to the content they will be delivering and acquire teaching skills enabling them to contextualise the practical application of our teachings .
Although a moderate level of water-based competence is required to complete all water based assessments, but don’t let this deter you from getting started. You have twelve months to complete these. Rest assured, if you’ve done the pre course learning, and are prepared to apply those teachings and commit to doing a bit of work, you’ll pass the 3 physical prerequisites you will successfully complete this training. If for what ever reason you choose not to or are not able to complete the water based prerequisites. We will issue you with a Hybrid land based certification.
Physical Prerequisite
(Assessed on any face to face course)
- 3.30 minute static breath hold.
- 50M under water pool swim (dynamic no fins – on a single breath).
- 100M over under drill. (25M freestyle + 25M underwater + 25M freestyle + 25M underwater). Performed with no breaks at a firm pace.
The physical components are moderately challenging feats but they are not difficult to accomplish with some commitment and training. People who do our 1 day Surf Apnea course progress their breath holds to this level within a few months, by simply applying the techniques we teach them on that course. We allow 12 months (from the date you started your course) for the you to meet the water based requirements and submit video evidence of their completion. Upon which we will issue your certification. We’ ll also provide you with any support and training tips, etc to get you up to speed.
Online materials & assessment requirements
Online registration is available 24/7 and can be undertaken at any time prior to completing the live zoom / face to face requirements. (Learning material will be released – once you have registered and we have received full payment).
- Online training materials
- Multiple choice theory exam – 80% pass mark
Classroom teach backs and presentations
(Subjects and any case studies are provided upon scheduling of the live zoom / face to face training. The classroom presentations can be delivered / submitted via video recording, live zoom, or in person).
- Physiology presentation (video / live zoom / face to face)
- Deliver – Pool based drill (video / live zoom / face to face)
- Deliver – Land based drill (video / live zoom / face to face)
- Deliver – Pool based training session (case study in writing / video / live zoom / face to face)
- Conduct – Functional breathing assessment (video / live zoom / face to face)
What you get
Registered Instructor candidates and existing Instructors are able to attend any of our courses or trainings free of charge and assist on courses in order to gain further delivery experience.
Gear required on face to face workshop
- Swim goggles and dive mask (provided)
- appropriate wetsuit (freediving or surfing 3 to 4mm) plus swimmers or board shorts
- Use of swim fins is not permitted for instructor candidates
Some of the pools we use are outdoors and not heated (15-20°C). We will be in the pool each mornings for 3-4 hours. Be sure to come prepared with suitable wetsuit, swimmers and sun protection appropriate to the course location.
Water Safety
NOTE: Never undertake breath hold training in the water alone! No water based drill should be attempted with out the direct supervision of a competent buddy who is a responsible and competent adult.
Before undertaking any drills you will learn how to perform as a buddy and how to respond to in water emergencies like loss of motor control and black outs (although this training if conducted how we direct poses no more risk than normal freestyle lap swimming). The course content covers off on this information to ensure you have some preparedness should you ever encounter an unconscious person in the water).
Despite the element of perceived danger surrounding breath hold activities our training protocols are very safe and involve no more risk than conventional freestyle lap swimming. This is because we do not use hypoxia (Low O2) based drills. Instead we use hypercapnia (high CO2) to stimulate a strong urge to breath way before there is any risk of you lowering your oxygen levels to critical levels.
