Cant find a location? The online Surf Apnea course is a super convenient, high end training tool that can be accessed anywhere, any time. Buy it now and start levelling up your breath hold game immediately. Alternatively if your interested in our locally run courses, reach out and we’ll tee something up.
Elevate Your Breath Hold Skills
Designed for surfers and non-surfers alike, the Surf Apnea course accommodates all levels, from beginners to seasoned athletes. The training focuses on:
- Building resilience and calmness during stressful water scenarios.
- Extending breath hold duration under pressure.
- Improving decision-making in high-stakes environments.
Whether you’re navigating the chaos of a wave hold down or seeking greater control in everyday stressors, this course equips you with the tools to stay calm, centered, and in control.
Key Learnings and Techniques
This course bridges cutting-edge science with practical application, teaching you:
- The human dive response and how it aids survival underwater.
- Techniques to manage the urge to breathe and extend your comfort in breath hold scenarios.
- Breathing and relaxation strategies to improve oxygenation and recovery.
- Static apnea (stationary breath holds), dynamic apnea (breath holds while swimming), and hypercapnia-based training to simulate real-life scenarios without the risks of low oxygen levels.
- Protocols for water safety, including buddy training and emergency response.
Topics covered
- Physiological adaptations to breath holding.
- Stress and fear management in the water.
- Practical tools to enhance self-awareness and self-control.
- Safety protocols for solo and supervised training.
The Elemental connection
This course embodies the elemental pillars of Air and Water, essential to navigating breath holds and managing aquatic stress:
- Air: Breathing is the gateway to calm under pressure. Master breath control techniques to regulate your nervous system, reduce fear, and make clear decisions even in challenging conditions.
- Water: Experience the transformative power of navigating surfing hold downs with poise and precision. Learn to stay calm and extend breath holds in dynamic underwater environments, fostering both mental and physical resilience.
Together, these elements teach participants to harness the power of breath and water to thrive in intense situations, whether in the surf or everyday life.
Who Should Attend?
While especially valuable for surfers aiming to improve their ability to handle hold downs, this course has broad appeal:
- Non-surfers seeking tools for stress and fear management.
- Athletes and first responders looking to enhance performance under pressure.
- Professionals requiring high-level decision-making skills in stressful environments.
No matter your background, you’ll leave with a toolkit to build confidence, resilience, and adaptability across all areas of life.
Why choose the Surf Apnea course?
Developed through years of rigorous research and input from freedivers, surfers, and first responders worldwide, the Surf Apnea Face-to-Face Course is the most effective and efficient way to develop robust breath-holding skills. Our constantly updated training reflects the latest scientific insights, ensuring you learn only what is essential to success.
This course is your gateway to mastering the breath hold journey, building confidence, and thriving under pressure. Level up your breath hold, face challenges with resilience, and discover the power of Air and Water to transform your life.
Join us today and become part of a global community mastering the art of breath and water.
Course Details
Prerequisites:
- Ability to swim 100 meters unassisted (fins permitted).
- Must be 18 years or older.
What to Bring:
- Swim goggles (not a dive mask).
- Surf wetsuit, swimwear, or board shorts.
- Optional: Bodyboard-style fins for non-swimmers.
- Thermal protection for pool sessions, as the body cools significantly during static breath holds.
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.
