Have you seen some of the videos and pictures of sexy freediving wetsuits and people competitive freediving? That is the New World of freediving that you may have been exposed to. Freediving is becoming a bigger sport every day. The schools, camps, and competitions are opening up around the world. Have you been yearning to get wet and experience the sport yourself? We'll talk about why Hawaii is the best place to learn to freedive.
Why Kona, Hawaii is the best place to learn freediving:
The Water
The Land
The People
Zoe is an identical twin. Her sister is an Fii level 2 freediver and spearfisherwoman. To keep up Zoe decided to take our level 1 freediver course. Zoe is the general manager of Ali’I Adventures a business that provides tours and rentals for people looking to enjoy the many adventure opportunities on the Big Island. Watch the video to find out why Zoe took the level 1 freediver course and what she got out of it.
If you're looking for the best place in the United States to learn to freedive Hawaii is it. This is due to a confluence of factors the primary one being the water. Big Island of Hawaii is particularly good for freediving and that is why many of the world's best freedivers live here. Here are the reasons why Hawaii is the best place to freediver in the United States.
The water
Hawaii is an island chain located in the middle of the Pacific ocean. It is the farthest from any other landmass of anything in the world. This means we are very remote. It also means that the islands are subject to swells and ocean conditions from far away. Many of the Hawaiian Islands are subject to larger swells like the North Shore of Oahu where the big wave surfing is very good. Other islands like Kauai have very rough waters year round due to their exposure to the ocean swell. The Big Island of Hawaii is unique in the island chain. For one thing it is huge so it has a large long coast that's well protected. It also has protection and shelter from the other islands. Large ocean swells will impact the other islands and shadow the Big Island's western coast.
The calmness of the waters here in Kona make it the best place to learn to freedive Hawaii. We have many bays that are protected from the north and from the south that allow us to get access to deep water easily and experience near Lake like conditions protected from ocean swell. This is the primary reason why it is the best place to learn to freedive Hawaii. Also due to the calmness we have very clear water. This means you can see the bottom easily even in great depths. We truly are spoiled by our nice ocean conditions.
The land
The Big Island of Hawaii is basically a giant mountain volcano sticking out of the ocean. If you take the bottom of the volcano to the very top it is the world's largest mountain. This means that the sides of our island are very steep. You can swim out a very short distance out from shore and achieve deep depths very easily. This makes the Big Island of Hawaii and ideal destination for freedivers looking for deeper depths to train.
Additionally the Big Island of Hawaii also has many amenities available that you will not find in other great freediving destinations. We have first world amenities like the post office, Costco, the postal service and much more. If you're big into hiking or exploring on land the Big Island is great for that. You can live here all your life and not see the entire island. Kona specifically is one of the best places to learn to freedive Hawaii because of the abundance of freediving instructors and the presence of Kona freedivers. Kona freedivers was founded by competitive freediver Byron Kay. Byron was trained by world champion freediver Martin Stepanek. Martin also lives in Kona along with other world champion freedivers.
The People
Once you have taken your level one freediving course you are ready to begin training. Kona has a regular freediving group that was founded by Byron's mother-in-law Annabelle Edwards. Annabelle has been competitively diving for 20 years and runs a group that meets locally to train every week. Once you get your level I certification you are able to train with this group.
Many people will come from around the world to train here. Not only to train but also to play because Kona has some of the best wildlife and freediving terrain in the world. As a trained and certified freediver you will find an abundance of other divers wanting to go explore Kona’s many swim-throughs and caves. There are charters available that can take you offshore to swim with giant cetaceans like sperm whales, pilot whales and much more.
For those who are more spiritually inclined there are lots of opportunities for yoga and meditation here on the Big Island. The combination of yoga and freediving is a popular one that draws many people together.
Training is another big aspect of competitive freediving and its critical to have others to train with on your freediving journey. Kona Freedivers offers training opportunities for divers looking to work on their freediving technique and confidence. Learn to freedive Hawaii with us and we will show you why Kona is the best place to freedive in the United states.
Competitions for freediving are held occasionally here in Kona. We have depth and pool competitions and they are fun for both competitors and onlookers. If you’ve ever wanted to challenge yourself, competitive freediving is a great way to see what you’re made of.
Spearfishing Kona is also a popular activity. Spearfishing with other trained and certified freedivers is a great way to get exercise, have fun, and get some food for the table all at once. It’s like going to the gym, the shooting range, and the movie theatre all at once! Talk about multitasking.
If you’re looking to learn to freedive Hawaii give us a call! (808)324-4668
About the Author
Byron Kay is a freediving instructor and the founder of Kona Freedivers and owner of Kona Honu Divers as well as Kona Snorkel Trips. They stand out as Hawaii's top rated and most reviewed businesses among their peers having a perfect 5 star rating on google. To learn more about Byron and his latest goings on visit his bio page.