A handful of fundamental skills carry every freedive. None of them are hard to understand, but all of them take practice — which is exactly what a course gives you. Here are the core skills every beginner learns.
Relaxation & breathing
Freediving starts above the surface. Slow, relaxed breathing lowers your heart rate and calms your nervous system before you dive. You'll learn a long, gentle exhale and a final relaxed breath — never hyperventilation, which is dangerous. Tension is the enemy; relaxation is the skill.
Equalization
As you descend, water pressure squeezes your ears and you must equalize to relieve it. Beginners often start with the Valsalva technique (gently pushing against a pinched nose), but freedivers quickly move to the Frenzel technique, which is more efficient and works at depth. Learning to equalize early, often, and hands-free is one of the biggest limiters for new freedivers — and one of the most rewarding to crack.
Duck dive & finning
The duck dive is how you go from floating to descending: a smooth, efficient bend at the hips that points you down without splashing. Combine it with relaxed, full-leg finning using long blades, and you glide rather than thrash. Good technique conserves oxygen — efficiency, not effort, is the goal.
Recovery breathing & safety
After surfacing, recovery breaths (short, sharp "hook" breaths) quickly restore oxygen — this is a trained skill that helps prevent surface blackouts. And every one of these skills is practised with a buddy watching. Read Freediving Safety and the Buddy System next, then find a coach in Anilao to learn them properly in the water.