Freediving and scuba diving are two ways in which you can step out of your comfort zone and explore the weird and wonderful underwater world of our oceans. Below we will dive into the differences between the two activities and what to expect from each.

The main difference

This is breath-hold diving versus diving with an air tank. Freedivers will dive down to depths with only the air in their lungs, controlling and maintaining relaxation of the mind and the body to reduce the rate at which oxygen is consumed and allow for a longer time underwater. Scuba divers, on the other hand, explore the underwater world while breathing from a limited external air supply that allows them to stay submerged for an extended period, which is also affected by their ability to stay calm and relaxed. Hence, the name ‘scuba’ which stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.

What does this further entail?

Difference in dive time and depth - Scuba diving can keep you submerged at various depths for up to an hour in some cases, depending on your rate of air consumption. Depths can include anything up to 40 meters (the recreational dive limit) and various alternating profiles and bottom times depending on the dive site. Furthermore, time spent on the surface between dives can impact the depth and NDL (no decompression limit) of your next dive. Alternatively, this surface interval time has no impact when freediving as you are not prone to decompression sickness, however, freediving only allows you to be submerged for up to several minutes at a time, and varies in depth based on personal training and capabilities.

Challenges - Freediving and scuba diving require a certain amount of bravery to step out of your comfort zone and into the unfamiliar abyss of the underwater world. With scuba, you will be learning to how work with equipment to ensure your safety and maintain neutral buoyancy, a concept that is an integral skill of a good scuba diver. With freediving, the physical challenges intertwine with mental strength more prominently as a state of relaxation throughout the dive is essential to improving freediving skills - it can be considered more mentally and physically demanding than scuba diving.

Purpose - Why take on either activity? We imagine for most people it would be to explore what the ocean has to offer, try a new activity, or expand one’s skills. With scuba diving, one’s purpose may lie more with observing underwater life, whereas with freediving, purposes may consist more of pushing physical and mental limits, and exercise.

Equipment - A large part of freediving is the ‘free’ aspect of it. It is to be free of many factors, one of which is all the equipment dawned on by scuba divers. In freediving, the basic equipment needed is a mask, snorkel, fins, and weights. Pretty simple right? In scuba diving, however, the basic set-up includes those that were mentioned in addition to a tank, regulator, and BCD (buoyancy control device). This makes scuba diving a bit more restrictive in terms of physical movements, however is the trade-off for a longer bottom time.

Cost - Freediving can generally be more affordable as there is less equipment and preparation that goes into freediving tours and/or certification courses. However, this also varies based on location. Scuba diving usually costs more than freediving because there is more equipment involved, but this may also change as you acquire your own equipment over time, as with freediving.

In conclusion, both freediving and scuba diving are amazing ways in which you can explore the ocean and observe astounding marine life. Whether the physical and mental challenges of freediving entice you or the maximised time underwater of scuba diving seems tempting, there will always be something available for everyone. Better yet, why not try both?

Written by Kayli Wouters

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