For a new diver, buying freediving gear is the final step, the act that says "I'm committed to enjoying diving." But if you're newly certified, how are you supposed to know what to buy?
Between our advice and your instructor's help, we'll have you outfitted in no time. It's helpful to think of buying gear, the major pieces of life support from https://www.divingkk.net/.
Freediving Mask
The one-pane oval mask of Sea Hunt and those old Bond films is practically a relic. In its place is a variety of styles for a world of faces. Your job: Choose the one right for you.
Freediving Mask creates an air space in front of your eyes that allows them to focus underwater. The nose pocket allows you to equalize the air pressure in your mask as you go deeper.
Snorkel
It seems simple enough: a curved tube that lets you breathe while floating face-down on the surface. Yet, as you look at the giant wall of snorkels at your local dive store, you'll see an array of options and features to choose from. Don't worry. Stay focused on the basics.
As a diver, you primarily use a snorkel to conserve air in your tank when on the water's surface.
Freediving Fins
Fish don't have legs for the simple reason that fins are the best way to move through the water. So if you're going to play in the fish's territory, you need a good set of flippers too.
Freediving Fins translate power from the large leg muscles into efficient movement through water, which is 800 times denser than air.
Comfort and efficiency. When trying on fins, look for a snug fit that doesn't pinch your toes or bind the arches of your feet. If you can't wiggle your toes, the fins are too small.
Suits
Form-fitting exposure suits are usually made of foam neoprene rubber (wetsuits) or spandex-like materials (skins), sometimes with a fleece lining.
Exposure freediving suits insulate you against the cooling effect of water, which can rob your body of heat 25 times faster than air. The thickness and type of exposure protection you need depend on dive conditions. Simple Lycra suits provide little thermal insulation but do help protect against scrapes and stings.
Freediving Watch
Nobody enjoys working the dive tables, but they're an invaluable tool for safe driving. Freediving Watch is an even better tool for the same reason a laptop is better than a slide rule.
By constantly monitoring depth and bottom time, dive computers automatically recalculate your no-decompression status, giving you longer dive times while still keeping you within a safe envelope of no-decompression time. Freediving Watch can also monitor your ascent rate and tank pressure, tell you when it's safe to fly, log your dives, and much more. That's why Freediving Watch is almost as common as depth gauges these days.
