Deep Sensations Freediving invites you to experience thrilling underwater meditation. The company is based in Thirroul and runs courses at locations from Cronulla to Kiama,
Ready to dive in?
Freediving is like scuba diving, minus the equipment. It harnesses breath control and mindfulness to help you explore the ocean.
“It’s a very mindful and meditative practice without feeling like you’ve got to go pump out an hour session of mindfulness,” said Curtis Tredway, the founder and head instructor of Deep Sensations Freediving in Thirroul.
“It’s just a fun and engaging way to interact with water.”
The 26-year-old – who comes from a family of surfers and divers – started out his diving career as a spearfisher, but wanted to switch to a more peaceful activity.
“I grew up spearfishing around the Wollongong area from the age of about 13,” Curtis said.
“That continued until I eventually stopped spearfishing due to not wanting to kill any animals anymore."
A University of Wollongong graduate, Curtis qualified as a PADI divemaster but eventually came to try freediving with his friends due to their lack of scuba certification. He soon fell in love with the sport and quit his government job in tourist marketing to pursue his new passion.
“Then I got curious on how to dive deeper and hold my breath longer and that’s when I really got into the world of freediving,” Curtis said.
“Then I quit my government job and moved to Bali to train in freediving for a number of months.”
Freediving can help improve lung capacity and even a weekend of training can make a difference.
“Frequently, I have people with roughly 30-second breath holds and at the end of a weekend course they can do anywhere from a 1.30 to 2 minutes,” Curtis said.
“It’s not a course where we push you in any way whatsoever.
“We just work with whatever you're capable of and want it to be super fun.”
Freediving can also serve as an alternative to meditation, as finding relaxation while diving enhances both dive quality and peace of mind.
“In today’s society there’s a lot of noise going on and we’re constantly surrounded by information and, being in water, you are forced to disconnect and just be present in nature,” Curtis said.
“It’s just a very liberating and peaceful experience.”
Like all sports, freediving has its risks, such as shallow water blackouts (loss of consciousness) and ear barotrauma (improper ear equalisation). However, these risks can be mitigated or prevented with competent instructors or fellow divers present, Curtis explained.
“People who do get hurt, it's likely because they weren't taking the correct body procedures and weren't with someone who was trained to respond to a blackout,” he said.
“Like all good things, there is that risk, but there's a lot of measures that can be put into place to completely offset that and reduce it.”
Due to minimal equipment, some assume trying freediving without training is doable. Yet, as it's mentally and physically challenging, a skilled instructor can enhance safety and achievement.
“Having an instructor and a coach there who is able to guide you is important because freediving is a very mental thing,” Curtis said.
“A good coach by their side can help kind of unlock that and work through any areas where those negative thought patterns might be coming in.”
The Illawarra is rich in scenic diving spots. Bushrangers Bay, south of Shellharbour Village, is a great spot for beginners.
“It's stunning, really nice for the family, super protected and often calm,” Curtis said.
“You've got lots of marine diversity there, like you've got all the grey nurse sharks that you can swim with.”
For more information on Deep Sensations Freediving, check out their website, Youtube or Facebook.
