I Just Passed My First Freediving Course — What Equipment Should I Buy?
Congratulations — you've done your Wave 1, SSI Level 1, PADI freediver, AIDA 2, Apnea Total etc. etc. and you're officially hooked. Now comes the question every new freediver asks their instructor within about five minutes of certifying: what gear do I actually need to buy?
The good news is you don't need a lot. Freediving is refreshingly low on kit compared to scuba. The bad news is that making the wrong choices early on can slow your progress, or worse, put you off a technique you were just starting to get comfortable with. Here's what actually matters, in the order it matters.
START WITH A LOW VOLUME MASK
If you're still wearing the rental mask from your course, this is priority one. Standard snorkelling and scuba masks hold far more air than you need, which means more equalizing, more effort, and more oxygen burned before you've even left the surface. Equalising is the single biggest barrier for freediving progression and massive masks make it even harder for beginners.
A proper low volume freediving mask, like the DIVE SELKIE mask, cuts internal air volume right down — ours sits at just 65cc — so equalizing takes less effort and you save the oxygen you'll actually need at depth. Look for tempered glass lenses for reliable, distortion-free vision.
The fit of the mask is personal to every face but look for three things to begin: a soft silicone skirt that seals properly across different face shapes, a wide strap that applies pressure across the whole back of the head, and adjustable buckles you can adjust quickly without fumbling underwater.
To test the fit there are two methods: 1. press the mask against your face, if a small amount of suction holds it there for a while then it's likely a decent fit. 2. measure the distance between the outer edges of your eyes - if it's 110mm or less the mask will likely fit. Remember, a mask may leak slightly on the surface but once underwater the pressure will likely create a good dry seal.
This is the one piece of kit we tell every student to upgrade first!
NEXT, GET FINS THAT TEACH YOU TECHNIQUE, NOT JUST PROPULSION
Your instinct after a course is probably to go straight for the sexy long fins you see on instagram, or the cheapest plastic fins Decathlon has to offer. Resist these impulses. At this stage, your body is learning the fundamentals — soft ankles, pointed toes, a kick driven from the hip rather than the knee. A rigid plastic blade will let you get away with sloppy form because the fin does the work for you. Long fins already require great technique to work well. Both are very tough on ankles, calves and quads.
A full-silicone short fin flexes naturally with every kick, so bad habits get corrected early instead of buried. That technique transfers directly when you eventually move up to longer fibreglass or carbon blades down the line. Silicone fins are also easily small/flexible enough for carry-on luggage so if your next dive trip involves a flight, that's one less thing to think about.
If you keep diving and training, eventually reaching expert level, you'll keep coming back to your silicone fins. The feel, the comfort and the convenience make them incredibly versatile and even top professionals regularly train in silicone short fins; world record holder Alexey Molchanov even dove to 102m in his.
So, our advice is to spend a little bit more buying silicone short fins over cheap plastic. You'll pay a more upfront but the fins will last a lifetime and make you a better diver.
DON'T OVERTHINK YOUR SNORKEL
Snorkels are essential to properly observe demonstrations from your instructor underwater, help with a breathe-up, safety properly in the pool and have fun on the reef after training is done!
But, don't waste your money. Avoid all the fancy features: purge valves, dry-top splash guards, flexible corrugated hoses etc. None of it belongs in freediving. Just look for a simple short snorkel with a comfortable mouthpiece. Ideally get a flexible silicone one - it will be more comfortable when worn under the mask strap against your head and will create less drag in the water when you dive.
A WETSUIT - BUT ONLY WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU NEED
Wetsuits are worth mentioning, but we'd hold off recommending a specific one until you know the local water temperature you'll dive in. Open-cell freediving wetsuits offer better insulation and less drag than standard scuba suits, but they're a bigger investment and harder to size correctly online. Most new divers get more value out of nailing their mask and fins first, then renting or borrowing a suit for a season before committing.
WEIGHT BELT AND WEIGHTS
Weights are there to make life easier by overcoming our natural buoyancy earlier in the dive, but we need to know the correct amount for our bodies and wetsuits. Do a buoyancy test with your instructor to find the correct weight for you (generally somewhere from 1kg to 2kg). While not too expensive, 9 times out of 10 you'll be able to borrow a belt/weights from someone or your school and carrying your own weights around is a pain. Only buy if you have to and look for the cheapest silicone belt and lead weights.
WHAT YOU DON'T NEED YET
- Long fibreglass or carbon fibre fins. Brittle, expensive, challenging technique and built for depths most new divers aren't at yet.
- A dive computer. Worrying about depth as a new freediver is actually counter-productive and will likely create stress/tension that stops you equalising. Let your instructor set the depth and just focus on relaxing and equalising.
- A nose clip. It's more comfortable for beginners to dive with a mask. Wearing a nose clip means either no goggles (so no vision underwater) or very expensive goggles. Just wear a low-volume mask you can easily equalise.
Buying too much too soon is one of the most common (and expensive) mistakes new freedivers make. Build your kit as your diving demands it, not before, and get things that will last.
THE SIMPLE STARTING KIT
| Item | Why You Need It Now | Upgrade Later? |
|---|---|---|
| Low volume mask | Easier equalizing | Rarely — a good one lasts years |
| Silicone fins | Builds correct technique, travels easily | Eventually to long fins once technique is ready. |
| Simple snorkel | Surface breathing without added drag or bulk | No — simple stays best |
| Wetsuit | Comfort and warmth | Once you know your conditions |
| Weights/belt | If you cannot borrow | No |
QUESTIONS NEW FREEDIVERS ASK US A LOT
Do I really need a low volume mask, or will my scuba mask do? Technically you can dive with a standard mask, but you'll be working harder to equalize and using more oxygen doing it. A low volume mask is one of the cheapest ways to genuinely dive better, straight away.
Should I buy long carbon fins as soon as I've finished my course? No! Carbon fins are unforgiving of poor technique and expensive to replace if damaged. A flexible silicone short fin is a better investment while you're still building your technique and muscles.
What's the benefit of a silicone fin over a plastic one at this stage? Plastic is stiff and lets you compensate for bad form. Silicone flexes with your kick, so it corrects those habits early — which pays off for years, not just your first few dives. Plastic is a short-term money saving measure, while silicone fins are the smart long-term investment.
Is it worth buying a mask and fins together? If you're buying both anyway, a bundle is usually the better value option — and it means you know the two are designed to work well together from day one.
You don't need a garage full of gear to become a better freediver, you need the right two or three pieces, chosen properly. Start with a mask that makes equalizing effortless and fins that teach you to move the way freediving actually demands, and the rest of your kit will fall into place as your diving does.
Start with the DIVE SELKIE freediving starter set; the ideal mask and fins for beginners together at 15% off.