Wave 1

Freediving beginner course

Discover the underwater world in the most natural way by holding your breath

In this course, you will get all the basis of freediving and will become an autonomous freediver able to explore the underwater world comfortably. You will learn how to practice freediving safely, what happens with your body when you hold your breath, how to dive more efficiently, and how to handle freediving mentally, but also any other life situation. By the end of the course, you should be able to dive safely and comfortably between 12 and 20 meters — which is the depth limit for this course — experiencing both using fins or pulling on a rope to go down. You will also learn distance disciplines in the pool, with and without fins, focusing on technique and efficiency.

Passing requirements

Pool

1 min 30 sec static
30m DYNB

Open Water

CWTB & FIM 12-20m
CWTB Buddying 6-10m
Rescue from 6-10m

PROGRAM

- theory
- knowledge review
- pool session: statics and dinamics
- pool buoyancy check
- rescue
- buddying system
- introduction to no-fins
- theory part 2
- stretching
- dry breathwork
- equalization
- surface buoyancy check
- free immersion and constant weight
- stretching
- dry breathwork
- buddying system
- rescue
- depth training technique

The Molchanovs Movement

The Molchanovs Movement is a global community of passionate, active freedivers with access to the latest freediving education, freediving training, workouts, badges, challenges, as well as exclusive early access and offers for the world's best freediving gear.

Your Freediving education starts with Molchanovs, where you begin your learning through online content written by the best freedivers in the world. You will then be guided through your learning process by instructors with a deep passion for freediving. When you have completed your Wave or Lap course, you will gain access to the Base Training Community, a global freediving community founded on the philosophy and strategies of the legendary Natalia Molchanova.

Full freediving equipment
Transportation from Mérida
Pool and cenote entrances
Freediving certification (if requirements are met)
Unlimited access to Molchanovs platform

What’s included

What our students are saying

Alma Libre changed my life forever. Francesca's training and instructions were exceptional. She was able to successfully guide me trough the physical, mental and emotional process of doing apnea. She adapted the training and objectives as I progressed each day. It was hard, but having her constant support and warming heart in the buoy helped immensely to gain the confidence I needed. Both, Francesca and Alberto are top quality professionals and amazing human beings, passionate and caring. Alma Libre is the result of all that love, that seeks to give you meaningful experiences while having absurd amounts of fun, learning and personal growth. I recommend it from the bottom of my heart.
JEF
My Wave 1 course with Francesca & Alberto was an absolute blast because they're both great teachers who will do all they can to make you improve and give you a memorable experience. And what I love the most about them is that they're simply amazing human beings. That's all that matters. A few more reasons why they deserved 5 stars: – excellent teaching in a fun and friendly atmosphere – beautiful underwater photos & videos – great communication and organization overall – new and high-quality gear – freediving in amazing cenotes Thank you Fra & Alberto <3
ANTHONY
Grateful for the amazing experience! Before signing up, I had doubts about my freediving abilities, but thanks to your dedication and teaching, I discovered a new world of possibilities. From day one, I felt supported and guided by Alberto, who not only has deep technical knowledge, but also a contagious passion for the sport. His teaching methods were clear and effective, allowing me to push my own limits and reach depth I've never thought possible. I have gained confidence in my abilities and found a new passion in my life. I highly recommend them to anyone interested in freediving. Thanks again for everything!
JONATHAN
Incredible experience. I did my freediving certification during the cenote camp adventure and although this was somewhat challenging for me, my instructors and organizers covered all doubts and insecurity, with their calm and loving experience making my process something magical that I enjoyed a lot. A freediving camping experience but in my case it became a spiritual retreat, with a lot of connection and love. 100% recommended, I'll be back soon!
ISRAEL
I just finished my first freediving course (Wave 1) with Alberto and Francesca. It was an incredible experience! I am very grateful to them for introducing me to this relaxing and beautiful sport. Francesca and Alberto are excellent instructors: they inspire calm and confidence, and they are very friendly and fun. We visited a beautiful cenote, ate delicious food and chatted non-stop. I hope to come back soon!
BARBARA

Pricing

$ 7,600 MXN

Group

3+ people

per person

Private

1-2 people

$ 9,800 MXN

per person

Book now

Terms & Conditions

A 50% deposit is required to book the course. Once the deposit has been made, you will be signed up into the Molchanovs platform
Full amount needs to be paid at least 3 days before the cenote camp.
Payments methods:
- WISE
- Revolut
- Mexican Bank Transfer
- Cash
- Paypal (extra commissions will be charged)
As we are a small business, we are not able to refund you the deposit once the payment has been made. You can transfer the deposit to somebody else to avoid any loss of money.

FAQs

No previous freediving experience is required. You need to be able to swim 200m unassisted.
Even though 3 days is enough for many to pass all their requirements, it’s also not uncommon that some people may need some extra sessions to work on their skills to be able to meet the requirements. After the course is finished, you still have a whole year to be able to complete all the requirements. You can either book extra sessions with us or train with other Molchanovs instructors anywhere in the world and send us videos of your skills to be able to certify you.
There is a medical questionnaire you have to fill before starting the course. If you have any medical issue specified on the questionnaire you will require a medical certificate saying you can freedive.
The level 1 freediving course is the most important course as it will teach you all the basic knowledge you need to know as a beginner freediver. Freediving is not only about holding your breath and go deep. There is proper technique that needs to be learn and the knowledge behind it is very important. The level 1 freediving course is the first step into your freediving journey. This is the first course for anyone who want to learn how to freedive safely and with the correct techniques.
As already mentioned in the previous answer, the level 1 certification is the most important course as gives you the foundation everything else will be built on. If you don't have any freediving certification, you have to start with Wave 1 even if you already have the Wave 2 requirements. Once you successfully pass the course and acquire the correct technique and knowledge, you can go on with the level 2.
The Molchanovs movement is a global community of active and passionate freedivers. Their education system is one of the best ones out there and definitely one of the most up to date. The Molchanovs school is the only one that provides an online platform filled with workouts, trainings, online courses, challenges and much more. Once you get certified with any freediving course, you get access to the platform and you can join thousands of other passionate freedivers. Furthermore, Molchanovs offers some of the world's best freediving gear.
Both of them are amazing experiences. In terms of freediving, the cenotes offer the best conditions you can ask for: amazing visibily, no currents and no waves. This makes the learning process easier for new freedivers providing a controlled and friendly environment. For more advanced freedivers, cenotes allows them to go deeper and push their limits. The temperature of the cenotes in our area remains constant throughout the year and range from 26°C- to 28°C. A full 3 mm wetsuit is perfect to enjoy a nice freediving session.
It's normal. Trying something new for the first time is always a bit challenging, especially at the beginning. You will be surprised how well you will perform once you manage to relax and let go of negative thoughts. Freediving is a very mental practice and relaxation is key. During the course, you will learn different techniques to learn how to relax and feel more comfortable underwater. It's an amazing and rewarding journey, just enjoy every step and go with the flow.
It’s totally possible! Many students have been surprised of how they managed to go from zero to 12+ meters during the course but please don’t stress about the requirements. The main focus in this three day course shouldn’t be to get all the requirements done. Most of the time, the results come when we forget about the numbers and focus on relaxation and technique. Your knowledge, diving progressively and becoming a safe diver is far more important than the requirements. If you happen to do all them, great! And if not, thats also great! You still have a year to continue working on your skills and progress at your own pace.
As in any sport, there are always some risks. In general, freediving is a very safe sport if practiced in the correct way and with the right knowledge. Most of the serious accidents happen because of ignorance and malpractice and can be easily avoided if properly trained.