Master Training

Equalization, Breathing, Monofin and Variable

At Freediving World Apnea Center the athletes can follow Master training in different fields of freediving:the equalization, the breathing techniques, the monofin use and the disciplines of variable weight and no limits. These Masters training provide concepts that go beyond the normal recreational freediving courses. The most interesting of these Masters training is the equalization stage. Since many years Freediving World works to develop new teaching programs on equalization techniques. More and more athletes from all around the world join in this training that help them to understand how the respiratory apparatus works, how to be aware of this and how to improve the own performance working on equalization. On regard Master training in Variable Weight and No Limits, there isn’t in the world another center that provide 2 platforms, 150 mt far from the beach with more than 150 mt of seabed. One of them is always equipped and ready for Variable and No Limits dives. Over the years, at FreedivingWorld, several National and World record were established in these disciplines.

Record Attempts

Freediving World Apnea Center can organize and manage in any moment, thanks to the good weather conditions, National and World Record Attempt in all the disciplines in depth and in pool.

We have two platforms 100 meters from the shore, equipped with counterweight, sonar and oxygen tank. Thanks to our safety staff who have a scooter available for both safety and emergency evacuation operations, in a few minutes the injured athlete can be transported to the ground and from there to the hyperbaric chamber which is about 6-7 minutes from the center and in which doctors specialized in diving and freediving accidents work.

Andrea Zuccari

Partner/Manager
Born in Roma: 26/10/1974
Instructor Apnea Academy International since 2008
Italian VWT 135 mt. & NLT 185 mt. Record holder.
Equalization Academy founder.

Nicola Vangone

Partner / Instructor
Born in Scafati on 24/01/1989
Apnea Academy instructor since 2010, instructor monofin, Variable, KAD
Founding partner Freediving World Italy

Alice Cattaneo

Partner / Underwater photographer
Born in Milan on 12/13/1973
PADI instructor since 2004
BCS Back & Chest Stretching Protocol creator

National and International Competition

Every year are organized national and international competitions with athletes from all around the world. Since 2013 we started with Freediving World Competition format, a competition in the 3 disciplines CWT, FI, CNF that takes place in 7/8 consecutive days. This competition is becoming a classical appointment for athletes of hight level and it run in spring (May) and in Autumn (October/November)

Freediving World Competition

Every year we organize world-wide competitions on one or two platforms, in which high-level athletes with dives over 100 meters as well as novice athletes who want to enjoy the thrill of such a high-level competition participate.
In these races the athletes often achieve Personal Bests in some discipline, National or even World Records.
For these events we have a counterweight system, oxygen on the platform, Sonar, Safety with Scooter and Doctors available on the platform.

Coaching

In the world of freediving the figure of Coach it is not yet widespread. He is not a trainer, but a person with such experience able to drive the freedivers to the experimentation of new training techniques to improve their performance. The Coach has a basic training in addition to that of a Freediving instructor. Over the years, many freediving champions from all over the world have trained at our center and the interaction with them provided Freediving World instructors with the knowledge to be able to advice and drive freedivers already trained but that looking to improve their performance.

BOAT EXCURSION IN THE STRAIT OF TIRAN WITH SCOOTER

The boat trip, a totally private occasion for us, offers the opportunity to explore, in freediving, the spectacular coral gardens and the rich fauna of the Tiran’s reef. The strait is characterized by four reefs aligned and visible on the surface that bear the names of British cartographers (Gordon, Woodhouse, Thomas, Jackson) who mapped the area in the 19th century. Tiran Island is located at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba where the distance that separates Egypt from Saudi Arabia is only 20km. It is an important step for the trade linked to the ports of Eilat in Israel and Aqaba, Jordan’s port.

Being accessible only by boat, this dive site is still well preserved than those of the local coast. There is a good chance of spotting a white tip reef sharks and, especially during the summer months, hammerhead sharks, as well as turtles and colourful fish’s barrier.

ITINERARY:

Departure at 8:30 am from the hotel, followed by approx. 30 minutes to reach the port of Sharks Bay where we will wait for a modern and comfortable private boat, equipped with all the necessary comforts and sanitation. The return is scheduled around 16.00.

Equalization Stage

Equalization, in freediving, is the most technical and important part to understand how to improve the descent in the depth and how to overcome the own virtual limit of equalization. Learning the equalization maneuvers and the features of muscles or the parts of body involved in it, allow you to know the proper management and to practice with some specific exercises, dry as well, that will help you in the descent at any depth. Sometimes, for advanced freedivers the real difference and the real limiting factor in the depth depend on a lack of knowledge of its own equalization or on an inefficient management of it.

LEVEL 1 – Frenzel

• Equalization physiology
• Basic equalization technique
• Frenzel maneuver
• Airshift techniques

LEVEL 2 – Sequenzial Frenzel

The course consists in dry lessons and open water sessions, during which the following topics are discussed:

• Sequenzial Frenzel
• Theory and Potential of Sequenzial Frenzel
• Airshift techniques
• How to manage the Sequenzial Frenzel
• Open water sessions

LEVEL 3 – Mouthfill

The course consists in dry lessons and open water sessions, during which the following topics are discussed:

• • Mouthfill
  • Theory and Potential of Mouthfill
  • Dry exercises to manage a perfect Mouthfill
  • Open water sessions

Training in the sea

Freediving World Apnea Center takes care of all athletes and provides you with two floating platforms, attainable by swimming, with counterweight system and Eco Sonar, equipped for all the activities of constant weight, VWT and NLT with a backdrop of 150/180 mt., with Emergency and DECO Oxygen kit. During your training, our staff will insure you safety giving you the best assistance.

Apnea Academy International http://apnea.academy/en/home/

Apnea Academy is the School for the instruction and research of freediving funded and managed by the world champion Umberto Pelizzari. Apnea Academy didactic supports everyone to approach freediving in an aware, safety and fun way. Every lesson consist in theory, practice on relaxing and breathing techniques and practical exercises in the pool and in the sea.

Apnea Discovery: is addressed to whoever wants to test the underwater free-diving with minimum equipment, still learning relaxation and breathing techniques and to “look inside himself” searching for the wellness provided by free diving and to discover , in harmony with the environment, the marvelous underwater world, made of lights and colours no elsewhere found.

Indoor Freediver: is the first course that AA is fully developed in the pool. The goal is to let the student discover the good feelings that only apnea can give with a correct management of breathing and relaxation but also development of sensitivity in water, by listening to your body, to discover the pleasure to dissolve in the liquid that surrounds and become one with the water.

Outdoor freediver: It is the other facet of the medal of the ‘Indoor Freediver’ course as it is developed in open waters or deep pools to discover the emotion of the depth. The goal is to let the student discover the good feelings that only apnea can give with a correct management of breathing and relaxation but also development of sensitivity in water, by listening to the body, to discover the pleasure to dissolve in the liquid that surrounds and become one with the water by experiencing the depth.

First Level: Apnea Academy First Level represents the first approach to free-diving with complete basic equipment. The objective of the course is to reach controlled free-diving by applying relaxation and breathing techniques in order to reach following performances: 1’45” static apnea, 30 m in dynamic and 8 m in depth.

Second Level: Apnea Academy Second Level is to improve the relaxation and breathing techniques by taking advantage of the experience acquired in the first level in order to reach following performances: 2’30” in static, 55 m dynamic and 15 m depth.

Third Level: Apnea Academy Third Level is the highest award for a free diver. By a improvement of its ability to operate in the water, mental and technical training , the free diver will be able to reach 3′ static, 70 m dynamic and 25 m depth.

Breathing Stage

The Breathing stage helps the freedivers to be aware of respiratory act and to develop the management of it during freediving preparation and to increase the capacities of the last respiratory act before the descent.

Training in the pool

The Center manages the only 25 mt regulatory swimming pool in Sharm el Sheikh. The athletes can train in the disciplines of static, DYN and DNF, assisted by our staff.

RAS MOHAMED NATIONAL PARK TRIP

Ras Mohammed lies in the extreme southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, where the currents of the Gulf of Aqaba blend with those of the Gulf of Suez, and this phenomenon creates the perfect conditions for the growth of a rich variety of corals. We will visit the most famous diving destinations of the Sinai Peninsula: Shark and Yolanda Reef linked by a saddle sandy and considered among the most beautiful diving spots in the world. In this dive site the wall descends vertically up to 800 meters!

The barrier of Yolanda owes its name to the wreck Yolanda, a Greek cargo ship that sank here in 1985. The main body of the wreckage fell in depth a few years later (it has recently been rediscovered by a team of British engineers to a sub depth of about 160 meters). What remains are the toilets and bathtubs which add a surreal atmosphere to this site. Here is a good chance of spotting sharks, especially in the summer months, but you could meet also barracuda, real walls of jackfish, pike sea, batfish, snapper, giant moray eels, turtles, huge napoleon fish and variety of races. The corals here breath away and are incredibly colorful, you will find: Acropora, Brain Coral, Coral Fire, Broccoli Coral and Coral Polyps in buttons.

ITINERARY:

Departure from the hotel at 6.00 am by bus and approx. 30 minutes to reach the sites Shark and Yolanda Reef. Return scheduled at 10:30 am.

BCS Protocol

Protocol created to increase stretching and mobility of the body particularly of the neck, shoulders, back and chest, increasing relaxation before a dive and allowing more air to be stored with less effort. At the same time it can increase lung volumes.

Monofin Stage

Monofin stage is for freedivers who want to learn how to use the monofin or for the more experts that want to improve their monofin technique applied to the dynamic and to the descent in constant weight.

DINNER IN THE DESERT

Are you looking for a memorable break from your workout in freediving?

Would you like to see what the fantastic Sinai can offer you?

This experience will turn away from the routine of everyday life, allowing you to see the world from a different perspective, immersing yourself in the culture of a people like the ancient Egyptian.

Freediving World Apnea Center offers, through a guided tour, a chance to learn about a typical family of Sinai Bedouin, discovering more about their life and their traditions. Take the opportunity to get away from the lights of Sharm, from the noise and bustle of city life. Be inspired by the spectacular desert sunset, you will have the opportunity to take a walk up to the top of the mountains of Sinai to enjoy the silence and beauty of this amazing landscape. In a unique and breathtaking, you can have dinner with BBQ chicken and traditional dishes, watching the stars and the fantastic Milky Way at night.

ITINERARY:

Departure from the hotel at 16.00, ad approx. 40 minutes to reach the Bedouin camp, where you will be served at your welcome tea and their typical unleavened bread. 45 min walk to the mountains of Sinai to collect energy and tranquility of this amazing place!

Around 19:00 the traditional Bedouin dinner with water and soft drinks included. You return to Sharm at 21.00.

AIDA International http://www.aidainternational.org/aidaeducation

AIDA courses cover all the levels, from the beginner to the advanced freediver up to the competition level. During AIDA course, you will learn what the freediving is, how to do it, how to improve your skill and how to dive safety. Every course is based on the knowledges learned in previous level, and so it’s necessary to have completed it with success before to enroll in the following AIDA course. The advanced courses (AIDA 4* and AIDA instructor) require to the student EFR/RCP certificate.

Variable Stage

Variable Stage is designed to let freedivers approaching to this attractive discipline. Descent in Variable weight / No Limits helps to go in depth but also pushes the athletes to work on equalization technique, so they can use during all the traditional disciplines.

Training

Are you freedivers for a long time or have you just finished a freediving course… or would you like to improve your skills in safety and with qualified instructors? At our Center it is possible to plan tailored training sessions under our staff supervision.

Blue Week Event

The Freediving Weeks will take place in the beautiful and rich waters of Sharm el Sheikh, in the Red Sea, twice a year (on May and November). It will be possible to train all together in constant, variable, static and dynamic activities. The week will be organized as an open opportunity for all freedivers to join together with their relatives and friends. It will be possible to dive with some of the best freedivers in the world. During the Freediving Week, there will be a sled for the variable weight available for all the freedivers in a scheduled time: some Apnea Academy Instructors and Freediving World (in charge of Organization) will guarantee the assistance. The diving area (for the constant and the variable) will be located next to the beach; it will be easily reachable and it won’t be necessary to use a boat to reach the diving place.

At the end of the week it will also be possible to simulate a competition with countdown and official top for each freediver. The simulation will take place on the platform used for competitions and records, with the same counterweight system.

External Instructors support

Instructors of any didactics can train in our center with their students and use the facilities of the center for their activities in the sea, in the pool or in the open spaces next to the center for lessons, sessions of stretching , breathing…