Diving deep into Batangas’ clear waters was exhilarating, serene, and unforgettable—my freediving adventure showed me a whole new world beneath the surface. Curious? Read my blog!

Disclaimer: All views expressed on this blog are my own based on my own experiences and do not represent of any entity with which I have been, are now or will be affiliated

October 11, 2022
Pasay, Philippines

Date of Dive: October 08-09
Mabini, Batangas
Freedive Tribe PH

I wish I could learn to dive, but I usually end up floating when I try to go beneath the sea. I have looked at several different dive shops in and around Metro Manila, but Freedive Tribe PH has always stood out to me as the best. I put off going for months before finally making up my mind. After scaling some of Asia’s tallest peaks, I dove down to check out the serene world beneath the waves.

Freediving is the practice of diving underwater while holding your breath without the use of breathing equipment such as a scuba tank. Many individuals freedive for a variety of reasons, including physical and mental challenge, taking great underwater images, and improving mental health. There are numerous explanations for this. When I first joined, I had no idea what it could do for my mental health; I simply wanted to learn how to dive, but the water has truly helped me submit. If mountain trekking requires grit, freediving requires calm.

Transportation

Freedive PH organised a carpool for us that cost Php1,000 round trip from Manila to Batangas. I had to get up really early because the meet up was at 3:00am at Shaw Greenfield, and what could have been improved was how they shared information about the pick up point before the meet up, they shared pick up point information only at 2:45am, thankfully, I woke up at 2am and prepared my way to Shaw, so I made it.

Budget
For this trip, I set aside over Php5,500. At Freedive Tribe PH in Mabini, Batangas, they shoot underwater images and movies for a total of Php3,800 (about $410), which includes lodging, meals, an introduction to diving course, rental gear (I brought my own snorkeling gear), and more. The hotel had a beautiful view of the ocean. Each room type has either a fan or air conditioning. Guests will sleep on bunk beds and share a single bathroom. There’s enough space for 10 people in 1 air-conditioned room. Even though I opted for an air-conditioned room for my one-night visit, I would have been happier with a fan. For the food, it has smaller options and not tasty.
Day1 October 08
Mabini, Batangas

This was a solo adventure, as usual. I don’t think I’ll ever have pals that want these kinds of activities, so I seek out others who share my enthusiasm for exploration and travel. Yes, I did that right here! New pals flooded my life! I felt at home here, like I do in the mountains, since the people were so friendly.

The first day of training consisted of a dry briefing in which we were introduced to the concept of free diving and given instruction on how to breathe and equalize properly. We met our coach, Maki, just after the hour-long dry briefing. At first, we conducted some line training each morning and afternoon at a depth of 6 meters. Before every dive, we should first put our minds at ease and surrender, as if we were about to go to sleep. After taking your time and relaxing, fill your lungs completely, pause to pre-equalize, and then remove your snorkel and dive. It was challenging at first, particularly due to the pressure underwater, so I had to take some time to equalize my body’s systems. If something ached, it was my body’s way of signaling that something wasn’t right, and I should return to the surface. Recovery breathing is what I did when I came up for air after the dive. If I let out air before my mouth has reached the water’s surface, I’ll deprive my body of oxygen and become more negatively buoyant.

Equalization – Our body contains air spaces, when we descend in water, the air spaces inside our body get smaller. If we do not add air into these spaces to compensate – equalizing the pressure within them and bringing them to the same volume we have at the surface – then injury will occur.

Day 2 – October 09
Duck Dive

In the morning, there was a yoga class but was not able to attend. This was a good one to calm your mind and a good stretching exercise.

The duck dive comes after yoga. The duck dive serves as the dive’s foundation. A nice duck dive will get you to five meters in almost no time. It’s difficult at first to coordinate each stage, let alone accomplish it upside down. I couldn’t execute a nice duck dive; mine was terrible; I kept coming back up, so I need to practice more and make sure I take all of the proper procedures to get under. I also did not keep my legs parallel to my torso with my toes pointed. Because I constantly float, I needed to put a 2.5 lb weight around my neck to get underneath in one of my dives.

I still need to learn more about duck diving; it’s my first time, and I’d love to dive and learn more. I can’t wait to go diving again and meet my new pals! 🙂

Thanks to freediving, I was able to experience the ocean up close and personal for a short period of time, and I can't wait to go on more dives. Dive after dive, I'll be forced to confront my own thoughts and feelings and learn more about myself since that's what it takes to be successful in this sport.

Love,
Maria, sometimes Niskie