Recommendations in Northern CA

    I'd like to know if anyone here has any personal recommendations for freedive instruction in northern California or if there are experienced divers in the area who would be willing to provide an introduction to freediving. I understand that there are certain obvious dangers associated with the sport so I definitely want to seek some sort of professional or expert advice.
    I am also wondering what people might recommend in the way of gear to start off with. Especially fins - there seems to be quite the range to choose from. I know that I should begin with something soft -- Omer Winter or Green? Cressi 3000LD? the list goes on. (for what it's worth, what's the practical limit for typical scuba fins?) For the time being I'll use the wetsuit and mask that I use for SCUBA, i know, not ideal, but it will get me going.
    Okay, longwinded question, I know. But reading only gets you so far until you ask.


    Thanks,
    Mark.

    I'll comment on the fins. First it depends on you budget, some people have money to throw away, and they buy the best before they even understand why it's the best. Others need to make a more careful choice, more so when they're just starting out and not even sure if they're going to stick with it. What happens with this second way is that if you realize quickly that you're really into freediving you'll be upgrading just as quickly. In the end this second way can cost you more than the first. I've entered various fields throughout my life and got tired of this process. This is why I now prefer to study as much as I can and hopefully get away with one or at most two buys. With that said there are two obvious steps that you can skip when it comes to fins. First, any kind of short scuba fins, and second, any kind of long plastic fin. As a beginner I hesitate to recommend you an expensive carbon blade although without a doubt it is the best, a fin like this http://spearfishing.world/fins…rbon-fins-and-blades.html But you can definitely go with a good fiberglass blade

    i agree with Dan 100% BUT i would add that if you can find a pair of Cressi garas (200 = hard, 3000= soft) used for cheap, they are a great intro fin and you might be able to find them used for 50-90 bucks..


    I had them and then upgraded just as Dan said to the amazing Carbon Pursuit fins I now have... I am still happy for the yr + that I used the garas.


    just something to think about

    i like to spear fish

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member to leave a comment.

Register a new account
Sign in now