What Equipment Do You Need for Freediving?
Updated: 3 days ago
In this guide
A basic freediving equipment setup includes:
a freediving mask
a snorkel
fins
a wetsuit
a weight belt and weights
Depending on the conditions, you may also need neoprene socks and gloves. Once you start training regularly, a freediving watch becomes a very useful addition.
That is the full answer.
The more useful answer is that you probably do not need to buy all of this before your first freediving course.
If we were building a freediving kit gradually, our order would look roughly like this:
First: mask and snorkel.Later: your own wetsuit and weight belt.Once you know what you like: long freediving fins, appropriate socks and eventually a freediving watch.
This is not a strict progression. It is simply a way to avoid spending a considerable amount of money before you know what kind of diving you enjoy, where you are likely to train and what equipment actually works for you.
If you are researching equipment because you are preparing for your first course, you may also want to read our How to Start Freediving: A Beginner’s Guide.
For now, let’s start with the two pieces of equipment we are very comfortable recommending from the beginning:
your own mask and snorkel.
They sit directly on your face and in your mouth, so many people simply prefer having their own for hygiene and comfort.
They are also relatively inexpensive, take almost no space when travelling and remain useful even if your glorious freediving career ends after one weekend.
You still have an excellent snorkeling setup for your next holiday.
How to Choose a Freediving Mask
If possible, buy your first freediving mask in a physical dive or freediving shop, where you can actually try several models on your face.
With masks, fit matters more than brand.
Faces are different. Some are wider, some narrower. Nose shape, cheekbones, eyebrows and the distance between the eyes can all affect how a particular mask sits.
A mask that fits your friend perfectly may be deeply annoying on your own face.
For a beginner, there are three things to prioritize:
low volume, comfortable fit and a good seal.
Everything else comes second.
What Is a Low-Volume Freediving Mask?
Low internal volume is one of the defining characteristics of a freediving mask.
You do not want a half-litre bubble of air sitting over your face.
As you descend, ambient pressure increases and the air inside the mask compresses. Without compensating for that pressure, the mask starts pressing more strongly against the face and around the eyes.
Don't get alarmed. Your instructor will teach you how to equalize the pressure inside your mask while descending.
A low-volume mask simply makes the process easier because there is less air space to manage.
This is why freediving masks usually sit quite close to the face.
Different manufacturers reduce mask volume in different ways. You may see:
lenses positioned close to the eyes
rounded or arched lens designs
a flexible bridge between the lenses
very compact frames
You do not need to analyze every millimetre of internal volume when buying your first one.
Start with a mask designed for freediving, then choose the one that fits your face best.
How Do You Know if a Freediving Mask Fits?
Put the mask gently against your face without tightening the strap.
It should feel comfortable, without obvious pressure points around your nose, forehead or cheekbones.
Then inhale gently through your nose.
The mask should create a seal and remain against your face without air leaking in easily.
You should not need to tighten the strap aggressively to make the mask seal.
In fact, overtightening can make a badly fitting mask even more uncomfortable.
If one model feels awkward and another immediately feels natural, believe your face.
It has submitted its review.
Plastic or Tempered-Glass Lenses?
Freediving masks are available with both plastic and tempered-glass lenses.
In our experience, some very soft masks with rounded plastic lenses fit a surprisingly wide range of faces. They are often relatively inexpensive and can make excellent first freediving masks.
The main disadvantage is durability.
Plastic lenses scratch considerably more easily than glass.
Tempered-glass lenses are much more resistant to scratching during normal use and can last for years if the mask is looked after properly.
That does not automatically make glass the better choice.
A perfectly durable mask that does not fit your face is not particularly useful.
Fit still wins.
Transparent, Black or Coloured Silicone?
The soft part of the mask that seals against your face is called the skirt.
For freediving, look for a soft silicone skirt rather than the rigid material sometimes found on very inexpensive recreational masks.
The silicone can be transparent, black or almost any colour imaginable.
A transparent skirt allows more light around your peripheral vision, which can make the mask feel more open.
Its main disadvantage is cosmetic. Transparent silicone tends to become cloudy or discoloured with age, particularly with repeated exposure to sunscreen, skin oils and sunlight.
Black and coloured silicone usually hide staining and ageing much better.
Black masks are extremely common in freediving, while coloured versions do exactly the same job with considerably more opportunities to coordinate your equipment.
There is no technically correct colour.
Choose whichever one you are happy to look at for the next several years.
Does the Mask Strap Attachment Matter?
A little.
Some masks attach the buckle directly to the silicone skirt. This allows the attachment to move with the mask, but because silicone is softer than the frame, that area can potentially wear sooner.
Other masks attach the buckle to the rigid frame, creating a firmer connection.
A frame-mounted buckle may have a durability advantage, but this should not become the main reason you choose one mask over another.
For a beginner, good fit is far more important than buckle architecture.
The Simple Rule for Choosing Your First Freediving Mask
If all of this has already produced seventeen open browser tabs, close sixteen of them.
For your first mask, remember:
low volume + comfortable fit + good seal.
That is enough.
If you want to compare mask shapes, lens materials, skirt designs and more specific models before buying, see our [Complete Guide to Choosing a Freediving Mask].
How to Choose a Freediving Snorkel
Choosing a snorkel is considerably easier.
For freediving, simple is usually better.
A classic freediving snorkel is essentially a flexible tube with a mouthpiece.
You generally do not need:
complicated valves
purge systems
elaborate splash guards
or any other architectural achievement attached to the top of it.
The simpler the snorkel, the fewer things there are to break.
A basic freediving snorkel can last for years.
In practice, only a few dramatic endings usually await it:
you lose it
it sinks
you bite through the mouthpiece
Fortunately, all three can be made slightly less likely.
Choose a Comfortable Mouthpiece
Freediving snorkel mouthpieces are fairly standardized, but their dimensions vary.
The parts that sit between your teeth can be thicker, thinner, longer or shorter depending on the model.
A mouthpiece should not feel so large that you need to clench your jaw to hold it.
You probably won't want to put every snorkel in a shop into your mouth for comparative research, which is understandable.
But you can at least look at the size and avoid anything that appears unnecessarily bulky.
For most people, a standard freediving snorkel mouthpiece will work perfectly well.
A Floating Snorkel Is Useful
During the actual freedive, the snorkel comes out of your mouth.
You will mostly use it while preparing at the surface and when buddying another freediver.
Once it leaves your mouth, however, it gains an opportunity to escape.
A snorkel that floats is therefore very useful.
Some snorkels are naturally buoyant.
Very soft silicone snorkels can be particularly comfortable and flexible, but some of them sink. If you prefer one of those, a small neoprene sleeve can add buoyancy.
You can buy one or make one from a piece of old neoprene.
Your retired wetsuit may yet find employment.
How Should You Attach a Freediving Snorkel?
Our preference is a simple elastic silicone snorkel keeper, usually the double-loop or roughly H-shaped type.
It is flexible, reliable and allows you to adjust the snorkel position easily.
For surface preparation, we often position the snorkel farther towards the back of the head rather than directly beside the temple.
This can help the upper end stay above the surface while you float comfortably face-down.
Otherwise you may find yourself repeatedly lifting your head to keep water out of the snorkel, which is not particularly compatible with relaxing before a dive.
Another option is to place the snorkel underneath the mask strap.
Some freedivers may not attach it at all in certain situations.
As with many small pieces of freediving technique, eventually you discover what works best for you.
The Simple Rule for Choosing a Freediving Snorkel
Look for:
a simple snorkel + comfortable mouthpiece + reliable holder + preferably positive buoyancy.
That is really all a beginner needs.
Do You Need a Wetsuit for Freediving?
Most of the time, yes.
Do you need to buy one before your first course?
Probably not.
Freediving wetsuits are generally designed to fit closely, keep the diver warm and allow good freedom of movement. Many dedicated freediving suits also avoid the large zippers found on conventional recreational wetsuits.
But choosing the right wetsuit depends heavily on where you will actually use it.
Your first course could take place in:
a swimming pool at 25–26°C
a shallow tropical lagoon at around 30°C or more
warm open water
or considerably colder sea conditions
Those environments require completely different exposure protection.
For a first course, the easiest option is usually to rent a wetsuit from the school or instructor.
They already know the local conditions and will most likely have suits appropriate for that environment.
It also prevents you from making a relatively expensive purchase before you know whether freediving is going to become your new hobby.
When Should You Buy Your Own Freediving Wetsuit?
Once you know that you want to continue freediving, owning your own suit starts making much more sense.
You know where you are likely to dive.
You understand how warm or cold you tend to get.
You know whether you are willing to deal with more delicate freediving-specific materials.
And, frankly, having your own suit against your skin is simply nicer.
If rentals are unavailable, you already know you want to commit, or you simply prefer having your own from the start, see our [Complete Guide to Choosing a Freediving Wetsuit] before buying.
There is considerably more to that decision than picking the prettiest neoprene.
What Fins Do You Need for Your First Freediving Course?
You do not need long freediving fins for your first course.
In fact, our preference for complete beginners is usually to start with shorter, fairly soft fins, provided suitable equipment is available.
When you are learning to:
position your body
fin efficiently
equalize
turn
descend
ascend
and generally figure out what freediving feels like
very long blades can simply become another thing you need to control.
That is not really the purpose of your first course.
A lightweight pair of short fins with a closed heel is usually perfectly adequate. Depending on the fit and water temperature, they can be worn barefoot or with thin neoprene socks.
If you already enjoy snorkeling, the fins you own may even be suitable for your first freediving sessions.
Your school can tell you.
And most freediving schools will have fins available to rent or borrow.
If you desperately want your first spectacular long-fin photograph, borrow a pair and enjoy your moment.
Just don't assume that you need to buy them immediately.
When Should You Buy Long Freediving Fins?
Long fins become much more interesting once you have enough experience to understand what you actually want from them.
Then questions such as these start making sense:
plastic, fiberglass or carbon?
soft, medium or stiff?
which foot pocket?
which blade angle?
what kind of diving will you mainly do?
Those are poor questions to answer when you have never actually used long fins.
Try different options first.
Then, when you are ready to own a pair, see our [Guide to Choosing Your First Long Freediving Fins].
Do You Need a Weight Belt and Weights for Freediving?
Very often, yes.
But this is another piece of equipment that you usually do not need to buy before your first course.
Weights are used to adjust your buoyancy, particularly when you are wearing a wetsuit.
How much weight you need depends on several variables, including:
your body;
wetsuit thickness;
fresh water versus salt water;
and the type of freediving you are doing.
There is no useful formula that says:
I weigh X kilograms, therefore I need Y kilograms of lead.
Your instructor should determine appropriate weighting with you during training.
Most freediving schools have belts and weights available, so use theirs initially.
Once you own your own wetsuit and start training regularly, buying your own weight belt and weights becomes much more practical.
Do You Need Neoprene Socks and Gloves for Freediving?
Sometimes.
This depends mostly on the environment and the rest of your equipment.
Neoprene socks provide thermal protection and can make fin foot pockets more comfortable. Some foot pockets are specifically sized with socks in mind.
Neoprene gloves become useful primarily when water temperatures make hand protection necessary.
In warm tropical water, you may need neither.
Before your first course, ask the school what they normally use in their local conditions rather than buying them automatically.
Do You Need a Freediving Watch?
Not at the beginning.
But once you start training regularly, a freediving watch becomes very useful.
Depending on the model, it can track things such as:
maximum depth
dive time
surface interval
water temperature
ascent and descent data
and your dive history
For a complete beginner, that information can actually become distracting.
During your first sessions, your attention is better spent learning how to equalize, move efficiently, listen to your instructor and understand what you are experiencing.
Once you start training more independently, however, having accurate depth and surface-interval information becomes increasingly useful.
Some freedivers buy a watch relatively early.
Others wait until their second or third course.
There is no need to rush.
When you reach that point, see our [Guide to Choosing a Freediving Watch].
What Freediving Equipment Should You Buy First?
If your freediving school provides rental equipment, our beginner recommendation is deliberately simple:
Start with your own mask and snorkel.
They are:
relatively inexpensive
personal and hygienic
useful from your very first session
easy to travel with
and useful for snorkeling even if you never continue freediving
For your first course, rent or borrow the rest where possible:
fins
wetsuit
socks and gloves if required
weight belt
weights
Once freediving becomes something you actually want to continue, start building your personal setup.
A sensible order is roughly:
1. Mask and snorkelUseful immediately.
2. Wetsuit and eventually your own weight beltOnce you know your usual diving environment.
3. Long freediving fins and appropriate socksOnce you have tried enough equipment to know what suits you.
4. Freediving watchWhenever tracking your own dives starts becoming genuinely useful.
Eventually, your equipment cupboard may become considerably larger than this article suggests.
That is a problem for future you.
For now, a mask that fits, a simple snorkel and appropriate rental equipment are more than enough to start learning freediving properly.
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