Daegu freediving lesson: 2-minute breath hold and 5m dive at N&N

I got to try a lesson at N&N Freediving and I'm back with the review! This session took place at Pass Nine in Buksam, Gumi.

Getting from Daegu to Pass Nine in Gumi: parking and public transit

Pass Nine in Buksam, Gumi, where the N&N Freediving lesson was held, has parking available. I came from Daegu using the Daegyeong Line plus a bus transfer, and it didn't take much longer than driving, so public transit worked out fine too.

Waiver forms and the waiting area before the lesson

When it's time for the lesson, you head to the first floor, read the notices, sign a waiver, then go upstairs. While waiting, they were giving out stickers, and most people stuck them on their fins. Since I came light with rental gear, I just kept mine as a souvenir haha.

Inside the waiting area you can also grab a coffee, which was perfect after the lesson haha.

What gear N&N Freediving rents out: fins, wetsuit, mask

Next you move up to the second floor and get fitted with gear.

Fins, wetsuit, snorkeling mask. Since you give your shoe size and body size when booking, they prepare accordingly, but if something's too big or small on site, they can swap it out for you! You leave your gear here, shower, put on your swimsuit, grab your gear, and head inside.

What the AIDA 1 beginner course covers, and why get the license?

I took the AIDA 1 beginner course and got the license issued too :) At first I wondered, why do I need a license — isn't it just like a completion certificate? Turns out you need this license to enter a diving pool without an instructor present. If you plan on using a diving pool on your own outside of lessons, you definitely need to get it 😉

Stretching, relaxing, breathing — and a 2-minute breath hold

Once inside, everyone gathers as a group and starts with thorough stretching.

After that, the lesson follows a set order — first a lecture on freediving procedure, precautions and methods, then we moved into relaxing the body and breathing exercises.

Then, breath-hold time! I held for 2 minutes — not bad, right?! Apparently beginners average around 1 minute! My secret to lasting that long in the water?! Just closing my eyes, thinking about nothing, and staying totally relaxed lol. The longer your breath, the longer you can last underwater, so I figured practicing breath-holding in everyday life might actually help with freediving too haha.

The position the instructor taught when equalizing wouldn't work

Next was equalizing practice while holding onto a buoy. If equalizing doesn't go well, it can damage your eardrums, so this step is really important.

Among the different postures, I first tried grabbing the rope and descending straight down, but my equalizing wasn't working and I had to give up partway ㅠㅠ So the instructor showed me another posture — like this lol, wrapping your legs around the rope cross-legged style as you go down. That posture definitely made descending much easier.

Practicing 3m and 5m descents: can someone scared of water do it?

After enough practice at 3m and 5m, it got so fun. Since I only learned to swim in a pool as an adult, not being able to touch the bottom always scared me a bit. That's why I always needed a life vest in the ocean — but now I feel like I could go without one! Apparently most people come in unable to swim, take freediving lessons, get interested, and move on to swimming — but the instructor said I was the opposite case lol.

After several rounds of practice, I tried it without the wetsuit. The water wasn't too cold, so being in without a suit wasn't chilly at all haha.

As long as you hold your breath well, you can check yourself out in the underwater mirror and swim back and forth like this haha. Just remember to equalize along the way!

Being a total beginner, the moment I let go of the rope my body wanted to float straight up — I'd shoot right back to the surface before I knew it. There's actually a spot in Duryu, Daegu, for freediving, but it's under construction right now — once it's done, I'm definitely going back lol.

What was worth it about the N&N Freediving lesson

This Daegu freediving lesson at N&N Freediving was honestly so much fun! The head instructor explained everything so kindly, and coached both what needed improving and what I was already doing well in real detail — I left really satisfied.

This day's lesson was so good, and my overall experience with freediving was so positive that I'm thinking about trying the next level when I get the chance :) If you want to try freediving in Daegu, I'd definitely recommend N&N Freediving! If you're a water-loving person who's still scared of the water like me, definitely try a freediving lesson ❤️❤️