THE APNEA & SURF SURVIVAL COURSE – TAHITI 2025

February 18, 2025

The Apnea and Surf Survival course is coming back to Tahiti in May of 2025

This course is invaluable for anyone who spends time in the ocean: surfers, lifeguards, distance swimmers and divers. Increase your energy levels with deep breathing and improve your breath hold and water safety skills. After this course you will breathe deeper, hold your breath longer and surf with more confidence.

Course 1 – Papeete, May 17th and 18th – $225.00 usd. (May 19th, water safety/rescue/jet ski optional $175.00) Sign up here!

Course 2 – Teahupoo, May 31st and June 1st – $225.00 usd. (June 2nd, water safety/rescue/jet ski optional $175.00) Sign up here!

The Apnea & Surf Survival course is designed to help surfers of all levels to feel more confident and comfortable in the ocean. This course emphasizes different breathing techniques to fully oxygenate the body. These help to strengthen and increase the capacity of your lungs and to enhance performance. Higher oxygen levels create more focus, energy, endurance and awareness. Longer breath-hold is a natural consequence of the deep breathing exercises.

Beyond the physical capabilities of your lungs, this course will enhance your mental capacity to deal with stress and danger. Therefore, surfers will be better equipped to deal with extreme situations where mind control and calmness are the main factors for your survival.

We will be emphasizing High Surf Risk Management in order to recognize, minimize or avoid unnecessary risks found in the surf zone. Together, the class will work through various surf rescue scenarios and learn valuable rescue strategies based on the specific situation at hand. Surf rescue, Jet ski driving and water safety skills will be taught as an optional day 3.

Big Wave Surfer and Professional Diver Ricardo Taveira, founder of Hawaii Eco Divers, has been teaching Apnea and Surf Survival for years, improving surfers’ safety in Hawaii and around the world. This course is designed with only one goal in mind: to increase your breath hold capability in tense situations underwater while remaining calm and in total control of your mind. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity. This course is designed for surfers of all levels who want to feel more confident in the ocean!

Ricardo Taveira. Big wave surfer and apnea instructor

Puatea Ellis is a Lifeguard, Firefighter and Ocean Safety Instructor. She is part of the Tahitian Water Patrol team and she will be conduction the Jet Ski rescue operation class.

Puatea Ellis, Tahitian Water Patrol.

Papeete, May 17th/18th – Course Itinerary. SIGN UP Here

Day 1 – Saturday, May 17th. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.

8:00 am to 12 pm – Theory class + breathing exercises.

1:00 pm to 5:30 pm – Apnea Surf Survival in the swimming pool.

Day 2 – Sunday, May 18th. 9 am to 4:00 pm – Apnea Surf Survival in the ocean

Optional Day 3 – Monday, May 19th. 9 am to 5 pm. Risk Management, Surf rescue, Jet Ski operation and water safety.

Teahupoo, May 31st and June 1st – Course Itinerary. SIGN UP Here

Day 1 – Saturday, June 7th. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.

8:00 am to 12 pm – Theory class + breathing exercises.

1:00 pm to 5:30 pm – Apnea Surf Survival in the ocean.

Day 2 – Sunday, June 8th. 9 am to 4:00 pm – Apnea Surf Survival in the ocean

Optional Day 3 – Monday, June 9th. 9 am to 5 pm. Risk Management, Surf rescue, Jet Ski operation and water safety.

Course Structure

The class is designed to help you spend more time underwater through lectures, intense breath hold training and multiple breathing and swimming exercises. Through two days of classroom, pool, and ocean training, you will practice:

Physiology of breathing & apnea;
Risks and dangers of training apnea;
Proper breathing exercises to improve ventilation and strengthening of the lungs;
Water safety;
Static apnea, dynamic apnea and stressed apnea exercises
Surf survival drills
Risk management and emergency action plan;
Surfing rescue skills;
CPR skills
Jet Ski operation skills

Tested and Proven Results

We teach classes regularly in Hawaii, California, Panama, Brazil and many other countries. Over many years, hundreds of people have become better watermen and safer surfers because of this course. Lifeguards, firefighters, athletes, professional surfers, military, navy, police officers and more attest to how valuable our apnea training can be.

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