“Last Saturday I joined my first freediving course — a depth course with KlausSimonsen.com in Knudsø. I didn’t feel fully ready mentally that day and had some fears about dark lakes, which didn’t make things easier. Our instructor, Klaus, was very calm and helped us relax by starting with breathing and relaxation exercises on land, followed by a review of theory, technique, and safety. When we reached the buoy, I could still feel a little unease about the dark water. After the first few warm-up dives, I noticed the water turning darker after 8–10 meters. Klaus gave me some technical points to focus on — chin position, finning technique, and equalization rhythm. We did a rescue exercise around 7 meters and I had several comfortable dives between 10–14 meters. As the day went on, I relaxed more and more into the discipline. Toward the end of the day I was physically tired, but mentally ready. I descended slowly, equalizing calmly and focusing only on my technique. Around 8 meters, I began to free fall — completely relaxed, with nothing on my mind except equalization. It felt wonderful to drift down smoothly through the water. Suddenly I was at the bottom plate at 16 meters, and it actually felt like it came too soon. Slowly ascending again, I kept the same calm mindset and surfaced with a big smile. It was by far the best dive I’ve ever had. I didn’t reach the 20 meters I had hoped for, but it didn’t matter — I achieved something much more important: the mental calm that’s the foundation of deep freediving. I learned a lot about freediving that day, and about what I need to develop further. And I also learned that freediving without a speargun is pretty great too. Thank you to Klaus from KlausSimonsen.com for an excellent course in truly safe hands.”