Medical Disclaimer & Safe Diving Practices

The short version: freediving stresses your heart, lungs, ears, and nervous system in ways everyday life doesn't. The questions below exist to catch the conditions that make that dangerous. Answer them honestly: you're answering for yourself, not for us. If anything flags, see a diving-medicine physician before you train. The App will not stop you, which means the decision, and the risk, are yours.

This screen is not a medical assessment, and your answers are not reviewed by a medical professional. They are stored on your profile so the App can show you conservative warnings, and they are never shared with other users (see our Privacy Policy).

Before You Start

Answer YES or NO to each question. If you answer YES to any of them, we strongly recommend you consult a physician trained in diving medicine before starting any breath-hold training in this App. The App will not block you from training, but training without medical clearance is at your own risk.

1. Have you ever had problems with your lungs or breathing, your heart, or your blood; or have you been diagnosed with a respiratory infection (including COVID-19) in the past 30 days?
2. Are you over 45 years of age?
3. Do you struggle to perform moderate exercise (for example, are you unable to walk 1.6 km / 1 mile in 14 minutes, or swim 200 m without resting)?
4. Have you had problems with your eyes, ears, or nasal passages / sinuses (including frequent ear infections, ruptured eardrum, or recurring sinusitis)?
5. Have you had surgery in the last 12 months, or do you have ongoing problems related to a past surgery?
6. Have you lost consciousness, had migraine headaches, seizures, stroke, significant head injury, or do you suffer from any persistent neurological injury or disease?
7. Are you currently undergoing, or have you required in the last five years, treatment for psychological problems, personality disorder, panic attacks, or addiction to drugs or alcohol?
8. Do you have back problems, hernia, ulcers, or diabetes?
9. Do you have stomach or intestinal problems, including recent diarrhoea?
10. Are you currently taking any prescription medication (other than birth control or anti-malarial drugs other than mefloquine / Lariam)?
11. Are you pregnant?

Answered YES to something? That's not a verdict. Plenty of people freedive with a physician's clearance. But get the clearance first, and only resume training when a diving-medicine physician says you're good.

Safe Freediving Practices

By continuing to use the App you confirm that you understand and agree to follow these safe-diving practices, adapted from the PADI Freediver Statement of Understanding. None of them are optional, and the first one is the one that saves lives:

1. Always freedive with a trained buddy who watches you throughout the dive and recovery.
2. Never freedive after scuba diving on the same day.
3. Equalize your ears and mask gently and frequently during descent. If you cannot equalize, return to the surface.
4. Never use forceful or extended equalisation techniques.
5. Descend with your lungs full; never on an empty breath.
6. Freedive in good health only. Never with a cold, congestion, or any sinus or ear inflammation.
7. Do not take a scuba breath at depth while freediving (except in a true emergency).
8. Use relaxation, not hyperventilation, to extend breath-hold time.
9. Increase breath-hold durations gradually over weeks and months, not in a single session.
10. After descending to depth, head up well within your limits.
11. Send any diver who has blacked out, lost motor control, or may have inhaled water directly to hospital.
12. Weight yourself to float comfortably at the surface after a full exhale.
13. Remove the snorkel from your mouth before descending.
14. Do not exhale during a dive except immediately before breaking the surface.
15. After returning to the surface, perform recovery breathing (passive exhale, active inhale) three times.
16. Rest at least three times the duration of your previous breath-hold before the next dive.
17. Have your buddy escort you on the final ascent from depth.
18. Do not start your descent until your buddy has completed their recovery and confirms they are watching.
19. Follow the one-up, one-down buddy system at all times.
20. Assess conditions before every session and plan accordingly.
21. Avoid large or rough surf.
22. Avoid contact with marine organisms, especially unfamiliar ones.
23. Get a local orientation when freediving at a new location.
24. Protect yourself from sun exposure and stay hydrated.
25. Do not consume alcohol within 12 hours of training, and never train while under the influence of any substance that affects breathing, heart rate, or judgement.

Acknowledgment

By tapping I understand, you confirm that:

• You have read and understood the medical questions and safe diving practices above.
• You answered the medical questions honestly, and you will consult a diving-medicine physician before training if any answer was YES, or becomes YES in the future.
• You assume all risks of breath-hold training, including those described in the Terms of Service.
• The App is a training tool, not a safety device, and not a substitute for professional instruction or medical advice.
• You will train within your certification level and never alone.

Effective: 2026-08-10 Version: 1.0