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Element Freediving
Freediving is holding your breath and traveling through depth, distance, or time and in a number of disciplines and contexts. For some, freediving is a way to increase time underwater for sightseeing or spearfishing. For others - it's an outlet to explore breathing techniques to better wellbeing and mental health. For others, it's a recreational and competitive sport to advance, push and discover athletic abilities and mental limits. For others, it's a vehicle for accessing the felt presence of direct experience. Freediving is different for everyone and the list above is by no means exhaustive. For most, the pull to freedive comes from a mix of all of the above.
Element Freediving is a school based in Victora, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. It is a school, resource, and community of people sharing in the challenge and joy of moving beyond mental and physical barriers to go deeper, longer, and to experience the fun of endless positive progression. In freediving, all divers no matter their skill level, are humbled by a depth, distance, or time. The beauty is in this shared reality and the satisfaction of each incremental success.
Courses
I'm a certified freediver, what Wave level am I?
Upcoming Courses
Private Coaching
About
My name is Iain Belcher. I grew up in Indonesia - swimming, snorkelling, being tossed around the surf, and diving down to check out sea creatures and corals. Over the last decade I had a growing interest in meditation and a fascination with trying to deepen a sense of present awareness in the here and now. In 2017, I took my first freediving course which married my passions for sport, health, meditation, and my love of the underwater.
My first certification was an SSI certification from Apneista in Bali, Indonesia. I then crossed over to AIDA, and then into the Molchanovs system in 2020/2021 with Canadian record holder Luca Malaguti. In 2022, I connected with Canadian record holder Matt Duvault of Cenote Freediving in Mexico. I have worked with Matt since 2022, who has generously shared his knowledge of the deep, leading me down the path to becoming an instructor.
I have also completed my AIDA Competition Safety certification with Oceanoid and participated in the 2023 Howe Deep Competition as an official AIDA Safety Diver.
Element Freediving is a vehicle for me to introduce and tailor-fit freediving for anyone with the slightest interest. It's a fascinating world of self discovery and, no matter your motivation, the path is deeply rewarding.
Community
Glossary
Contact
I'm an open book and annoyingly passionate. Reach out with any questions or thoughts and I'm happy to chat about freediving and your interests. If your schedule allows for it, I can run coaching, training, or course sessions during weekdays.
