The course took three days, two days in a pool and the last day in the open water.To successfully complete the AIDA 2 star freediver course you will have to perform a 2 minute breathold, swim 40 m underwater with fins and dive to 16m in the open water.
I was expecting the breath hold section of the course to be a real challenge, I think my PB prior to starting the course was around 1min 30 secs. I ended up really surprising myself, finishing the course with a new PB of 3mins 30seconds. I'm not sure I could even explain how I did it, it's more about relaxation and a mind game with yourself once your bodies carbon dioxide levels get high and the contractions start.
What I really found difficult was going down at depth, past 10m it started to feel really uncomfortable. Staying nice and relaxed laying down in a swimming pool is one thing, but trying to be as relaxed swimming vertically down is another thing. I'm definitely going to have to get some more practice in if I'm going to go onto the 3* certification.
The thrill with this sport seems to be mastering your mind and pushing limits, I guess that's why a lot of experienced free divers die.