the Editor says: The reason I'm sharing this article is that underwater, we occasionally come across freedivers training in incorrect ways. I've seen weights and kettlebells hanging from descent lines in the water, swinging like a pendulum with the current — not only can this damage the coral ecosystem at the bottom, it can also pose a serious risk to scuba divers below. I hope this series from Weird Coach helps everyone establish correct freediving training practices and proper float setup!
If you haven't seen Part 1 yet, click here: 『Setting Up Your Freediving Float Line All by Yourself』!
[Setting Up Your Own Float Line – Part 2] In-Water Hands-On Operation
Please watch in HD
Please watch in HD
Please watch in HD
Why is anchoring the float important?
Why use an anchor line?
When teaching or training, we always secure the float with an anchor line tied to a fixed buoy or fastened to the reef.
Why do we do this? The main reasons all come down to safety and training quality.
- When the float is anchored, I don't have to worry about the float and the diver being carried away by the current, which could create the dangerous situation of drifting too far from shore.
- When the float is constantly drifting with the current, variations in the underwater terrain may cause the bottom weight to strike and damage the seafloor environment; the descent line could also snag on underwater obstacles, making it impossible to retrieve.
- With an anchor line in place, the descent line and bottom weight work together to ensure the line hangs perfectly vertical — guaranteeing accurate depth measurement and effective training.
- Choosing where to fix the anchor line also means setting the maximum depth for the session. If I tie it at a depth of 10 m, the bottom weight is usually placed at around 8 m. Even if a student accidentally goes deeper than the set depth, they can't exceed it by much — keeping students safe. (Unless the student brought their own shovel 😂)
Furthermore —
Why not simply anchor the descent line itself?
There are a few reasons for that as well:
- A descent line takes considerable time and effort to measure and prepare. We don't want it to suffer any wear and tear from being tied directly to the reef.
- When a descent line is used as the fixed line, current will cause it to angle off to the side, making it impossible to accurately gauge depth or practice correct descent technique.
The most important rule when tying an anchor line is:
Never tie it to coral!!!!!
We always look for sturdy rock formations — often threading the line through a suitable rock crevice to secure it. Just be careful, though, as there tend to be sea urchins lurking inside those crevices!
In an ideal world, the best option is to clip onto fixed buoys already in the water.
However, in Taiwan, training waters that also have fixed buoys are genuinely few and far between.
As freediving grows in popularity, many experienced divers have learned how to set up a float, deploy and retrieve a descent line, and guide newer divers through practice together — and in those situations, using an anchor line is strongly recommended!
That said, whenever you go down to fix the line, always stay within your own limits. Safety first!
If you enjoy our content, don't forget to like the 『Weird Coach Freediving』 page!
