Introducing the First Competitive Freediving Courses: Wave 4 / Lap 4

By Kristina Zvaritch
Image by Daan Verhoeven

Freediving as a sport continues to evolve, even though the act of freediving itself is hundreds of years old. As more studies are conducted in the physiology of freediving and athletes continue to test the limits of the human body, we at Molchanovs realized that it was time for a competition freediving course - one that has not yet been created by any other freediving agency. We consulted with the top freedivers and coaches in the world and combined them with the latest scientific updates in the sport to develop this absolutely unique course.

The Wave 4 / Lap 4 courses

The Wave 4 / Lap 4 courses are designed for aspiring competitive athletes in freediving. Lap 4 was created specifically for those who want to improve their static breath-hold times and achieve great distances in the pool. Wave 4 includes Lap 4 material with the addition of open water sessions and techniques suitable for deep depths. Both courses focus on achieving these objectives in the safest manner possible, along with preparing athletes for competition performances, familiarizing them with competition protocols, and helping them set up their own training schedules after the course is complete.

The Wave 4 / Lap 4 courses include a review of the history of competitive freediving, physiology, breathing and relaxation methods, equalization, diving techniques, mental techniques, potential trauma, safety and rescue, equipment, competition preparation and procedures, coaching, and training plan periodization.

We recommend taking this course over an extended period of time to take advantage of all of the new techniques and knowledge.

The team behind Wave 4 / Lap 4

When creating the courses and writing the manual, we looked to Natalia Molchanova’s teachings, along with the guidance of the deepest and most knowledgeable freedivers in the world, Alexey Molchanov, Thibault Guignés, and Vitomir Maričić. We also asked for additional input from Molchanovs athletes, esteemed Molchanovs Instructor Trainers, and specialists in competition safety. They shared with us their personal stories, training methods, pedagogies, and techniques used to achieve (or to help others achieve) their longest times and furthest and deepest distances, all with safety as the number one priority.

Athletes and coaches

Marco Cosentino
Florian Dagoury
Matthieu Duvault
Thibault Guignés
Robert King
Vitomir Maričić
Alexey Molchanov
Julia Mouce
Adam Stern

We also had a phenomenal team of writers, editors, designers, illustrators, photographers, and production staff who spent months devoting their time and efforts to turning these athlete stories into a practical manual for future freediving competitors.

Wave 4 Instructor Trainers

The Wave 4 Instructor Trainers were carefully selected for their extensive experience in freediving competitions and chosen based on specific requirements. They were required to have a personal best within 25% of a world record and have participated in at least 10 competitions. These extraordinary individuals are listed below.

W4ITs

Michael Board
Alexander Bogdashkin
Carlos Coste
Julia Mouce Dominguez
Matt Duvault
JP Francois
Santiago Jakas
Robert King
Vika Li
Omar Mourad
Jesper Stechmann
Evgeny Sychev
Wayne Tu
Aolin Wang
Sendoh Wang
Enzo Zhao

Additionally:

Daniel Arias
Nataliia Zharkova

Learn more

Click here to learn more about the Wave 4/ Lap 4 course, including prerequisites and passing requirements.