Freediving Vs Scuba: Which is more dangerous?

An honest breakdown from someone who works in both

Which is more dangerous - freediving or scuba?

Most people think the answer is obvious.

It isn’t. And the real answer might surprise you.

Before we go any further, one thing must be clear:

This article is comparing recreational diving (0 to 30m) — not technical, cave, or competitive freediving.

Recreational depths are where 99% of divers live, and where both scuba and freediving should be evaluated fairly.

Now, here’s my background so you know that this is unbiased and where I’m coming from.

I’ve been diving for 14 years and have worked professionally around Australia and overseas as both a SCUBA Divemaster and a Freediving Instructor.

On the scuba side, I hold PADI Divemaster, Deep (40m), Nitrox, DPV, Stress & Rescue, and I’m on track to become a HUET Safety Diver for helicopter underwater escape training. In freediving, I’m a 67m diver, Molchanovs Master Instructor, SSI Advanced Instructor, and I worked as a Safety Diver at the Freediving World Cup in the Philippines in 2025. I’ve taken thousands of divers underwater across both sports.

This isn’t a biased comparison - it’s an honest breakdown from someone deeply invested in both worlds.

I’ve met 100 metre tech divers who won’t touch freediving.

And 100 metre freedivers who want nothing to do with scuba. So which is actually more dangerous?

Let’s break it down properly.

Different Activities, Different Risks

Scuba

You breathe compressed air underwater. Your safety depends on:

• Equipment

• Gas management

• Buoyancy control

• Ascent procedures

• Avoiding DCS

• Post-dive rules (no altitude, no flying, surface intervals)

Freediving

You take one breath. No tank. No nitrogen. No decompression. Your safety depends on:

• Oxygen & CO₂ management

• Equalisation

• Technique

• Supervision

• Not hyperventilating

• Proper buddy systems

Two completely different physiological profiles.

Two completely different safety systems.

You Decide How Safe Each Sport Is

Both scuba and freediving can be incredibly safe.

Both can be incredibly dangerous.

The difference is you.

The ocean will always carry risk, but how we choose to dive in it ultimately determines how safe the experience is.

If you follow training, listen to your instructors, manage your ego, and dive within your limits, both sports offer safe, life-changing, unforgettable experiences.

If you ignore procedure, skip training, or dive alone… both sports become dangerous very quickly.

This is the truth I see every single week as an instructor:

When done responsibly, scuba and freediving are two of the safest adventure sports you can do.

The safety isn’t in the gear. The safety isn’t in the depth. The safety is in you.

Why Freediving Gets a “Dangerous” Reputation

Most “freediving deaths”… aren’t freedivers.

They’re:

• Snorkellers with no training

• Spearfishers diving alone

• Tourists hyperventilating

• Swimmers pushing breath-holds too far

• People with no buddy system

• Snorkellers having cardiac events

Statistically, these get lumped in with “freediving.” But they’re not performing technical freediving at all.

Meanwhile, trained freediving - the kind you learn in a course - has one of the best safety records in recreational diving.

• Nearly zero fatalities in structured courses

• Only 1 death in ~80,000 competitive freedives worldwide (and these are divers who dive at the limits!)

• Blackouts managed safely

• No nitrogen

• No decompression

• No equipment malfunction

• No post-dive restrictions (no-fly, altitude, surface intervals etc.)

The misconception exists because the data captures untrained breath-hold activity, not true freediving.

Please note: Again, we are referring to recreational diving. In technical or competitive (deep) freediving, some of the arguments above are altered.

Understanding the Real Risks in Freediving

1. Hypoxia (low oxygen)

Blackouts are survivable and manageable with trained divers.

2. Equalisation issues

Usually caused by technique, not life threatening but can cause injury.

3. Behaviour and supervision

Nearly all freediving incidents come from poor decisions:

• Diving alone

• Hyperventilating

• Poor surface recovery

• Ignoring safety protocols

This is why certified freediving with a proper buddy system is extremely safe.

Understanding the Real Risks in Scuba (0–30m)

Scuba introduces mechanical and procedural risks that freediving simply doesn’t have.

1. Decompression management

You must manage:

• Ascent rate

• Surface intervals

• Repetitive dive profiles

• Nitrogen loading

• Post-dive altitude and flight restrictions

Freediving doesn’t have any of this.

2. Barotrauma

Almost always from breath-holding on ascent or rapid buoyancy changes, and equalisation issues.

3. Equipment failures

Regulator issues, BCD problems, poor gas management — rare, but possible.

4. Panic

One of the leading causes of scuba fatalities.

Again - scuba is extremely safe when done responsibly.But it does have more potential failure points.

So Which Is “Safer”?

It depends on the diver, not the sport.

If you follow training → both are safe

If you dive responsibly → both are safe

If you manage your ego → both are safe

If you don’t… → both can be dangerous

Here’s the balanced, professional conclusion:

Scuba has more mechanical and decompression-related risks.Freediving has more behavioural and physiological risks - but only when done without training.

When freediving is done:

• with certified divers

• using proper buddy systems

• without hyperventilation

• with correct surface intervals

it is overall safer because it has fewer things that can go wrong.

But both sports, when done responsibly, are safe, enjoyable, and incredibly rewarding.

Personal Anecdote as a Professional, which do I prefer leading?

I’ve worked professionally in both SCUBA and freediving around the world, guiding thousands of divers through every type of ocean condition and wildlife encounter. And from that experience, I can confidently say that guiding freediving courses and fun dives gives me far more peace of mind than guiding SCUBA.

When you’re leading a SCUBA group, you’re constantly managing moving parts. You might have one diver accidentally over-inflating their BCD and floating up, while another is slowly sinking because they’re let out a bit too much air. Someone else might be chewing through their air faster than expected, while another diver creeps close to their No-Deco limit. Add the possibility of minor equipment hiccups and the limited ability to communicate clearly underwater, and SCUBA guiding becomes a continuous cycle of monitoring, correcting, and anticipating.

Freediving is a completely different workflow. On the line, everyone stays close. Communication is clear on the surface, instructions land immediately, and each diver is attached to a fixed depth limit - you decide how deep they can go, and they physically can’t exceed it. You also don’t have to worry about someone disappearing below their allowable depth or silently burning through their gas supply.

Both sports require professional oversight and responsibility, but the operational load feels very different.

In my experience, SCUBA guiding requires far more hyper-focused attention to prevent issues from stacking up simultaneously. Freediving, by contrast, feels controlled, calm, and far easier to manage from both a safety and communication perspective.

Final Takeaway

You - not the sport - determine the safety.

If you dive within your limits, follow your training, and respect the ocean, both scuba and freediving offer safe, transformative experiences that will stay with you for life.

If you’re ready to experience freediving safely, confidently, and with proper guidance, our Wave 1 courses run year-round.

Come learn the right way, join the community, and discover what you’re capable of on one breath.