Kenting Mask Face ReviewExperience Hengchun life with an instructor and easily earn AIDAxMatcha dual certifications

About 80% of students don't manage to get their Kenting Freediving certification within the three-day course, so most freediving schools offer group practice sessions and retakes. Kending Mianjinglian hosts four days of group practice each month; students who have previously taken a freediving course with them only need to cover entrance fees and equipment, as the practice sessions themselves are free. Retake eligibility is valid for one year. The best part is that you can cross-regionally attend sessions in Taipei, Taichung, and Kenting. Even if you took your course at the Kending Mianjinglian location, you can still retake the exam or join group practice in a different region. With 12 days of sessions available across northern, central, and southern Taiwan each month, it's incredibly convenient for students who don't live in Hengchun.

Kending Mianjinglian also regularly organizes diving trips to Green Island, Xiaoliuqiu, and even abroad. Now with their Hengchun freediving base, students visiting Kenting can also enjoy the thrill of freediving. Beyond diving, Kending Mianjinglian offers a variety of activities, including the meditative slacklining, adventurous surfing, and lively, fun camping. The instructors are experts on Kenting and Hengchun, so post-class itineraries are just as enriching as the lessons, earning Kending Mianjinglian high praise from students who love discovering hidden gems!

The second day's pool session took us to Xiaowan Swimming Pool in Kenting, where we practiced static apnea, dynamic apnea (40 meters), and static apnea rescue for Kenting Freediving. I felt a bit nervous the first time I put on fins and jumped into the water. While I'm not afraid of water, my swimming skills aren't the best. However, with the professional guidance of the Kending Mianjinglian freediving instructor, I gradually gained confidence, eventually floating upright on my own—a truly satisfying achievement. The instructor observed everyone's fin kicks, teaching us to point our toes and engage our thighs. Initially, my muscles weren't used to it, and it felt a bit like cramping.

After static breath-hold practice, it was time for dynamic apnea. I initially thought a 40-meter dynamic dive was impossible, since even swimming 25 meters usually requires constant breathing. But with fins, the speed was incredible, and the instructor demonstrated how to turn in the pool beforehand. In the end, I completed it successfully!

The final item is static apnea rescue. When practicing static apnea, you always need a buddy nearby, because pushing yourself to hold your breath longer can lead to a state of hypoxia and blackout. That's why Kending Mianjinglian's pool course assessment always includes rotating rescue practice, ensuring a safer environment for freediving.

Kending Mianjinglian's instructor mentioned that if the pool is closed, they take students to calm waters near Kenting for practice, which Lucy Hou felt was a real advantage of choosing a freediving venue in Hengchun—after all, the whole point of Kenting Freediving is to get out into the ocean!

For the third day, we headed to Wanlitong for open water practice, where you can see sandy areas about five meters deep. The excitement was completely different from being in a pool; in open water, the instructor teaches you how to read the waves and find safe gaps to enter the water, preventing you from being knocked over or injured by the surf.

The first challenge was putting on and taking off fins underwater, which made it hard to balance. It took Lucy a long time just to get her fins on, a stark contrast to being in calm water or a pool. Throughout the process, the Kending Mianjinglian instructor demonstrated each step. Once her fins were on, her nerves settled significantly. Following the instructor out to sea, they waited for him to choose a spot and secure the buoy before beginning the open-water practice.

Open-water activities include rope diving, duck diving, and rescue techniques. Combining the equalization and breath-holding skills from the previous two days, the biggest difference between freediving in the ocean and in a pool is the potential for seasickness. However, once you see the fish, you'll want to dive down and swim among them. You can set the sandy bottom or large rocks as your target depth; don't just focus on numerical performance. Once you master equalization, depth will no longer be an issue.

After completing the regular Kending Freediving course, you can also arrange for an instructor to lead a training dive, providing personalized guidance on areas where you need improvement. Lucy Hou found these training dives incredibly rewarding, allowing for a significant increase in practice sessions over a short period. The instructors also continuously photograph students, helping everyone better understand where they're encountering difficulties.