Equipment you will need

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As a person at the beginning of your journey of discovery you will be well advised to go to an actual brick and mortar Freediving store to rent or purchase equipment. Local specialty Freediving stores in Redondo include Spear America and Freedive n Spear. 

Scuba stores will often carry some Freediving gear but are not as knowledgeable about our specific needs and may steer you towards gear more suitable for Scuba divers. Dive n Surf in Redondo are primarily a “ Water Sports “ store with a wide range but do include some Freediving gear
There are specialty Freediving and Scuba stores online. 

Perhaps the most critical piece of your equipment, you will need to wear a wetsuit to keep you warm, comfortable and relaxed. We tend to use 5 mm unlined Freediving wetsuits as being the most suitable all round freediving wetsuit for SoCal waters. For the short term a 7mm Scuba Suit is ok. Anything less and you will start to get cold sooner than you would want which isnt good for your relaxation! . Having an unlined wetsuit results in less water flushing through so you can stay warm in a thinner more flexible suit perhaps a 5 mm instead of a 7 mm suit. 

Your mask should fit comfortably on your face and should be low volume to make it easier to equalize on one breath. Clear rather than tinted lenses facilitate communication. I use a Sphera or a generic Sphera knockoff.  
Your snorkel should ideally be a simple j tube type. Cressi makes a good widely available version.
You will need a rubber snorkel retainer. The supplied plastic clips are inadequate.

Ordinary “short fins “ are fine to learn on. Typically you will likely want to transition to “ Long fins” at some point. Long fins are progressively more expensive depending on their material, plastic, 

fiberglass or carbon fiber or combinations. 

Your weight belt should be stretchy because you will be wearing it on your hips rather than around your waist. You will need anywhere from 6 lbs to 14 lbs depending on your body type and wetsuit. 

Optional but very nice to have for warmth and protection ! I use 1.5 mm Salvimar. 

Socks are needed to protect your feet from abrasion and for warmth. I use 2.5 mm Cressi. They need to be compatible with the footpocket of your fins. 

As a person at the beginning of your journey of discovery you will be well advised to go to an actual brick and mortar Freediving store to rent or purchase equipment. Local specialty Freediving stores in Redondo include Spear America and Freedive n Spear. 

Scuba stores will often carry some Freediving gear but are not as knowledgeable about our specific needs and may steer you towards gear more suitable for Scuba divers. Dive n Surf in Redondo are primarily a “ Water Sports “ store with a wide range but do include some Freediving gear
There are specialty Freediving and Scuba stores online. 

You will need a lanyard if you plan on continuing Line diving in Southern California waters. I use a lanyard from Octopus. 

I like the brand 500 PSI Mask Defog. Sea drops brand are more widely available. Some divers make their own defog from a solution of soap and water.

Or you can spit in your mask 😊

Beach Towel and low profile swimsuit to go under your wetsuit for ease of changing. 

If you have an unlined wetsuit you will want some sort of Wet suit lube to allow you to slip into your wetsuit. We use ordinary conditioner, shampoos or a product like Shark Snot. 

If you have a moustache or a beard you may need vaseline to ensure a good seal. 

A Dive bag for your gear is helpfull.
If you have long hair elastic ties are useful.
Should you decide to continue with freediving, you will want to investigate buying a suitable Dive watch.