I think a 25 second breath hold should be enough to get you to 10 meters and back. My suggestion: forget the vest. Stuart Cove's provides flotation for those who want it, but for free diving, you don't want flotation. You don't need extreme fins, either. I use normal fins. A few kicks will get you to the bottom. A few more will get you back up.
The much bigger issue is equalization. With scuba you can take your time equalizing. But free diving you've only got that one lung-full of air, and that limits your time. If you can equalize rapidly, no problem. If it takes you a while to equalize, well, I used to be able to get no deeper than 12 or 15 feet because I could not equalize in the time my air lasted.
Practice equalizing your ears even more than holding your breath, and 10 meters will be a cinch. Someone posted a link to a great video about equalizing. Watch that if you have not already.
The much bigger issue is equalization. With scuba you can take your time equalizing. But free diving you've only got that one lung-full of air, and that limits your time. If you can equalize rapidly, no problem. If it takes you a while to equalize, well, I used to be able to get no deeper than 12 or 15 feet because I could not equalize in the time my air lasted.
Practice equalizing your ears even more than holding your breath, and 10 meters will be a cinch. Someone posted a link to a great video about equalizing. Watch that if you have not already.
