One of the best things for new athletes to do is to participate in competitions! I recommend that when people compete in their first competition, to go and do what you can do on your worst day. As you compete more you learn to deal with some of the nerves that come along with the sport. Freediving competitions are mostly about competing against yourself. It is a great way to meet other free divers in the community and to support the organizers. A lot of work goes into organizing competitions, and it is very helpful for the competition organizer to have a full roster of athletes!
There are a few competitions that happen annually on the West coast. Oceanoid freediving in Vancouver typically hosts a couple of competitions a year. There are a few great competition organizers in Mexico! Freediving competitions are sanctioned under either Aida or CMAS. The rules are slightly different for the two organizations and in order to participate you need to be a member of your National. Membership in a national is usually $20-$50 dollars a year. You also need to have a medical form signed by a doctor to participate in the competition. Here are some links below to the competition calendars for both Aida and CMAS, as well as the US and Canadian National Organizations. I hope to see you all one day competing :-)