ONCE SEEN AS AN EXTREME SPORT, THE CHALLENGE AND SERENITY OF FREEDIVING IS BEING DISCOVERED BY MORE AND MORE PEOPLE. FREEDIVINGUK INTRODUCE US TO SOME OF THE BEST LOCATIONS TO EXPERIENCE THIS SPORT ON THE MEDITERRANEAN AND IN EUROPEGOZO
Gozo is one of Europes best freediving locations. It offers deep water within a stones throw of the shore, often reaching to over 40m deep within the same distance from the rocks. Its a freedivers playground with huge caves and archways that can be explored without the use of scuba equipment. We have been taking groups here for the past 6 years and we know every inch of the island now, with dive sites for almost any weather. Malta also offers ome good freediving but its just not as accessible from the shore compared to Gozo, which makes the diving a little harder to organise. Gozo is probably my favourite place to dive in the world.
From €860 per person for 1 weekICELAND
If you dont mind the cold then Iceland offers some pretty spectacular diving. Known for its volcanic landscape and geothermal activity the diving in Iceland is varied and often unexpected. The most famous dive site here, Silfra, is considered to be one of the top dive sites in the world. Its the place where the continental plates divide. Filled with spring water with accessible depths of about 20m the visibility here is the best in the world, giving you the opportunity to see over 100m underwater. For me its like diving in the air, so clear that you cant see the water in front of you, which for some can give severe vertigo. The only problem is the water rarely gets over 1c, so it will take your breath away if you are not wearing the right gear.
From €520 per person for 4 days
CANARY ISLANDS
The canaries are more than just a winter sun destination for sun starved Brits, the diving here has the potential to be world class. With year round sun and deep water surrounding each island, freedivers that visit any of the islands have the chance to dive with rays, sharks, dolphins and whales. The volcanic landscape creates deep trenches, gullies and dropoffs all around the coast, and like so man islands there is normally somewhere calm to dive. The Canaries offer a great winter dive destination.
From €860 per person for 1 weekMEXICO
When people think of diving in Mexico they think of the Cenotes. The Cenotes are open top caves that break the surface throughout the Yucatan peninsula on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. They are the entrance to the Mayan underworld and more specifically the gateway to a network of underground rivers that spans thousand of miles. For freediving this offers a unique chance to dive in the middle of a jungle, in generally crystal clear freshwater. Beyond the Cenotes you have the incredible Pacific coast and the sea of Cortez on one side and the Caribbean sea on the other. Basically wherever you go there is something or somewhere to dive!
From €1325 per person for 1 week
THAILAND
We have a special relationship with a group of indigenous sea nomads from the Andaman sea, the Moken tribe. We have visited them a couple of times in Thailand to dive with them, both times with an international group of freedivers. The first time we visited them was a charity trip which we organised to help them teach their children some of the more refined safety aspects of freediving, things that the adults did without thinking but were unable to teach. The diving in Thailand is wonderful. The water is warm and in the right places the marine life is abundant. The best site in my opinion is Richelieu Rock, near the Surin Islands. This is a pinnacle that juts out of the water in the middle of nowhere that attracts the most incredible marine life. Its a must see.
From €1150 pr person for 1 week
FreediveUK offer AIDA freediving courses in Cornwall, UK and around the world on their holidays. They also have instructors available for private hire to run courses from your location. Freediving can be an invaluable tool for yacht crew as it can give them the skills needed to retrieve lost items from the seabed, stay calm in emergencies and give their guests another fun activity to enjoy.
Ian Donald is one of the world foremost freediving instructors, an AIDA instructor trainer he holds the highest available professional freediving qualification and has been teaching since 2009. He is also the author of the book ‘Underwater foraging – Freediving for food’.
