PADI Basic Freediving Course - General Admission (Sapphire Coast NSW)

Stop Fighting the Water. Experience Complete Control, Effortless Equalisation, and Quiet Underwater Confidence.

You enter the ocean seeking freedom, but too often, you find frustration instead.

Your ears ache at 3 metres. Your heart races the moment you start to descend. You watch fish or target species disappear beneath you while you struggle to hold your breath for more than 45 seconds.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Freediving isn't an endurance sport—it is the art of deep, calculated relaxation. In just one day, we strip away the panic, the physical tension, and the constant ear pain. You will transform from fighting your own body into moving effortlessly underwater, extending your comfortable breath-hold time while unlocking a state of active meditation that stays with you long after you leave the pool.

Most budget freediving courses stack pools with up to 8 students per instructor to keep prices low ($349). What that translates to as a student in a big group course of 8 participants is:

• You have more dwell time waiting for others to take their turn, getting colder and reducing your performance.

• When you're unable to achieve the task or skill, or your ears block, you aren't able to get specific coaching, because the instructor has to rush you through drills as the schedule is running behind.

• Performance anxiety spikes as you feel pressured to hold your breath under the watchful eyes of a large and energised crowd.

We refuse to run assembly-line courses. The Guaranteed 1:6 Small Group Ratio ($449) gives you 33% more direct, 1-on-1 coaching time with your instructor. You won't be rushed, you'll have quality time and focus. With over 10 years teaching experience, we diagnose your exact skill or technical blockers, adjust your body positioning in real time, and teach you how to turn off the brain chatter that triggers stress and panic.

1. Dedicated 1-on-1 Relaxation & Mindful Awareness Coaching (Solves Mental Stress & Performance Barriers)

• The Problem: 80% of beginner divers fail to go past 60 seconds static because breathholds are forced and pushed, which doesn't help you learn how to develop the awareness to manage the threshold of calm to stress and tension.

• The Solution: We dedicate explicit, hands-on pool time to teach you specific awareness, relaxation and mindfulness techniques that most schools will hold back until you reach Level 3 Master level. We bring the important learning up to the front of the queue. Your instructor evaluates your preparation and breathhold individually, ensuring you learn to understand the map of your breathhold and to freedive without strain or stress before ever heading to deeper water.

2. Neurological Breathwork & Nervous System Tuning (Solves Fear & Anxiety)

• The Problem: The urge to breathe isn't caused by a lack of oxygen—it's caused by a buildup of carbon dioxide triggering adrenaline and panic.

• The Solution: We guide you through targeted pre-dive breathing protocols (Breathe-Up) and post-dive recovery techniques. By learning how your nervous system responds to CO2, you down-shift your heart rate on demand, turning underwater anxiety into profound mental stillness.

3. Micro-Group Dynamics & Extended Pool Time (Solves Short Breath-Holds & Poor Technique)

• The Problem: Rushed pool sessions focus on hitting arbitrary numbers and strict objectives instead of building relaxed technique.

• The Solution: With a strict 1:6 cap, you stay warm, active, and continuously coached. You'll refine your hydrodynamics, streamline your finning stroke, and practice static/dynamic apnea in an intimate, low-stress environment where extending your breath-hold feels like a natural smooth progression rather than forced ego and goal-driven tactics.

How much does staying stuck actually cost you?

• Failed Spearfishing / Snorkelling Trips: $200+ in fuel, boat fees, and lost days spent sitting on the surface with aching ears.

• Trial-and-Error Gear Purchases: $400+ spent buying wrong-fitting masks, fins, and weight belts trying to solve technique problems with hardware.

• Trial-and-Error Risk: The dangerous, potentially fatal risk of pushing your breath-hold alone without a trained safety buddy or proper blackout recovery protocols.

Investment: $449 AUD

(Includes PADI Basic Freediver e-Learning, Pool Facility Fees, Premium Instruction from a top-tier PADI Freediver Instructor Trainer, and Guaranteed 1:6 Instructor-to-Student Ratio)

1. "Is 1 day in a pool really enough to make a difference?"

Yes, because the pool is where 90% of the physiological mastery happens. Learning to calm your heart rate, equalise without intensity, and extending breath-hold mechanics in a warm, controlled, zero-current environment builds the essential foundation. Trying to learn these complex skills in cold ocean waves for the first time is why so many beginners panic and fail.

2. "What if I can't hold my breath for more than 30 seconds right now?"

That is completely normal. Your current breath-hold limit is governed by mental tension, not physical capacity. On average, our students swiftly extend their breath-hold time (often reaching 1:30 to 2:30 minutes) by the end of the afternoon purely by learning how to relax their body and manage CO2 urges.

3. "I always have trouble clearing my ears when freediving and snorkelling. Will this course help?"

This is the single biggest reason people choose our small-group format. In a standard 1:8 class, stress and equalisation issues cause students to get left behind. In our 1:6 setting, your instructor spends individual time tailoring the freediving techniques designed specifically for your growth and progress.

4. "Does this give me an international freediving certification?"

Yes! Successful completion grants you the official PADI Basic Freediver certification, recognised worldwide for pool and confined-water freediving. It also serves as the exact prerequisite to unlock Step 2 (Open Water Certification) whenever you are ready.

5. "Why pay $449 when I can find a pool course down the road for $349?"

Cheap courses save money by adding more students (up to 8 per instructor). That means less coaching time for your mental and physical adaptation, more time standing cold on the side of the pool, and a rushed environment that breeds anxiety. You are paying for individual attention, faster skill mastery, and an environment engineered for deep relaxation.

Ready to take your pool mastery into the ocean? Complete your full PADI Freediver Certification with a dedicated, private or micro-group open water shore dive.

Bookings

NB: 

• If your booking date is within 7 days of your preferred date, a 100% payment is requested. 

Please send a message if your booking date is less than 48 hours away. Messages can be sent here.

Your Freediving Instructor

Learn to freedive with PADI Freediver Instructor Trainer, Marlon Quinn. 

Marlon started teaching freediving in 2014 and has taught students all over Australia. Underwater filmmakers, fisheries officers, police, fire fighters, underwater performers, mermaids, marine scientists, AFL footballers, professional singers, and even new freediving instructors. Himself, he learned to freedive with World Champions including Umberto Pelizzari and Stavros Kastrinakis, and trained under AIDA, PADI Freediver, Apnea International, and Apnea Academy freediving education systems.

This Course is For You

This course is for you, to learn more than the basics of freediving.

The Parts of the Course

1. Online learning :

Self-paced online PADI Freediver eLearning (allow up to 10 hours)

2. PADI Basic Freediver (Day 1)

Classroom session (2.5 hours):

• Introductions and opening
• Discovery talk - personal aims, experience and intention setting
• PADI Freediver overview
• Equalisation of the ears
• Breathwork & mindfulness
• Guided meditation practice
• Includes a short break

Pool training (4 hours):

• Snorkelling / Freediving gear review
• Equipment preparation and donning
• Relaxation exercise
• Mind and body awareness
• Breathing preparation and immersion
• Breath-hold practice for static apnea
• Recovery breathing techniques
• Personalised feedback and tailored coaching for during the dive
• Buddy safety system and rescue simulation
• Buoyancy / weighting test and setting
• Duck-dive technique and practice
• Breath-hold practice for dynamic apnea
• Finning technique and fin application (short/long blade)
• Underwater swimming profile assessment and body positioning
• Target goals: Static Apnea 90 seconds, Dynamic Apnea 25m

3. Optional Training (Day 2)

Choose from these additional training options to support your deeper development. The optional training can be booked as a package or make contact to book separately.

• Cold Water Immersion and breathwork session
• Shore-entry open water freediving line-diving session with coaching (3x participants maximum)
• PADI Freediver L1 upgrade
• Underwater photoshoot

No matter your experience level, this course is the foundation course. It is based upon the PADI Basic Freediver certification training. You MUST be able to swim and be in good physical health to make sure you gain the most from the course. 

• Once confirmed in full, session fees are non-refundable (unless the session is cancelled by us for unforeseen circumstances), please choose your experience with care
• Travel insurance is your best cover for unforeseen cancellations and problems. It's easy to get at least a one-day cover policy
• Course locations are available in Merimbula (usually November to April)
• All Students must be minimum 20 years of age
• Please arrive at the theory venue 15 minutes before commencement time to ensure you have enough time to check in and get settled
• Please dress comfortably
• Please bring a bag with your swimmers, 5mm wetsuit, fins, mask, snorkel, weightbelt, a towel and your own re-usable water bottle.
• Guests must be able to swim. Courses do not cater for people with no swimming ability. The Instructor retains the right to refuse participation in which case your attendance is forfeited
• Guests with back, neck, or heart conditions, those who are pregnant or who have injuries/conditions that may cause a risk to their health are advised not to participate, or do so at their own risk
• A Diver's Medical Statement and Questionnaire must be submitted to attend the course
• A diving medical (AS4005.1) may be required prior to commencement of the course
• At least one 90 second static breath-hold attempt and 25m underwater dynamic swim will be performed
• The supplier reserves the right to substitute the venue / pool and / or change the day’s itinerary