About Courses
Why book a freediving course?
Freediving is the art of using your natural ability and breath hold to dive away from the surface and explore the depths. Freediving allows you to be silent in an environment full of noise, thus giving you the stealth to become close with its life, perfect for observing or spearfishing. All humans are born equipped with the ‘mammalian dive response’, a multifaceted physiological mechanism which occurs when submerged in water. This dive response triggers a decrease in heart rate, movement of blood from the extremities to the core and vital organs and finally, the spleen contracts and boosts new blood into the body. We are designed by nature to be at one with the ocean, join us for a course so we can show you how to dive deep with the oceans most magnificent animals.
“Scuba diving in the ocean is like going bird watching with a leaf blower. Not only are you disruptive, but you are a menace to everything around you. If you want to connect with animals and study life in the ocean, freediving is the only way to go”
— James Nestor
Freedive Course Details
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DAY 1:
Students will start by gathering in the classroom to learn about freediving theoretically, where they will be taught everything they need to know to a PADI standard for the appropriate course they are enrolled in. The classroom work will be completed with a small exam to refresh your eLearning (to be done prior to day 1). Our Diving in Paradise animal ecologist will then teach students about animal behaviour and how to have the best encounters with animals in the wild. Students will then travel to the pool to complete the confined water component of the course where they must demonstrate PADI course requirments in order to pass.
DAY 2:
Students will travel to the appropriate dive departure site and head out to sea. Once at our dive site, the freedive lines and floats are deployed and students will begin the PADI open ocean requirements. Once all requirements are passed, students have the opportunity to practice their new skills in a ‘fun dive’ at the dive site where they can take their snorkelling to the next level and get down with some amazing sea life.
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To pass your respected
course, the following benchmarks are set by PADI to obtain your certification.Beginner Freediver Pool Requirements:
1 min, 30 second static breath hold
25m dynamic underwater swimBeginner Freediver Ocean Requirements:
10m constant weight deep dive
5m constant weight deep dive rescueAdvanced Freediver Pool Requirements:
2 min, 30 second static breath hold
50m dynamic underwater swimAdvanced Freediver Ocean Requirements:
20m constant weight deep dive
10m constant weight deep dive resMaster Freediver Pool Requirements:
3 min, 30 second static breath hold
75m dynamic underwater swimMaster Freediver Ocean Requirements:
32m constant weight deep dive
20m constant weight deep dive rescue -
Freediving is largely built around relaxation in the water, therefore it is recommended that you bring your own equipment, suited to your body, to give yourself the best chance at being comfortable, staying relaxed and enjoying the course. Freediving specific fins, mask and snorkel are recommended. Freediving specific wetsuits are not required for beginner to advanced courses, the most important thing to look for in a suit is heat retention, overall body warmth and comfort. However, those progressing onward to the master course may wish to consider a freediving specific suit.
The cost of our freediving courses are $600, which covers your certification, full equipment hire (if you need it), eLearning access, classroom theory covering a large range of topics, confined water session, breathing workshop, boat charter and photos and videos of your experience.
Your instructor is Taylor McKeown, a PADI advanced freediving instructor, animal ecologist and Olympic medalist in swimming.
Spearfishing Course Details
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The general itinerary for our spearfishing courses are the same as our PADI Freedive courses. Please refer to the Freediver General Itinerary found above for full information. All spearfishing students will complete the PADI Freediver course with the addition of spearfishing specific education in the classroom on day 1. The additional classroom education will include; local spearfishing sites, fish species specific behaviour, legal and illegal species, speargun types and additions, safety and precautions.
On day 2 the students will travel to the dive departure site and head out to sea. Once at the dive site, the freedive lines and floats are deployed and students will begin the PADI open ocean requirements. Once all requirements are passed, students have the opportunity to practice their new skills in a ‘fun dive’ at the dive site where they can take their snorkelling to the next level and get down with some amazing sea life. All spearfishing course students will graduate our course with a PADI Freediver certification if all requirements are met.
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Beginner Freediver Pool Requirements:
1 min, 30 second static breath hold
25m dynamic underwater swimBeginner Freediver Ocean Requirements:
10m constant weight deep dive
5m constant weight deep dive rescueAdvanced Freediver Pool Requirements:
2 min, 30 second static breath hold
50m dynamic underwater swimAdvanced Freediver Ocean Requirements:
20m constant weight deep dive
10m constant weight deep dive rescueMaster Freediver Pool Requirements:
3 min, 30 second static breath hold
75m dynamic underwater swimMaster Freediver Ocean Requirements:
32m constant weight deep dive
20m constant weight deep dive rescue -
Freediving is largely built around relaxation in the water, therefore it is recommended that you bring your own equipment, suited to your body, to give yourself the best chance at being comfortable, staying relaxed and enjoying the course. Freediving specific fins, mask and snorkel are recommended. Freediving specific wetsuits are not required for beginner to advanced courses, the most important thing to look for in a suit is heat retention, overall body warmth and comfort. However, those progressing onward to the master course may wish to consider a freediving specific suit. Spearfishing guns and other specific equipment such as gloves are not required for our spearfishing courses, as we have guns for the students to learn with. However, please bring your own gun if you have one to practice specific rigging or if you have any questions for Luke about it.
The cost of our spearfishing/freediving course is $600, which covers your certification, eLearning access, classroom theory including animal and fish behaviour, confined water session, breathing workshop, spearfishing masterclass, boat chartered double dive and world class instructors.
Your instructors are Taylor McKeown, a PADI Freedive instructor, animal ecologist and Olympic medalist in swimming, and Luke Purdie, head spearfisherman at Adreno, freediving master and spearfishing equipment specialist.
Our Freediving Course Site
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Julian Rocks (Nguthungulli)
A hotspot for wildlife diversity and abundance, Nguthungulli is located East of Byron, 2.5km from the cape and a 15 minute boat trip from the Brunswick River. It acts as natures barricade from the harsh oceanic conditions that frequent the mid-East Coast of Australia. Its large pinnacle structure breaches the surface and offers a wind and swell barrier, protecting divers and making for an enjoyable freediving course. Its varying depth gives freedivers the chance to practice their new skills away from the freediving line and float. Rookies might like to enjoy a snorkel in ‘the nursery’ with shallow water, a large variety of coral and fish species, turtles and rays. The more experienced divers might like to try hitting deeper dives around ‘the needles’ where leopard sharks, turtles, spotted eagle rays, grey nurse sharks and the occasional manta ray like to drift. The pro divers can challenge their breath hold and skills on ‘the cod hole’ and ‘cray cave’… much deeper swim-throughs which boast surprises at every turn.