welcome to level one.
The start of something beautiful.
Level 1 is the foundation for becoming a freediver — a two day course where you will learn skills that you can use for a lifetime of adventure.
We will give you the knowledge and skills you need to safely dive as deep as 20m on a single breath. You’ll discover that your body and mind are capable of more than you could imagine.
2 days — 4.950.000 IDR
YOUR course
DAY ONE
We will begin in our yoga shala, listening to birdsong while we learn how to relax the body and quiet the mind while holding the breath. We’ll practice safe pre-dive breathing and learn how to recover quickly after a dive.
With these new skills, we will jump into our 25m swimming pool to practice dynamic apnea - swimming beneath the surface on a breath-hold. We’ll work on our finning technique and body position to maximise relaxation and efficiency as we swim.
After the pool session, we’ll head out our sturdy wooden boat for a short trip past the north of the island, where we spend 1.5-2 hours freediving in the ocean. In this first session, our main goal is just relaxation, enjoying the beautiful crystal clear water, and getting more confident with our equalisation and diving technique.
Once we are all dived out, we will return to our centre for a well deserved lunch break. We’ll get together again in the classroom, and spend the afternoon talking about the effects of freediving on our physiology.
DAY TWO
On day two, we start off with some more theory - this time exploring the risks and safety systems in freediving.
In the pool, we will practice our static breath-holds, buddying, and try out some rescue drills, before heading out on the boat again to dive for 1.5-2 hours.
As we get more comfortable in the water, we can go deeper and stay longer, as well as practicing safety skills to boost our diving confidence!
After lunch (and coffee!) we will test our knowledge with a short exam, before celebrating with a PB cake.
[On both days, we will start at 8am, and finish around 4 - 4.30pm]
Requirements
With the right knowledge and time to practice, you will be surprised to discover how much your body and mind are truly capable of. By the end of your course, you will be able to:
IN THE POOL
Swim 30m underwater
Hold your breath for 1 minute and 30 seconds
Demonstrate rescue skills and safe buddying techniques
IN THE OCEAN
Freedive to a minimum of 10m
Demonstrate a duck dive and good finning technique
Perform a blackout rescue and self-rescues
Safety dive with a buddy to 10m
YOUR CERTIFICATION
Your certification will be recognised worldwide and will allow you to continue freediving at any other school or agency. Read more about SSI Freediving International.
The course price is 4.950.000 IDR
This includes your certification (upon completion), and all equipment. To add accomodation, see our Diving + Accomodation packages.
“Freediving is not just a sport, it’s a way of life. It’s a connection with nature and a celebration of the beauty of the underwater world.”
– Natalia Molchanova
frequent QUESTIONS
are there any prerequisites?
In our Level 1 courses we do not expect you to have any experience in freediving as we will start from the beginning.
You will need to be comfortable in open water (we won’t be able to see the bottom) and able to swim 200 meters continuously. We do not expect you to be a professional swimmer or athlete, but if you do want to prepare for the course it is good to brush up on your swimming skills and snorkeling skills.
I ALREADY HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE with freediving…
Perfect! If you already feel like a fish in the water but you don’t officially have a certification yet then Level 1 will be the perfect opportunity to work with an instructor and improve your diving even more.
Learning the theory will fill in any gaps in your knowledge, and safety drills will allow you to dive with the confident that you can face any unexpected situation, and look out for other divers around you.
All freediving schools require a minimum of Level 1 qualification for divers to join their trainings and to take further courses to ensure everyone has the proper knowledge and skills to dive safely.
How do I get to gili Trawangan?
It’s easy to get here from Bali, Lombok, or from the other Gili Islands — but please note, you will have to arrive on Gili Trawangan the day before the course starts (we start at 8am!). Check out our blog post here for travel options and let us know if we can help.
MY EARS HURT WHEN I GO UNDERWATER
Ours too, until we learned the right techniques! We will spend plenty of time on these during the course. Most people will be fine once they try the right technique, but if you’ve had chronically cranky ears for a while, then there are plenty of tricks we can try together - it’s our specialty.
What is included in the price?
The course price includes rental equipment and certification (upon completion): 4.950.000 IDR (per person).
Do you have accomodation?
Yes, we have 9 beautiful rooms! View them here. We offer discounts and packages for freediving students.
WHY DO I NEED A CERTIFICATION?
Your certification shows that you have demonstrated knowledge and skills to dive safely. Your certification meets international standards, and will be recognised by other schools around the world, which will allow you to continue freediving at any other school or agency.
Read more about SSI Freediving International.
MEDICAL STATEMENT
On arrival, you will be required to fill out a Medical Statement. We will send this to you when you book - please read it through carefully before you arrive on the island. If you answer yes to any of the questions, then you will need to visit your doctor to sign you off before you can begin diving. Please contact us with any concerns and we can explain further.