Freediving Holidays Testimonials
I came in May and it was really good fun and I fancied a bit of sun and a bit of diving and time to practice and I thought this would be a good opportunity.
On this trip I’ve discovered thoracic stretching! I don’t think we covered that on the previous course but because I’ve been doing more yoga this time I’ve discovered that is helping with my breath hold, and I’ve discovered a new technique for breath hold which I was really struggling with. And I’ve discovered my new fins are amazing!
The highlight of the week for me was the dolphins on the Carnatic. That was just incredible. We were freediving on the Carnatic, the dolphins were with the divers, but as soon as they saw us they left the divers and came to play with us, stayed for several minutes, came really close. It was just lovely. An incredible experience.
The benefits of this trip are sustained freediving over a whole week, rather than weekend at Vobster, so you’re getting used to going in the water and practicing skills, I’m pretty certain my duck dive has improved over this holiday and my finning technique is improving. And it is really relaxing – a really relaxing holiday. You can do what you want, you can duck in and out when you want.
I’ve really enjoyed the yoga. I’ve done every session this time and I think it has really helped me. And yoga nidra, well, I just went off in my own little world!
I would absolutely recommend this trip because I think it is a relaxing trip, a chance to meet like-minded people, a chance to maybe find a new buddy and it’s great to see some of the amazing sights of the Red Sea, which you wouldn’t normally get to see on a normal scuba diving trip as they would not have the facilities for this type of diving. – Pash
I came on this trip because I wanted to freedive and I didn’t want to do it on my own and not just train on a rope. I’m not particularly keen on line diving on it’s own, but I like the recreational part, but knowing that I could do that as well was a draw.
Being able to do recreational diving but also have people who are aware of it, knowledgeable, being able to train with them, all of it adds to it.
I discovered that I enjoy scuba still, and I can do stuff with scuba diving like wreck diving. And I discovered that I actually do like line diving which was new because I never liked it – but now it’s kind of fun to do. I also discovered I really need to train on a regular basis.
I did one liveaboard before and after 3 days I couldn’t wait to go back, but this one I think was the right intensity – I could stay another week! If someone wants to learn freediving it’s a great way to do it.
In any case, I just wanted to say thank you SO MUCH for the entire trip – I have thoroughly enjoyed it, and consider it one of the better trips, well – ever, frankly – The beautiful setting, the fact that we had additional activities apart from diving, and the relaxed pace helped me truly disconnect from all the everyday troubles… I mean, what more can one ask for, really? – Tom
I had a couple of heart attacks before Christmas and that knocked my confidence. I like to think I am fully recovered, so this is a treat to myself to relax but also pushing myself a little bit out of boundaries to prove I can still do things like this – and it’s been very successful!
I’ve done a Liveaboard before and thought it would be relaxing and good for me, having done a level in the past I thought I would come along for good old fashioned relaxation without doing any courses.
The things I liked most was to be deep underwater and still be in control and to not hurry to the surface is the big thing. For me personally there is no wifi – It’s a holiday, so it’s getting away from all that. And you get a suntan – and the fishes, the dolphins and the colours. Everything! – Tim
My plan was to do scuba dives, then I found you guys and did both, so killed two birds with one stone. I want to experience new things and wanted to try the freediving – the whole experience of freediving.
The highlight for me was that I did my longest dive, and floating opposite the bridge was an amazing experience, and swimming with dolphins was incredible.
I’ve done yoga nidra before and it was absolutely brilliant, very relaxing. I highly recommend to anyone that goes on these trips to get up in the mornings and attend the yoga sessions.
I loved spending time on the boat with like minded people, relaxing, the scenery, discovering new things and relax, relax, relax! I would recommend this trip to anyone and would recommend they try the freediving because it clears your mind. – Sebastian
I saw it advertised, we had a think about it and thought let’s give it a try. We certainly enjoyed the yoga, the freediving trial we did and the atmosphere.
Also this time I think it was about the relaxation. Sometimes when you do a photography course on top of a scuba diving course it can be a bit full on. And I did like the yoga and learning about something new that’s entertaining and educational.
I would recommend it to someone who wants to try freediving or who was a freediver. I would recommend it to someone who want to relax and take it easy on a trip – Jan and Keith
I liked the idea of being relaxed and for me the holiday, the relaxation and the chance to dive and see the sights I haven’t seen for 20 plus years I thought was hugely attractive. So I couldn’t resist it.
I loved the diving – it was really relaxing and enjoyable. There were small numbers, and far less divers in the water than before. The freediving course was very enjoyable. Also to observe the freedivers. I watched you lot and it looked really hard work! I can see it is quite a challenge, but I can see the fun of it.
This trip makes you get relaxed and it is quite refreshing, so for me I will go back stronger than I left. That is the key part for me. There is also something very different about doing resort diving where they help you into your wetsuit rather than diving at a club. – Phil
I have really surprised myself on this holiday. I did not think I would be doing the things I have been doing. Not in a million years. I think my deepest ever skin dive would have been bottom of a pool, 3 metres.
There has been some really colourful characters on board. I always like meeting new people, but it’s just been really relaxed and it’s been nice learning new things. I’ve learned a bit about yoga – which helped me go to sleep at night. It just put me in that state of calm. And learning to freedive – which was amazing!
I would definitely recommend this trip because it is a very different thing from anything that is out there. There is nobody else offering this. It’s completely different from all the other scuba-diving trips. – Pash
For me this trip was confirmation that I find freediving enjoyable. I’m quite good at it, and it’s always good fun. I loved the company, the atmosphere and I love the sea. Just being out in the sea.
If you are interested in freediving or scuba diving it is the best place to do it. It’s very easy, it’s just at hand, so no long distances to travel to do it and you are truly looked after.
I would recommend it to anybody who is interested in freediving or scuba diving but they need to be able to have fun and take it seriously as well. – Jana
I was interested in scuba trips and yoga trips and this trip came up. I’d seen freediving on the website, but I didn’t really know anything about it, but seeing people freediving on the reef and on the boat yesterday, it looked amazing. It made me realise that I’d really quite like to try freediving.
I liked that it was really chilled out and there was a range of things. I didn’t want to go on a scuba diving holiday that was four or five dives a day and there isn’t a day that is different.
I enjoyed the yoga. It’s a bit more chilled out than my usual which was kind of perfect for this type of trip. – Elaine
There wasn’t one particular thing that made this trip – it was a bit of everything really. The dolphins were great. The diving every day was brilliant. It’s a nice relaxed way to do it. Nice to meet people. It gives you the opportunity to swim with dolphins in amazing water and with an amazing instructor and a great dive team as well – and crew. Everyone has been so friendly, so helpful. Great, pretty clean, organised. Setting up the lines, has been done immediately when we go anywhere. Nothing was ever too much trouble.
I liked that I could push myself a bit more than expected and you can push yourself to dive every day. It’s always good to achieve a goal which was to try and get down to the bottom on the line – which was a first and I did. – Dan
Back in January when I was looking for a freediving course online I came across Go Freediving. I did a bit of reading and then I decided to book this trip and I got what I set out to achieve which was to get some feedback from an expert on my techniques in general, improving my health and I also got certified!
I also did something that I had never done before – going on a line. It was something I had always wanted to do, but never had the chance, so really liked that.
The yoga is something I was preparing for. I have been doing yoga for the last 6 months, once a week. I am more interested in the whole breathing technique rather than the stretching. Overall, it was definitely a good experience. I would recommend it because the dives are very well organised and the dive masters are very experienced. So it is good if you want to scuba dive, do a freediving course and at the same time want the benefit of a break or holiday – and some sun – you get to dive in the most beautiful place – the Red Sea. – Claudio
Cost might have prevented me coming on this holiday but I decided life was too short so I booked it! I discovered that the diversity of the marine life is better than I’ve experienced elsewhere. The benefits of doing a holiday with you are the instructors – as usual. You guys really make it!
The benefits of doing this trip I think are the range of options that you get within the time available. You cram a lot into the time available and there is a good balance between doing skills and enjoying the marine life. I guess you’re coming on holiday with a group of likeminded people who share your passion for the marine environment.
I’d recommend a holiday with Go Freediving for the quality of the instruction, the friendliness and dedication of the instructors, the fact that you are amongst friends and that you are taken to places where you can enjoy a combination of challenging yourself physically, but also putting those skills to the test whilst enjoying the environment and the marine life. – Alice
If I couldn’t have had a single room, I might not have booked. Another variable was not being able to get a direct flight and the potential for weirdos as I was travelling by myself, however I spoke to Georgie at Scuba Travel and she was very reassuring and she said ‘I’ll introduce you to Emma’. I quite enjoyed our banter and chat and when Emma described the other bonkers friends coming, it sealed the deal as it was very reassuring and also I could have my own room.
On the holiday I discovered that freediving is for everyone and it need not be competitive. I am very competitive and I was worried about me being competitive as a beginner. There were huge varieties of people on the trip, from all walks of life, but we all have a very strong thing in common. And you make good friends because of it.
The thing I liked most about the holiday were the people. The way that a mix of different types of people can all come together and become good friends through a shared interest and hobby. I also found the yogo very rewarding and I hadn’t ever done that. I wanted to do it and now I’m going to carry on yoga. I’ve had a bad back for two years and now I’m fine. My mum’s been telling me to do yoga and I thought it’s for women and kids, not manly type people, but it helps everything! I found I was more flexible, I was calmer, I was better at freediving and my back pain has gone, and I was alright at it.
The benefits of doing this holiday is meeting a community of people that I can go freediving and spearfishing with – it’s the most relaxed I’ve been in years and it is absolutely a trip you can do as an individual. This is a holiday you can do by yourself and you’re guaranteed to make friends whilst it’s completely acceptable to spend time by yourself. I found Emma and David’s instruction second to none. The encouragement, the balance between telling-offs and encouragement was judged perfectly for the individual. I need lots of telling off and discreet encouragement!
I’d absolutely recommend this holiday to many of my immediate friends, particularly those that lack hobbies and pastimes. There are lots of people who get past uni and into careers and they lack a pastime that they can do. – David
The holiday was a really good mix between recreational and line diving. For the recreational freediving there was a good variety between the different things – Manta, whale sharks, reef diving. Apparently there’s a lot more life in the sea than in Egypt! The only comparison is the Egypt trip last year, so it was nice to have a land-based trip as it was a bit different. The benefits of this trip is that it is a very relaxing holiday, a good trip to go on. I would recommend this trip for the reasons above and because there are people with many different ability levels. It’s good for everyone. – Simon
The thought of paying that much money on holiday where you’d be with a bunch of people you’d just met whilst having a family back home who may not want to come was tricky. It was only resolved by the fact we’ve decided to take a long break as a family in the new year.
I discovered that holidaying with a bunch of strange people can be fun. It’s a good bunch. I knew the Maldives was nice and I learned a lot of theory again which was great. The benefits of this trip are the sheer number of hours of diving. They were long, good dive sessions. Really full-on twice a day. If you were scuba diving you did 40 minute dives either side of lunch, but some of these were 2 – 3 hours – which is the freedom you get with freediving.
I’d definitely recommend the holiday. You can get away from it all, relax, and see amazing underwater life. Being under the water is what I love. I liked the yoga part of it as well. It’s a big attraction that you do the yoga in the morning. – Giles
I wanted to book so I could progress my depth, see marine life, dive in warm water and enjoy paradise. I discovered that I can physically go down deeper than I thought I could! I discovered a lot of species. I never dived with sharks in my life before. Manta Rays, all those coloured fish. A really amazing experience all round. Personally, with the club members it was just fantastic. For me it was the evolution between day one and day six of diving and how much I improved.
As soon as I was in the water freediving I was very happy. Everything was good, the location, marine life, variety and food.
Yes, I would recommend this holiday for anyone who loves diving freely in the water and seeing amazing animals! –Delphine
I was glad that I could do the two weeks extra in Sri Lanka after the Maldives holiday as it was quite a long way to come just for a week.
Inwardly, in the past I’d often felt awkward in a group as it took me back to feelings of being at school as I felt a misfit, but this time I felt totally comfortable with everyone. I felt so at ease and it was really nice. I discovered how much I enjoyed the actual practice of the freediving and getting my duck dive up to scratch and getting as deep as possible. I’d been looking forward to seeing the coral reefs and Mantas, but I’d forgotten how much I’d enjoyed the sport side of it as well.
I liked most of all the Manta ray! I felt such awe for this wonderful creature that was wild and just appeared and I was able to swim with for several minutes. It was one of those experiences that will stay with me forever. I was glad I didn’t have a camera and not have to bother about that and just be in the moment with it. I came very near to the thing – less than a foot and a half away from me at one point and it was just beautiful. The turtle was pretty good, too!
The benefits of doing this holiday is that it’s a wonderful way to have some exercise without noticing. You see the Manta and you swim after it and you don’t think ‘gosh, I’m exerting myself’ you just go for it. The breathing discipline I find makes me feel good physically. It has real benefits psychologically. I somehow felt much more awake and alive doing that. It was very therapeutic. I also love the fruit bats in the palm trees – we had some lovely sightings of them.
I’d definitely recommend the trip to anybody interested in wildlife and exploring and adventure and getting to know a nice bunch of friendly people, having a bit of winter sunshine and trying a new sport. – Elena
I’ve never been to the Maldives. My mum has been here, but I want to go everywhere, anyway. The sealife was as expected as it had been bigged up a lot before I came. And I saw my Manta – which is what I came for. My own freediving has improved too. I’ve started to get my head in the right place because that is the only issue. And, the instructors are very good, very patient and calming. I’d been on holiday with you guys before and I know I’d enjoyed that.
The best thing for me was having a great roommate, the Manta and the turtle – that was pretty awesome! It was in such shallow water. That’s one of the good things about this place for both abilities. When you go to the reefs with the big drop-off, you’ve got the depth for people who want to go deep and the shallows for people like me. It’s perfect for the whole spectrum.
The benefits of going on holiday with you is that II know you’re really safe – that’s important. I know the instructors are good and patient and that I trust you to have planned everything really well. You’ll take us somewhere that won’t be a complete bloody shambles. I’d definitely recommend this holiday because I’ve enjoyed it! – Mandy
Money could be an issue but the novelty of the experience made me book, and because of course the confidence that it would have been a great experience because of previous holidays with you.
I discovered it was a good opportunity to explore diving and freediving opportunities in the Maldives. It was a very positive impression because it’s suitable for different levels of freedivers and the diversity of the diving opportunities with good conditions to practice freediving.
Reef diving was the best part for me because it’s a unique experience and the reef was in good condition.
The benefits of this trip is the possibility to do yoga, that synergy with freediving activity. The short duration of the trip because it’s in busy periods it can be an issue with work, and overall the destination. The location is good for diving too. The instructors are fabulous!
I’d recommend the trip because it’s a complementary approach to see parts of the reef in a different way, as opposed to traditional scuba diving. – Roberto
I wanted to book at the first possible moment because you mooted it about 18 months ago and I was on the starting block. Oh yeah, It’s a new part of the world for me. I wanted to see new parts of the world. Variety is the spice of life.
The biggest discovery I think was for me was the fascinating look at what wildlife has made it to the Maldives in terms of migration, and what hasn’t – the scarcity of insects. No small song birds for instance. The giant fruit bat has absolutely delighted me! The ocean life, the fish very much like the red sea. Seeing a new ecology and a new place, and some new creatures like Manta Rays and the biologist in me has said it’s really fantastic. I’ve got my fix of new biology.
The specific thing I liked best was the reef – calm, low currents, warm waters, good visibility and fantastic fish and other stuff. A full blown tropical reef and you can swim calmly through a tropical aquarium, it’s the tops. And the Manta as well. Today has been the day!
I’ve got back into freediving after two years of being completely rusty. It was great fun getting confidence back, seeing a new part of the world, meeting some interesting new people. I always find that there are lots of people I can get on with, that’s always good.
Absolutely, I would recommend this holiday! Of course I would! Fun, skills, good people, exploring. Instructors are brilliant. I have to say, I haven’t met David and he’s a super instructor. All are brilliant. I would not hesitate to recommend if someone wanted to learn to freedive. I would go with your company. I’m always recommending you! – Paul
I booked because Emma told me to come and I also won £100 at the summer party – which was very nice, and contributed to an additional spend on the holiday in a single room supplement.
I enjoyed myself. It was a wholly positive experience to be able to mix with like-minded people within a positive environment.
All the dive trips, I thought, were good. The diving was amazing, basically!
The benefits of this trip are safety, safety, safety – in that order, and within that I actually got to 20m with no weight so it was better that I didn’t wear it. All the work is done for you in one organised trip and being able to advance your freediving skills.
I’d recommend this trip for the great freediving experience, without a doubt. – Robert
The fact that the package was originating from the UK was a potential problem for me because I live in the US. Anxieties still exist about holidaying in Egypt and so I wanted the ATOL insurance. This meant I incurred two flight costs; the first to get me to the UK, and the second as a part of the package.
This kind of holiday tends to draw adventurous and open minded people to it. Each brings different a background and a different set of abilities, and all that variety is welcomed. There are many facets to freediving and almost everyone will find their super power, but also their kryptonite, with each varying from person to person.
It’s a very supportive group amongst which to find oneself, with even a beginner and their super power able and willing to help a more advanced diver with their kryptonite. Diving with people of different abilities brings so much more to the experience, and gives you the opportunity to relive and reinforce important landmarks on your own diving journey; difficulties, successes, and ah-ha moments. It’s wonderful to have this blend of people.
The thing I liked best was the student instructor ratio. It’s a lot of money to spend and then find that you have next to no time with the instructor. I felt like I had all the time I wanted from the instructors, and more. The other benefits are the crew knowledge of the environment, instructor quality and the attitude of anyone who wants to come on a holiday like this. Even if you come with a group of complete strangers you know you will find yourself in a group of open-minded people who want to learn more about themselves and the world. – Paul
I looked on the internet and there were several liveaboards, but none freediving, and I saw other freediving things but it was not a liveaboard, and finally I saw that this holiday was the best quality liveaboard and trip and that was the most important thing for me
Coming on the holiday I discovered a new sport and wonderful people. I discovered a new kind of travelling. The liveaboard is the first time I travelled with people I don’t know and I was a bit worried about that before leaving but finally it was a good surprise.
I improved in freediving, it made me very happy and I could see dolphins. It was an amazing experience. A dream come true. It was really a dream. It looked unreal. I could see all the details of the dolphins very close and I tried to keep all the information I could.
Of course I would recommend the holiday! Because to anybody, to discover something new and also to make the people more relaxed, doing yoga and freediving. I discovered the yoga and it was a really nice surprise. I was excited about that before leaving and it made me more relaxed. I liked it. I would like to continue doing this sport and to come for the next trip! – Florian
“When I decide to do something, I usually do it. This holiday concept was completely new for me so I didn’t know what to expect. When booking it I hoped to fulfill a dream, push my limits and experience a new challenge on an active holiday. I had been to the red sea before so I already knew the sea was beautiful!
I had done a bit of yoga many years ago and was really looking forward to this. Doing yoga on the top deck in the middle of the Red Sea was awesome. I really liked being “forced” to take the time to think about something other than work. So it was also a good way of being conscious about my work-life balance.
I was also happy to realize I could dive to the 15-20 meters zone. I didn’t quite believe it. On the first day, I even thought, “There is really no way I can dive so deep on this first trip”. But each day saw an incremental improvement and a boost to my confidence.
I ended up diving to 19.6m! I felt secure at all times in a top professional environment. The team of instructors was really competent. I really felt, that “I’m not doing something unsafe”. I never ever felt I was being pressured on anything, which I also appreciated very much. The cherry on the cake happened one of the last days when we swam amongst 50 to 70 wild dolphins. Having had all the freediving training made the encounter even more exciting.
I would definitely recommend this holiday to anyone keen on trying freediving for fun or for the sport. The size of the ship was good. It was a very nice group of people with different backgrounds. Initially I thought that sharing a room could be a problem, I had even bought some ear-plugs just in case. My roommate was perfect.
No hassle and no snoring! The combination of yoga and learning breathing techniques was a real plus to this freediving experience. And most importantly, if one wanted to go even further down, one could but the instructors would always adapt to one’s level. No-one ever forcing one another.
I think it was better for me to start freediving on a liveaboard in a sea with good visibility. Had I tried it in the lake I might not have pursued. Good visibility and warm water do without any doubt add to the comfort of this great experience!” – Patrick
I’ve been struggling for many years with my equalisation and sinuses however I overcame it significantly on my previous freediving trip so I figured, warmer waters, more relaxing environment and I figured it would work.
I discovered that Emma Farrell is still a great freediving instructor and liveaboards are cool! And that being a member of Go Freediving gets you loads of free cool stuff! The best thing for me was gaining an official qualification, that was my primary aim. The dolphins are also up there but it is a different scale.
Other benefits would be meeting other freedivers from all over the world. That has to be a biggie, and all the experiences and knowledge that you gain from that. Also meeting other freediving instructors as they all have their own spins on techniques and they teach what they learnt so being taught by different instructors gives you different perspectives as they all approach it in different ways.
I’d recommend this trip even to non divers! It’s the best environment to learn how to freedive and being on a liveaboard it means you are saturated by freediving. The best way to learn anything is to immerse yourself in it. Jump in at the deep end! – Tom
I was worried about going on holiday to Egypt, whether it was a safe place to come or not, but I went on the foreign office website and it said that the airport and tourist area was safe and secure.
I didn’t have any preconceptions before coming on the holiday so it all worked out a lot better than I thought. I came into it completely open minded. In the past I’ve done cruises which is a completely different thing. I loved the company, the yoga, the food, and I liked experiencing something different. It was all new I guess.
I also liked the fact there are enough instructors, you feel like you get enough instruction. There are people all at different levels, which is also interesting. It’s really nice to meet interesting people. I’d definitely recommend it because it’s much more active than just going on a cruise and eating too much! The only other thing to add is how wonderful it was to swim with the dolphins, unforgettable! – Sarah
My only slight concern before booking the holiday was if it was alright to come and dive without doing a course, so I phoned Emma and asked her I’m not looking to do a new course, is it okay if I just dive and she said ‘Yes! But you’ll be limited to your freediving qualification, which is 20 metres’ but that was totally within my range of exploration. I’m not looking to push rapidly ahead.
On the holiday I discovered how varied the same depth can be on different days for different reasons, and talking to various people including Paul was really helpful because quite a few of things I was experiencing was what they had also gone through and that was really helpful. Having previously only got to 20m once, it was really useful to progress there several times over the holiday, moving from not sure when I can get there again to yes, that’s in my range now.
I find it quite difficult to dive several times a day and I need to take time out, and so I took rest when I needed to and then dipped back into the program when I was ready with no problems.
The dolphin diving was amazing of course, that was really unique, and speaking to other people training to whatever level was always really useful. It’s really useful to meet people that you haven’t met before with different experiences. And benefitting from the boat and crew, from their knowledge of dive sites to visit places you wouldn’t have known about and different conditions. Also specifically having input from different teachers, which is one of the main reasons why I was seeking to come with you because I wanted to experience what different teachers had to say and that was very important to me and even in this one trip there are three instructors so that’s really good.
I’d recommend this holiday to different people for different reasons, from a holiday to seeing different sites in the red sea, dolphins and other wildlife as well. If you like being on the sea constantly whilst training, it’s a great way to do it. And I suppose it’s an ongoing training thing so even when you are not diving you are learning from people which you might not necessarily get if you’re based in a resort you might go off and do different things, so here everyone’s together.
For me the holiday was ideal, I mainly wanted to practice depth and also for me, not able to dive every day continuously to be able to get a balance to do that as much as I can. I felt really well accommodated, for what I needed to do which was great. When you were checking out my skills at the beginning. This was the first time I’ve dived since I qualified and it made me feel better about my skills when I got the okay from you. – Pranath
We wouldn’t have come if it hadn’t have been for the fact that some of the instructors were on the trip because if we hadn’t have had our arms twisted then we wouldn’t have tried freediving so it is thanks to them that we were part of the party. And what a nice bunch of people this lot is!
I’ve discovered an interesting contrast between free diving and scuba diving and how frustrating it is to be a beginner again. I suppose I characterize it by saying freediving is the mirror image of scuba, you almost do the opposite, its like you go down head first, and scuba you breathe and freediving you don’t. Scuba you tend to go head up and a number of scuba habits don’t work well for freediving and vice versa.
There are a lot of things I liked. I liked the company, the boat and food were excellent, the red sea, the reefs were just lovely and I was really pleased that I did what I set out to do, somewhat to my surprise. I’m going to be interested to see if the approach to breathing as a freediver is beneficial to me with my scuba diving, I think it might be. Also I got rest and relaxation, and lovely to spend time with the instructors and to see them in a different context, plus I got a bit of a sunshine and sun tan which both make you feel good. – David
The political situation, the general instability in the middle east and the slightly random nature of Egyptian politics was a concern, but we were going as part of an organized tour, part of scuba travel, and Go Freediving is an organisation that I know well and has a good reputation and we wouldn’t go into an area that was dangerous. Tornado Marine is also well known, does well on trip advisor and in diving magazines.
I discovered some wonderful people, and that a liveaboard is really good fun, a nice thing to do. You don’t feel trapped on a boat. The food was much much better than I had anticipated, and you can do more than you think you can.
The best thing was the company. A group of interesting people from different nationalities and ages with a zest for life so I would say that was the factor that brought everyone together. Everyone was very positive, there was no moaning about anything. I didn’t hear one person moan all holiday.
The holiday was very healthy and restful and all the yoga was lovely, really lovely. I would recommend this holiday to someone who had previous experience of any water sport because it was an adventure, something you need to try, something that would test your limits and you would have fun. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who has a mobility problem would find the holiday a trial rather than a pleasure as there are lots of stairs and although there are lots of great crew members to help you, you need to be able to touch your toes to put your fins on! – Elizabeth
I decided to do the advanced course mostly because you got me so hooked on the last one! I had such a good time, fabulous instructors, as always, just such a good laugh, everyone’s so buoyant and it’s just having fun!
On the advanced course I discovered how much more I could do. How much more my body could do if it had the right training and encouragement. That blew me away Friday night. 3 minutes 20 seconds is like ‘holy crap! I never knew I could do that! Wow! That’s really cool!’ And I’m sure there’s loads more I could do. And that feeling of being a little more comfortable, going a little bit further, doing a little bit more. And it’s about having the right people with you, so you know you’re safe in what you’re doing. I’m totally hooked!
I liked most about the course the confidence and feeling more relaxed. Knowing your body can do more, and feeling secure, so you can enjoy it and just unplug when you’re down there and just enjoy the experience of being free around that moment. So all those tools and techniques to get you to that point and get your body to that point so you’re completely chilled out.
Benefits of doing the course would be breathing better for sure, everything is much more flexible, definitely. Confidence again, because it’s all in your head with this and then it’s the fun thing, that’s what I’m addicted to! The diaphragm stretches were hilarious! I didn’t realise that you can turn your body inside out which is clearly what you did when you were demonstrating! It was hilarious!
Of course I would recommend the advanced course! Because it just helps you get that much more confident and go that much further. So even if you’re going shallow, or whatever. Being able to hold your breath that much longer, feeling that much more comfortable is much more enjoyable experience. It takes you to the next level of excitement. – Claire
I really enjoyed the last course I did with you guys and I have aspirations of becoming an instructor in freediving, so that’s the impetus, but I just wanted to get back in the water and see how much further I could go so that’s why I signed up to do the advanced freediving course.
I discovered that 26 metres isn’t actually that scary, and with just a little bit of practice, you can do a lot more than you think you can. I came into it thinking that fourteen metres might be difficult to get beyond, but a few techniques and pointers, and relaxing and understanding that it’s all fine, it’s great!
I really liked the instructors. They’re very relaxed and make everyone feel at ease. And it seems like every ability/disability is catered for. Everyone’s going to have some issues with something, and to get everyone levelling up together is a difficult thing to balance. I’m a Scuba instructor myself, and I know how difficult that can be, but with such a physiological sport, that’s all the more impressive I think.
For me, it is all about relaxation and about focusing on something else, and it also about seeing what else your body can do. The quality of the instructors is brilliant. It’s exactly what I think a sport like this needs. I think also if you can do it in cold water then you can do it anywhere, and you guys have a really good set-up. Everything’s been in the same area. You’ve got the pool at Glebe House, and the pool in Midsomer Norton, and then Vobster, so it’s all nicely packed together.
I would recommend the course to anyone. It isn’t really about physical stamina, it’s more about just focusing on something else and relaxing into it and not trying. I think the other thing I like is no-one’s in any hurry to get to any particular arbitrary goal, and that’s true of the instructors and the students. Taking it incrementally, nice and slowly, and not trying to trying to go from zero to sixty in one weekend. – Tim
We did a course with Umberto Pelizarri earlier this year and I wanted to continue that in the UK but I needed an official qualification, and I found you! And it was great to start directly with the advanced course so we could capitalize on what we’d learnt with Umberto and not start right at the beginning.
I discovered a different technique of the recovery breathing and pushing the static was great, and also buddying and safety, that was what we didn’t learn with Umberto and that is really important on this course.
It was great to have so many instructors. And to have the theory and practice, theory and practice. Benefits of doing the course with you would be the materials online so it could sink in before, and to study, and then we can go back to it later. And then to meet you! I’ve got your book and it needs a signature! And also to meet other freedivers, and network and hopefully continue freediving here at Vobster or elsewhere in the UK. – Adeline
Adeline signed up for the course and said ‘do you want to do it?’ We like to do activities together, and it’s good to share the experience and do the course together and we both enjoyed doing this course and previous ones.
I discovered that it’s much more difficult in cold water! I’ve learnt loads of new techniques from all the different instructors and these things all add up to improving my overall ability.
I liked most of all the instructors. Very affable and friendly people that share the love and the enthusiasm of something that we enjoy. That’s one of the best things for me.
Benefits of doing the course with you would be the materials, they’re really good. Location, really nice, and I’m now better at freediving!
Yes I’d recommend this course, because I think it would be really good for someone in the UK who wanted to get into freediving, and to meet people who freedive, and to learn about the sort of skills you need to dive in the UK. It’s going to make my spearfishing a lot better. That’s going to work really well for me. This course would be really good for spearfishers in particular I think.
I wanted to do the advanced freediving course to further my skills safely and having seen the expertise that was on hand and available from the first course I presumed that was going to proceed on the second course which it did and more so. And I had personal targets and goals, which I ticked off as well. I like a challenge!
On the advanced course I discovered specific techniques to diving at greater depth that I wasn’t aware of, I had no idea of certain things, and I learnt a lot about my body to be honest, a hell of a lot.
I liked most about the course relaxing into freefall and listening to my heart! If that doesn’t sound too out of it! That was the biggest thing for me definitely.
Three benefits of doing the course would be one, to progress safely, two, you learn about your limits, and three it opens up even more horizons and more possibilities to your further adventures in diving.
I’ve enjoyed myself immensely, it’s been absolutely immense! Fantastic! I’d highly recommend this course. A really good set of people working here with you, highly knowledgeable, patience beyond! A very very approachable team and willing to answer any ridiculous question that you throw up! – Nick
I’m working towards my instructor qualification at the end of the year so this course as about building that gap between the two, get some more experience, and get to that end goal.
I discovered on the course that there’s a lot more to it. At the basic level you learn it on the beginners course, but going back over those basics again reaffirms it and helps you be a better freediver when you’re going about it. The efficiency, the buoyancy, every aspect of it really, even the preparation and the mind space. There’s a lot to learn on it.
I think it’s more relaxed for me being in the water now, going in, even just on Saturday morning, I think I feel a lot more relaxed. The instructors really helped with getting into that right mindset, the techniques again, going through with you, the buoyancy stuff, trying to slow it down just before you reach the freefall aspect, then going hard on the way up, and then slowing it down and stop at the end as you come up, that’s really helped. Learning about my freak of nature hands free ability, they actually went through what was going on and that’s quite interesting to understand what’s actually happening there. There have definitely been a few benefits from doing the course.
I would definitely recommend the course, it’s definitely relaxed me, and it’s made me a lot more efficient, so that’s going to lead to more bottom time and better results really with freediving, so yes, definitely recommend it. – Chris
I decided to do the course because it had been a while since formal dive training, and over the years I’ve preferred freediving to scuba and then I enjoyed the training I did with you in 2011 I think it was, so I thought I’ll get in contact and it seemed like the sensible step was to see if I could take it to the next level.
I discovered that I find it much easier to dive when I can see things and be distracted by things or with people, or dive alongside people, whereas diving deeper but in the sort of static mind frame I found quite difficult and it might have been fatigue adding to that, but I did notice there was a weak spot in being able to internalize and stay super relaxed. But doing the rescues, and stuff, had no problem with that, I really enjoyed the depth and found it really engaging, certainly liked every time I was doing the buddying, I found that really cool.
Despite the fatigue it finished on a real high, diving as a massive group, it was just awesome. Visually it was just great.
A massive benefit of doing the advanced course would be progressing the understanding of the dangers and how to dive safely, really reinforcing the fundamental principles you get in the first course, but obviously taking it a step further and really refining the techniques and how to buddy and all the protocol and how to meet the diver and how to hold then and the rescue scenarios, getting to a level where it’s second nature, making diving safer and more enjoyable really.
I’d definitely recommend this course, because it’s a very niche sport and there’s only a handful of providers, and I think you’ve definitely got to go with the provider that is true to freediving, which I think is basically about creating a relaxing environment, and I was super relaxed! – David
I decided to book this trip because of the combination of being able to scuba dive and try freediving and do some yoga and generally be relaxed and chill out.
I didn’t appreciate that with freediving you can keep doing it for longer, so I kind of perceived that you wouldn’t see as much doing that as you would doing scuba, but you can!
And I think with things you have seen actually it depends more where you are, the time and place and so I don’t think scuba divers have seen more than freedivers. It just depends on where people have been. And I have been anxious about some of the scuba dives and thinking about things, and the yoga and relaxation actually is quite useful. So when we were doing the static breath holds I was just singing to myself because I got bored looking at the sand. And then when we did Thistlegorm this morning I was like ‘Oh that was quite relaxing’ so I just thought of some songs and sang to myself when I was diving.
I’ve liked everything. I liked to try freediving – I’d like to do more of that. And I like conquering my fears on Thistlegorm this morning.
The benefits of this trip is integrating different things and learning about different things. I think my impression of doing a liveaboard ……… when you’re on a dive boat just with scuba divers it’s very regimented and dive heavy, so if you don’t actually want to do a dive it’s almost like ‘why not?’ On this trip there have been scuba divers who haven’t dived and people have just gone at different times. And it’s really nice because you guys have got less kit so there is more room on deck for the rest of us!
I thought the freediving course was good. I’d like to do more of the dynamic stuff and practice with different kit. I knew I could hold my breath for quite a long time, but didn’t expect to do it for nearly two and a half minutes! I’d like to do more of the dynamic – I guess it’s about going on another course.
I would recommend this holiday because even if you’re not interested in freediving, the scuba diving is still good. – Lynne
I wanted to spend a lot of time freediving because normally I only get the chance to practice one or two times a year so it is nice to be able to spend the whole week diving a couple of times a day.
I chose you because obviously you are the best instructor in the UK, I knew that the diving would be absolutely safe and well organised and I knew it would be very relaxing.
I’ve learned how to fin better – it’s definitely improved. I’ve not really pushed myself on any depth but that wasn’t really what I wanted to achieve, it was about becoming more comfortable in the water and just a few technique improvements.
It was good to be able to have lots of different opportunities to dive, different types of diving, so you could go depth, reefs, snorkeling, wrecks – lots of variety. There were great buddies, lots of different buddies to dive with so you get to see different styles.
The benefits of this holiday are improving technique, relaxing and making new friends.
It’s been great and would recommend this holiday for all reasons I’ve mentioned. Anyone who wants to freedive it is a great opportunity to get in the water and see some really cool stuff. – Paul
Helen booked the holiday. She said we’re going to go to the Red Sea, and I said yeah! There was this Red Sea Relaxed holiday and I thought yes, we don’t want to go anywhere too deep as we haven’t dived for a long time, just wanted a few shallow dives and see some fish and chill out, so this sounded ideal.
We got what we expected out this trip which was the relaxing holiday we wanted. Compared to other dive holidays I’ve been on I do like the idea of the open deck policy. You can take yourself off and there is a little bit more. It’s not quite so military, you’re not belled dinner or belled dive. You can say, actually I don’t fancy it right now, I’ll jump in in half an hour’s time. It’s a nice option to have.
I enjoyed the try freediving course. We do snorkeling at home where we dive down and a lot of people around us do spearfishing so it was nice to get some techniques that will help us do that a little bit better.
The benefits of this trip are that you can try something different – the freediving was good, the yoga was good, and just being able to go in when you want is nice – Adam
I booked this holiday because it was a relaxed itinerary – Adam has practically rebuilt a house over the last few years, and I have a horribly stressful job. We’ve been on scuba travel tours before but they are pretty full on with divers and we just wanted something that was a little bit more chilled out and not so rushed. The itinerary looked good, and the fact it was a little more chilled out, and also we do a lot of snorkelling at home so we thought it might be nice to do the try freediving course, which would be useful, so they were the main reasons.
This trip has made me realise I have lost my passion for scuba diving. I’ve been really fortunate to dive in some brilliant locations and I have ear problems so I do have to push through the pain and I get really frustrated, but once I’ve cleared 5 – 6 metres I’m fine, but to me the diving has not been as good as I’d hoped, so I haven’t wanted to push myself through that pain to go down, but for me it’s just been really nice to get away. I really enjoyed snorkelling around the lagoon I enjoyed the try freediving course and enjoyed the dynamic – it was an enjoyable experience, but I’m not very good at keeping still and I’m not good at switching off so I found the static hard.
The open deck policy is good, because you don’t have that ‘if you don’t dive now, you don’t dive at all’ so there aren’t 20 of you jumping off the boat at the same time and it’s a crowded house, so that is a definite benefit. A good idea. You here, you’ve got the offer of a freediving course, do it! Even if you are not interested in it, even if you’re a diver it is still a useful tip to have. Certainly where we snorkel, the rescue scenarios has been useful even in our very safe couple of metres snorkeling at the edge of the coast that actually if something went wrong you know what to do. And it’s been lovely to be away and been in the sun.
I would recommend this trip to people who have never done a liveaboard before because it is a bit more relaxed, but for people who just want to dive, dive, dive I probably wouldn’t. – Helen
I love freediving, I love being in the water and I wanted to do a liveaboard. I wanted a diving holiday and this popped up and was absolutely perfect and meant I could do both scuba diving and freediving.
I’ve had a really good time – really enjoyed it. The thing I liked most was that first dive when we saw the dolphins! And then when me and Russ snorkeled back and found the Giannis D we kind of just stumbled across it. That was awesome! I thought it was just going to be reef but it was all these massive wrecks. It was really cool!
The benefits of this holiday is that you get to see loads, travel about, meet new people and have a good laugh and obviously do loads of really good diving. Thistlegorm was really good for scuba, but the freediving is so much better for the reefs – you get to see so much more. Anything from the surface to 20 metres you could do if for three hours if you are freediving, but with scuba diving you’re maybe limited to forty minutes and that’s you. Freediving you can find so much more, explore more.
The food’s been really good. I was pleasantly surprised. It’s been spot on. And the crew were really good, really accommodating. I think they’ve been really good.
I would definitely recommend this trip because it’s been great! You’ve been great, the crew’s been really good, the brief’s have been really good, so every time you jump in the water I’ve been fairly confident I know exactly what I’m doing. – Brad
I came on this holiday because I thought it was going to be fun. I enjoy freediving and the Red Sea is supposed to be one of the best places.
I think this trip has given me new experiences in different conditions and different places, so more experience and more practice.
I think the first day was the best when we were at the Carnatic wreck and saw the dolphins. That was the best! I went to the Giannis D the following day that was good, and The Thistlegorm was really good. They were the three that were the best for me.
The benefits of coming on this liveaboard is that It was a new experience, you see new places, meet new people, practice freediving. It’s a change of scenery a chance to relax.
The yoga in the morning was really good. I need to stretch my chest more so that was really good, and you did new stretches which I hadn’t done before, which was really good. I didn’t stay awake long enough to finish the yoga nidra though!
I would recommend this trip because if you like freediving or diving you get to do it every day. – Henry
I chose to come on this trip because of my previous experience on the other trip in May, you were running so I knew what it was all about. It was my cup of tea and all the other divers that were coming along.
The thing I liked most about the trip was how flexible it was. It was relaxing. There was no pressure to do anything.
Three benefits of the holiday are that I’ve been able to the majority of my advanced course in warm water and nice water. Getting back into yoga on the boat as the sun rose was really good. It was nice – and a really good way to start the day. And doing the reverse packing.
I would recommend this holiday because it’s relaxed, you do a lot but there’s no pressure and you’re here with the best instructor. – Dan
I’ve been on a liveaboard before and it was amazing. It took me a while to come back because I’ve been doing too many other things, children, life, stuff…
I’ve discovered that it was more relaxing this time without doing the courses. I’ve really enjoyed spending plenty of time out on the reef. Giannis D was really good I liked the Carnatic, that was really cool. Anything with a good swim through that looks like a wreck really. And the reef inside the lagoon was really pretty.
Three benefits of coming on this course you meet new people, you get to dive in new places and it’s nice being on a liveaboard – it’s very relaxed.
I’d recommend this holiday because I think even if people don’t freedive it’s accessible whether you want to go down to 30 metres or just want to snorkel. – Russell
I came on this holiday because I wanted to freedive and I’ve been before.
The benefits of this trip is that you can dive off the boat, so you are right there. It’s on your doorstep, and the reefs, and you are with like minded people
I would recommend the trip to people who want to spend a week on a boat. I think that is important because if you don’t want to be on the boat there is nothing to do, but if you want to dive and freedive it is the best place to do it.
I always suffer with seasickness, so I always feel seasick the first day, but I would say to anyone who might be worried about it, get on the tablets, it really helps. So get the right tablets that work for you. You are not going to feel sick all week, it’s just for the first day. You shouldn’t let it put you off, you should try it. – Jana
