About the Freedive Academy Panglao
The Freedive Academy had its official opening by World Champion and multiple World Record holder Alexey Molchanov on February 8th, 2016 – at that time, we were still operating under the name FREEDIVE+. And since its opening, the center has been rocking the freediving world ever since.
In 2019 we moved to the current location, and the Freedive Academy Panglao was born as we know it today – an incredible freediving facility at an amazing location – only 300 meters from the best freediving spot in Asia and arguably the world.
The Freedive Academy Panglao founder and owner, Vincent, had a clear vision of what he wanted with the professional freediving development center in Panglao, having taught and trained all over the world before landing in the Philippines.
– Our Mission –
We don’t just Teach Freediving. We Create Highly Skilled, Well-Trained, All-Round Technical Freedivers!
At the Freedive Academy Panglao, we all fully enjoy living on our beautiful little island. We love coming to work daily to share our love for breath-hold diving and our passion for the oceans and the underwater world.
It’s our mission to create the best professional freediving development center in the world while maintaining a family atmosphere and a welcoming home for freedivers from absolute beginners to Instructor Trainers and World Champion freedivers!
We are very proud to say that our freedivers can dive and train with any freediver, of any level, in any conditions, and anywhere in the world.
And our instructors can teach at any dive center, small or big, anywhere in the world. We develop highly skilled top-level freedivers and instructors!
If you really want to learn how to freedive or how to teach freediving, the Freedive Academy Panglao is your home.
Meet the management of the Freedive Academy Panglao.
Vincent Sparreboom
Owner, CEO of the Freedive Academy and Apnea Sports Solutions, SSI Freediving Instructor Trainer, SSI Specialty Instructor Trainer, SSI Swim Teacher Trainer, Molchanovs Instructor Trainer, AIDA Instructor Trainer, AIDA Judge & Raid WSF Instructor.
Emily (Mei Lin)
Owner, CFO of the Freedive Academy and Apnea Sports Solutions and responsible for purchasing, retail & distributions and Manager China Operations, Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor, SSI Level 2 Freediving Instructor, SSI Swim Teacher, Mermaid Instructor, and AIDA Judge – and of course, the Boss of the Boss 😉
Edwin Castillon
Course Director and responsible for education and daily operations around the academy, React Right, First Aid, EFR, AED, and O2 Instructor, SSI Level 1 Instructor, SSI Swim Teacher and Speciality Instructor Training Techniques and FIM
The Freedive Academy focuses on three things;
Recreational freediving courses, mainly beginner and intermediate courses.
Master Training
Instructor Training Development
Molchanovs, SSI, and AIDA recreational freediving courses:
The Freediving Academy Panglao offers a wide range of freediving courses and many, many freediving specialties. Of course, the most popular are the beginner freediving courses, while we also teach quite a few intermediate and master courses. We have courses starting on almost any day of the week and run them many times a week. Including the master courses – we usually run at least two monthly SSI Level 3, Molchanovs Wave 3, or AIDA 4 courses.
Master Training in Panglao:
If you are looking for the best place for your freediving training, Panglao, for sure and without any doubt, has the best conditions possible. It is very easy to get to any depth you want, diving at any time of the day without using a boat, always close to shore, up to 40-meter visibility, and up to 31C water temperature. The out-of-the-water conditions are pretty great, too, with affordable and excellent and affordable long-term stay housing and healthy and good food available all around the island. Whether you want to train by yourself or follow the MASTER+ program, with coaching and guidance from very experienced Instructor Trainers and Master Instructors, the Freedive Academy and Panglao are a true paradise for master freedivers.
Instructor Training Development programs:
With Vincent being an SSI Freediving Instructor Trainer, AIDA Instructor Trainer, and Molchanovs Instructor Trainer, the Freedive Academy Panglao runs at least one or two SSI Instructor courses, Molchanovs Instructor courses, or AIDA Instructor Courses each month. Because of this – and our location and high-end facility, the Freedive Academy is very strong in offering different Instructor Training Development programs. With the Freedive Academy Panglao, you can start a freediving Zero to Hero program anytime, apply for a freediving internship, or follow a custom instructor development program.
Additionally;
If you want to become a specialty instructor like an SSI Monofin Instructor, SSI Variable Weight Instructor, or any other freediving or ecology specialties, be sure to contact the Freedive Academy, too. And if you want to broaden your market as an instructor, you can also choose to participate in the Swim Teacher courses or Mermaid Instructor courses.
Panglao is a fantastic tropical island with near-perfect in-water and out-of-the-water freediving conditions, and we’d love to welcome you here on our incredible island!
BUT! The Best is Yet to Come! Our Team! Our Family!
The best thing about the Freedive Academy is not the dive center in Panglao, our location, the high level of freediving education, or even Panglao Island. The best thing about the academy is our team! The Freedive Academy Panglao family will make your visit to Bohol and freediving in the Philippines fun, deep, and unforgettable!
We are very proud to introduce, in no particular order, our Freedive Academy Panglao family!
Charles Muller
SSI Master Instructor, Raid Master Instructor & Molchanovs Wave 3 Master Instructor
Alianie Silos-Gapio
Management Assistant and Receptionist
Jackielou Gapio
Receptionist
Rhea Evangelista
Customer Support & Sales Representative
Igor Klimovitsky
Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor & SSI Level 2 Instructor, Speciality Instructor Training Techniques and FIM
Gie Ybanez
Online Business Manager
Airis Jumaran Putong
Receptionist
Diophy B. Patcho
Videographer and Social Media Manager
Rea Spoerri
Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor & AIDA Freediving Instructor
Bob Reus
Mobile App Developer and Software Engineer, Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor & SSI Level 2 Instructor
Kailah Sanidad
Photographer
Elaiza Estoque
Receptionist
Samantha van Rossum-Gough
Support and distribution the Netherlands office
Jade Agboton
Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor
Moises Tingson
Technician & Maintenance
Aileen Abrea Ibabao
Housekeeping
Karissa de Leon
SSI Mermaid Instructor
Alaiza Silos
Receptionist
April
Intern
Lasse
Intern
Amanda
Intern
You don’t have to believe us. Just read what our many guests had to say about the Freedive Academy Panglao family.
On the testimonial page, you can find even more testimonials. Below are random ones. If you refresh the page, you’ll see five new ones.
David Cabrera
Nice spot! Calm waters and good buddies. It feels like home. Many thanks for all and see you soon 😉
Aileen Chang
I’m so happy and thank Nejc and Edge a lot for my 3 days.
I have passed the SSI level 1 course, and now I also want to do the next one when I get back.🙃
Nejc is so nice and patient.
I didn´t really understand at first, but he tried to explain everything to me, even with DRAWINGS.
It was so sweet and cute, but you will understand soon.😂
I really recommend Freedive Academy Panglao!
Aaron Chiang
The coaches are particularly warm and professional.
There is also many cute kittens.
My stay was way too short. I want to take more lessons with Freedive Academy Panglao.
Jana Neirynck
Perfect place for freedive training with great conditions and an amazing natural drop-off with lots of marine life! The sunsets here are breathtaking, and I even saw fireflies! Vincent, the owner, is a super nice and warm-hearted person! I definitely recommend Freedive Academy Panglao.
Kristine Tecson
Competent instructors and a fun basic freediving course!
As a beginner, I was a bit terrified of freediving. I had worries before I even started the course and panicked when we finally had to go into the open water.
But thanks to our reliable and (very) supportive instructor, Kuya Edwin, we enjoyed every minute and had fun during our basic freediving course, despite the slightly choppy waters!
My friends and I were complete newbies to freediving. But after just a day of learning breathing techniques and realising just how capable the human body really is, we were able to go into the open water, apply what we learned, and had a blast in the process.
It was amazing how Freedive Academy Panglao encourages you to challenge your understanding of your limitations and break that mould you put yourself into. The initial discomfort that the unknown brings slowly turns into something wonderful that you take with you forever.
My friends and I are already planning to return soon and get our SS1 Level 1 training. We’re excitedly talking about bringing new friends in and sharing the experience with them.
We are particularly grateful for Kuya Edwin! We couldn’t have asked for a better instructor to introduce us to this amazing sport. I personally felt safe from start to finish, and I wonder now why I was so scared in the first place.
To those of you who, like me, had hesitations and fears about freediving, I encourage you to give freediving with Freedive Academy Panglao a try. They’ll help you to open your eyes to the beauty of the ocean depths and make the process very enjoyable, too!