– Our Mission –
We don’t just Teach Freediving. We Create Highly Skilled, Well-Trained, All-Round Freedivers!
At the Freedive Academy Panglao, we all fully enjoy living on our beautiful little island, and we love coming to work every day cause we can 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 centre in the world while maintaining a family atmosphere and a welcoming home for freedivers from absolute beginner to Instructor Trainers and World Champion freedivers!
About Us
The Freedive Academy Panglao 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 the opening, the centre has been rocking the freediving world ever since.
The Freedive Academy Panglao founder and owner Vincent had a clear vision of what he wanted with the professional freediving development centre in Panglao, having taught and trained all over the world before landing in Philippines.
Meet the management of the Freedive Academy Panglao
Vincent Sparreboom
CEO, SSI Freediving Instructor Trainer, SSI Specialty Instructor Trainer, SSI Swim Teacher Trainer, and AIDA & Raid WSF Instructor..
Helen Angac
General Manager Dive Academy and Resort
The Freedive Academy Panglao focuses on 3 things;
Recreational freediving courses, mainly level 1 and 2 courses.- Master Training
- Professional Freedive Development
SSI (and AIDA) recreational freediving courses:
The Freediving Academy Panglao offers a wide range of freediving courses and many many freediving specialities. Of course the most popular are the SSI Level 1 and Level 2 freediving courses, and these courses can be started at pretty much any day of the week. We run these courses many times a week. We usually run one or two Level 3 courses each month unless we have a Instructor Course, which at the moment, is pretty much every other month too.
Master Training in Panglao:
If you are looking for the best place for your freediving training in Asia, Panglao for sure and without any doubt has the best conditions. It’s very easy to get to any depth you want, diving at any time of the day, always close to shore, up to 40 meter visibility, up to 31C water temperature, and the out-of-the-water conditions are pretty great too with affordable, and nice long-term stay housing, 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 the experienced instructors, the Freedive Academy and Panglao are a true paradise for master freedivers.
Professional Freedive Development programs:
With Vincent being an SSI Freediving Instructor Trainer, the Freedive Academy Panglao is capable of running an SSI Instructor Course pretty much every month. Because of this the Freedive Academy is very strong in offering the different Professional Freediver Development programs. With the Freedive Academy Panglao you can start at any time a freediving Zero to Hero program, apply for an internship, or follow a custom professional development program.
Additionally;
If you are interested in becoming a speciality instructor like Monofin Instructor, Variable Weight Instructor, or any of the other many freediving or ecology specialities 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 a Mermaid Instructor courses.
Panglao is an amazing tropical island with near perfect in-water and out-of-the-water freediving conditions, and we’d love to welcome you here on our amazing island!
BUT! The Best is Yet to Come! Our Team! Our Family!
The best things about the Freedive Academy Panglao is not our freediving centre, 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 to you our Freedive Academy Panglao family!
Edwin Castillon
SSI Level 1 Instructor and Speciality Instructor Training Techniques and FIM
Lito Limosnero
Ground & Support team
Tessie Sumampong LaMourea
SSI Level 2 Instructor, Mermaid Instructor and Speciality Instructor Training Techniques, FIM, and Monofin
Jennifer Daradar (Jimmy)
Maintenance & Support team
Samantha van Rossum-Gough
Support and distribution the Netherlands office
Clyde Aguillon
Online Business Manager
Marvin Estoque
Ground & Support team
Julie Mae Bandala
Academy Hostess
Arlene Horcasita
Housekeeping
Guadalupe Bendanillo (Pinky)
Support Team & Chef
Artur Krein
SSI Level 2 Instructor, Mermaid Instructor and Speciality Instructor Training Techniques and FIM
Olivier (Lin Xu)
Intern
Eoin
Intern
Laura
Intern
Catherine
Intern
Kate
Intern
You don’t have to believe us, just read what our many guests had to say about us and 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.
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!
Evren Orhon – Coach of the Turkish National Freediving Team
I came to train to Freedive Academy Panglao in December 2015 and stayed there for four months. The strongest part of Freedive Academy Panglao is its location. You don’t need a boat to go diving. The depth is just right next to you!! The club’s location is so good that in four months I only had two non-diveable days. The pool next to the club building offers great static opportunity, even at night time. The staff is so helpful not only in the water but on anything you need about your stay or moving around. Freedive Academy Panglao is a must-visit point for all freedivers. The only concern is you can get hooked and may not like your next freediving destination as much.
Alexey Molchanov – World Champion CWT & CNF and multiple WR holder
I like it here a lot! Super nice conditions for deep diving, very friendly people and super professional instructors – after I taught them :p I will definitely come back for more adventures!
Davide Carrera – World Champion and World Record Holder
I spent the first two weeks and a half of this January at Freedive Academy Panglao for training. From the first mail, I understood that Vincent was a very kind and generous person, at that time he wasn’t there cause he was in India to improve his yoga. Still, his Team welcomed me, and I felt at home from the beginning.
The depth is just in front of the dock, 300 meters walking from the school and 45 seconds from my room 🙂 warm water and normally not much current, perfect conditions and the team is smiling all the time, very kind, responsible, professional and always ready to go in the water and make you feel safe and part of the team.
In few minutes by scooter, it’s easy to find fresh and local fruits and vegetables and other good food, Philippines people are very lovely people, I always felt nice vibes everywhere I went, also in town, everybody smiling and ready to help you….I loved this place very much, and I’m missing it, I hope to come back soon…Thanks again, everybody!
Gloria Jiayin Tsai
I recommend everyone to train at the Freedive Academy Panglao. It was the best decision we made in the Philippines. The dive site drop off is stunning, sardine storm at my arms reach, buoy line ready to connect at any moment when you feel like jumping into the water, helpful staff….lovely training buddies. No boat, no waiting. Just jump in, and you are ready to train. My partner and I loved it so much and will come back again, definitely. Muah!
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