We Welcome Guests of ALL Levels

From Absolute Beginner to Freedive Instructor

Escape the typical. Experience the magical.

He has been with us since early 2016! Super passionate about teaching beginners the wonders of breath-hold diving! Besides teaching freediving, Edwin is now the academy’s Course Director, teaching SSI freediving courses and ecology programs, and is responsible for all our first aid courses.

“On a single breath, you enter the mystical world of underwater. Blue. Fluid. Weightless. Colourful. And vibrant. Then, you start becoming aware of yourself. Of who you are.”

Edwin experienced numerous challenges in his freediving journey. He can relate and empathize with beginners, making them comfortable with the sea.

If you enter the magical world of freediving and Edwin is your first instructor, congratulations! You will have a fantastic adventure!

We teach freediving – as a proper education center, we focus on three things;

First and foremost, we are an Instructor Training Center with at least twice a month a Freedive Instructor Course. We also offer very flexible and in-depth Beginner to Freediving Instructor programs, and we start every calendar quarter with a very robust freediving internship.
Freedive training, coaching, and long-term development training
And of course we offer ALL possible recreational freediving courses from SSI, AIDA and Molchanovs for those who would like to explore the underwater world on a single breath.

In Panglao, we offer freediving courses from the three leading freediving certification agencies: SSI, AIDA, and Molchanovs. SSI and AIDA are the most renowned, acknowledged, and oldest international training agencies for recreational freediving and breath-hold training. Molchanovs is relatively new and, like AIDA, focuses more on technical freediving and independent instruction.

Below, you can learn more about SSI, AIDA, Molchanovs, and our freediving courses. Working with SSI, AIDA, and Molchanovs will ensure that you have a fun, safe, and professional freediving experience.

The 3 Freediving Certification Agencies we work with;

AIDA International

Since its founding in 1992, AIDA International has been at the forefront of freediving, shaping its evolution as both a sport and a science. AIDA is globally renowned as the global authority for competitive freediving. AIDA is the leader in competitive freediving and validates National, Continental, and World records, always ensuring the integrity of the sport.

But AIDA isn’t just about competitions and records. They’ve been around since the early days of freediving, preserving the spirit of those adventurous pioneers who first explored the underwater world with a single breath. AIDA is also all about the science behind freediving. This non-profit organization is constantly researching and pushing the boundaries of what we know about how the body reacts to holding your breath and diving deep. This means they’re always coming up with new and better ways to freedive, making it safer and more accessible for everyone – whether you’re a casual snorkeler or a competitive athlete.

AIDA’s in-depth four-level course system guides divers from their first breath-hold to advanced depths, progressively building skills and knowledge. Each course is designed to challenge and inspire, ensuring that every certified AIDA freediver emerges confident, capable, and deeply connected to the underwater world.

SSI Freediving

SSI (Scuba Schools International) isn’t just about scuba anymore. For nearly 20 years, they’ve been a leading force in freediving, bringing their 50+ years of expertise in scuba instruction to create some of the most in-depth and engaging freediving courses out there. You’ll be learning freediving from the most well-developed materials and outstanding manuals via mobile apps and videos that make the whole experience and process of getting certified a breeze.

SSI offers four freediving courses that gradually build your skills, plus extra courses and workshops if you want to specialize in certain disciplines and areas. And because of the quality of the SSI Freediving Courses, their continued support, and their many high-level education programs, we’ve extended our service package.

We are now a full-service SSI Freediving Instructor Training Center. With the support of Swim Schools International, you can even become a swim teacher or a mermaid instructor at the academy through their programs! So, make the most of your time with us and come away a real pro in multiple water sports!

Molchanovs Freediving

The Molchanovs Freediving Courses and Molchanovs Education System was first developed by Natalia Molchanova, the queen of freediving, the most decorated and best freediver who ever lived, mother of multiple World Champion and World Record holder Alexey Molchanov, and the freediving mother of so many top athletes. She developed this education system to take a beginner, step-by-step, week-by-week from absolute beginner to elite freediver.

Then, in 2018, a group of the world’s best freedivers, freediving trainers, and entrepreneurs, including Alexey, World Record holder Goran Colak, Australian National Record holder Adam Stern, and others, took that system, added their expertise and revamped it to create something totally new.

Now, the Molchanovs Education System is growing fast and very popular in countries like the Philippines. Their community of freedivers—called the movement—consists of all freedivers who took a Molchanovs Freediving Course. Molchanovs promotes further skill development via free and paid-for training programs and reward badges. The Molchanovs training programs contain pool, dry, and depth training. They aim at technical freediving and making the freedivers stronger and better regardless of whether they are -10 or -80 meter freedivers.

Some questions we get frequently:

Why don’t you list any prices on your website?

Well, we do now for some courses, but honestly, we aren’t thrilled about it. This is simply because booking your course or vacation can be confusing and possibly more expensive.

We are a big dive center in Panglao with a fantastic support team—all freedivers, too—and we want to help make your booking as easy and convenient as possible. This can also mean a nice bundle or package with an exciting package price.

A package can be a discount for multiple people, a course including accommodation, a pick-up at the airport or ferry terminal, tours in Bohol, or additional workshops to develop yourself in a specific discipline. So whether you want to do a single course by yourself or are interested in a vacation, contact us, and we’ll have an answer for you within hours.

You can teach AIDA, SSI and Molchanovs - which one do you advice?

Honestly, for a beginner or recreational freediver, it doesn’t matter which freediving agency you start with. The only thing that really matters is your instructor. Your instructor must be qualified, active, certified, and teaching according to the highest global standards. Having a skilled instructor will result in learning excellent skills safely and progressively while having lots of fun!

There are significant differences in the study materials, quality, professionalism, structure, and knowledge, but there are good and bad instructors with all of the different freediving agencies.

SSI offers great study materials, videos, and a mobile app and has a very in-depth and rigorous training program for its instructors.

The AIDA course materials are somewhat outdated, but the AIDA education system is built on academic knowledge, and the agency has an amazing and incredible rich history in freediving.

Molchanovs is the new kid on the block and wants to do things differently, which makes them exciting and refreshing.

Unlike the recreational courses, there are significant differences in the professional levels. When you want to make a living as a Freediving Instructor and start your own dive center, the SSI Freediving Instructor Course could be the right option. SSI trains proper dive professionals, has the most extensive dealer network, and offers instructors excellent support.

As a full-time or part-time instructor with more travel and flexibility, the AIDA Instructor Course or Molchanovs Instructor Course might be the best option.

If you want to become a Freediving Instructor, please contact us with your questions. Our support staff are experienced freedivers themselves and will usually respond within hours.

For more information about the different recreational and professional levels, please check the page with the Freediving Courses Equivalent Chart.

PADI, Raid, PFI, FII, SSI, AIDA, Molchanovs - does it matter?

Again, it doesn’t really matter which agency you choose. For the recreational levels, it is more important to have a skilled instructor.

We are not big fans of PADI and Apnea Total Freediving, but we’ve met and seen outstanding instructors in both organisations too. We like Performance Freediving International (PFI), Freedive Instructors International, Raid, etc.

For us, the most sense makes AIDA and SSI since they are the oldest and most renowned agencies. Molchanovs is the new kid on the block and doing good things, too. With some students, we would recommend SSI. With the long-term development programs like the Zero to Hero freediving programs of the academy, we recommend AIDA since you have more time to focus on fundamental skill development during the courses – additional disciplines like nofins and monofin are being taught here in separate workshops – while with Molchanovs these disciplines are already briefly covered during the course.

Either way, you can not go wrong with AIDA, SSI, or Molchanovs. The course price and duration are the same for each beginner, advanced, or master course, and the academy has a very experienced instructor team that guarantees lots of knowledge development and fun with any course and agency.

More answers to questions can be found in our FAQ section.

This is how it is to take a Freediving Course with us in Panglao!

Please note that this video was shot at our first location. We still dive at the same incredible Napaling Reef with the sardines but moved about 300 meters down the road to a brand-new and fully equipped dive center with bungalows and a two-lane 25-meter pool.

The Beginner Course and the 4 Levels of Recreational Freediving

Longer Breathholds and Diving Deeper and Farther with Each Course!

The Beginner Freediver Course

Have a taste of freediving and find out what it’s really all about. The Molchanovs Wave 1, the SSI Level 1 Freediver course, or the AIDA 2 Freediving course takes 2,5 days, wherein you will acquire the proper skills to freedive to depths up to 20 meters.

The Molchanovs Wave 1, SSI Level 1, and the AIDA 2 Freediving Course are the first real beginner freediving courses, and only from this course can you progress to Level 2. After the one-day AIDA 1 or SSI Basic Freediving Course, you still need to complete the official beginner course to progress to Level 2.

In this beginner freediving Course, we will introduce you to the purest form of diving. With the help of our experienced and very knowledgeable instructors, your freediving experience will surely be unforgettable. You will learn more about freediving safety procedures, pressure-related issues, and equalization. We’ll discuss the breathing and breath-hold techniques used by freedivers. We’ll teach you different relaxation techniques, and we’ll teach you all of this via open water sessions, pool sessions, and classroom time. We will provide you with a certificate upon completion of the course. For sure, it is a new and fantastic experience!

Price per person: $325

Be sure to contact us. Group or Package Discounts may apply.

The above price includes taxes, snorkeling fees, freediving gear rental, facility use, study materials, and certification fees.

Prerequisites

Minimum 12 years old (with parent or guardian consent) and able to swim.

Be able to swim 100 meters without any swim or buoyancy aids.

Great Combo's

If you have the time, combine your Beginner and Advanced courses! The Level 1 and 2 Combo is by far our most popular package and is guaranteed to be a lot of fun, excitement, and tons of deep diving!

With a level 2 course, you will learn advanced equalization techniques and more techniques to stay down longer and be more efficient underwater. This combo can be done in 6 or 7 days, but it would be better to have an additional day for a day’s rest between courses. If you don’t have 6 or 7 days in Panglao, that’s too bad. Then be sure to sign up for the advanced course later because you will miss some freediving essentials. In the meantime, you can combine your beginner course with, for example, extra coaching or an SSI Monofin or Nofins specialty course to take your freediving experience to a whole new level.

Intermediate or Advanced Freediving Course

With the skills and knowledge you acquired in the Level 1 beginner course, it is time to level up and go for the AIDA 3, the Molchanovs Wave 2, and the SSI Advanced Freediving course. We want to welcome you to the intermediate or advanced freediving course. The Advanced Freediving course has three course days (sometimes we do it in 4, too). During the course, you will develop your skills to go deeper and hold your breath even longer. The maximum depth for the dives during the course is 30 meters,

Our instructors are very friendly, kind, and more than skilled in taking you to these depths. They will take good care of you and encourage you during the dives. You will learn new skills and be introduced to a higher knowledge of safety procedures and techniques such as freefalling – for many, the most fun part of freediving and why they love what we’re doing! You’ll be trained in advanced equalization techniques. You will be familiar with the risks of increasing and decreasing pressure, and more importantly, you will know how to deal with these risks. After finishing the course and reaching the performance requirements, you will be given a certificate. This course is challenging but a lot of fun and also very rewarding!

Price per person: $480

Be sure to contact us. Group or Package Discounts may apply.

The above price includes taxes, snorkeling fees, freediving gear rental, facility use, study materials, and certification fees.

Prerequisites

Be 18 years of age or older (15 years with a parent or guardian consent); be able to swim 100 meters unassisted; have completed the Molchanovs Wave 1, The SSI Freediver course, the AIDA 2, or a freediving course or an equal level, plus you need to have logged at least 6 Freediving sessions.

Great Combo's

The Advanced Freediving or Level 2 course is where freediving becomes more serious. You’ll be searching for more depth and longer dive times with more and more advanced freediving techniques. The recommended combo can be determined by the depth that you’re diving. If you are already doing dives around 30 meters, the next logical step would be joining the Master course. But since you need extra training sessions between these levels, you must be in Panglao for the Advanced and Master Course combo for at least a few weeks. We recommend that for the Level 1, 2, and 3 combo, you come to Panglao for a minimum of one month – this one-month package is very popular.

If you have fewer weeks in Panglao, the perfect combo for the Advanced Course are coaching sessions, so you have an instructor doing your safety and setup, and you can further develop your freediving skills.

Also, if you don’t have time for Level 2 and 3 combo, take up the freediving specialty like ‘Training Tables.’ You’ll be prepared for dry and pool training when you’re back home. Another exciting combo could be the Diver Stress and Rescue course or the React Right First AID course, which we can both teach in Panglao, too.

The Master Freediving Course

Hold your breath! Yes, you now really have to, and this time for a much, much more extended period of time. This is the master freediving course, so be prepared to dive deep. In about five – sometimes six days, the AIDA 4, SSI Performance Freediver Course, or the Molchanovs Wave 3 freediving course will take you to a depth of a maximum of 40 meters.

This level is considered to be beyond recreational freediving. Our instructors are knowledgeable and patient and will ensure that all training dives are done in the safest manner possible. At this level, you will learn the knowledge, techniques, and safety procedures needed for (extreme) deep freediving, such as exhale diving and mouth-fill equalizing. You will be introduced to full-body stretching, lung stretching, cross-training, and diet. We’ll teach you how to coach your buddy and how to develop your training plans. After successfully finishing the course, you will be awarded a certificate. We promise you will have an excellent, high-quality freediving experience with us in beautiful Panglao. This course will give you the knowledge and skills to take you to any depth you set your mind to!

Price per person: $650

Be sure to contact us. Group or Package Discounts may apply.

The above price includes taxes, snorkeling fees, freediving gear rental, facility use, study materials, and certification fees.

Prerequisites

Be 18 years of age or older; be able to swim at least 400m non-stop without fins or buoyancy device; have completed the Advanced Course with Molchanovs, SSI, or AIDA or a freediving course of an equal level, plus you must have logged a minimum of 30 freediving sessions.

Great Combo's

You are now a master freediver, and you know how to dive deep! A good combo would be combining your course with the Diver Stress and Rescue or React Right course.

Furthermore, some private coaching about training plans for in Panglao and at home might be wise, too. You are now diving to depths that are not achievable for everyone, and a deep diver needs to be a smart diver. It would help if you started focusing on things like relaxation, flexibility, repetitive dives, and depth adoption. Each and every one of our instructors are deep divers, too, and can guide and coach you in your journey to depth.

The Molchanovs Wave 4 Competitor Course

Learn how to Dive to Depths of -50 and -60 meters!

Competition Freediver

The Molchanovs Wave 4 Competition Freediving Course is serious freediving. In about eight days, you will dive to depths of at least -50 meters bifins or -55 meters with a monofin. You will have to do a minimum of a 5-minute breath-hold, do -35 meter NoFins in the ocean, and 75-meter NoFins in the pool.

This course is full-on freediving and only suited for very experienced freedivers.

Prerequisites

Be 18 years of age or older; completed the Molchanovs Wave 3, the SSI Performance Freediver Course, the AIDA 4, or a freediving course of an equal level with cross-over evaluation.

Great Combo's

The Molchanovs Wave 4 program is the highest level of non-professional freediving. The only real possible combo is combining it with a training package like our Freediving Training Program.

The One-Day Introduction to Freediving

Discover a New Way to Explore the Underwater World!

Introduction to Freediving

Do you want to get a taste of what it is like to dive on a single breath?! Great, the Freedive Academy Introduction Day, the SSI Basic Freediving course, or the AIDA 1 is a great way to start in the big blue. The Basic Freediving course is a one-day introduction course and is a lot of fun! During this day, you will have a pool session in the morning, and in the afternoon, we’ll take you diving into the ocean. In the classroom, we’ll discuss topics like breathing and breath-hold techniques, safety procedures, and equalization techniques, and we’ll work on your skills. In the afternoon session, you can dive with us along our fantastic house reef with the sardines – one of the most beautiful coral walls of the island, or you can train on the line as the freedivers usually do.

Please note that the one-day introduction course really is an introduction to freediving. If you want to develop your skills further, have the time and financial means, and like a challenge, we highly recommend starting with the proper SSI Level 1, the Molchanovs Wave 1, or AIDA 2 course.

Then, after this course, you can proceed with the intermediate level, the SSI Advanced Freediver, Molchanovs Wave 2, or AIDA 3. After, for example, the SSI Basic Freediving course, you still need to complete the SSI Level 1 Course to progress to the next level.

On this page, you will find an overview of the different freediving agencies and different levels and how they compare to each other.

Price per person: $155 without certification

Price per person: $175 with SSI Basic or AIDA 1 certification

Be sure to contact us. Group or Package Discounts may apply.

The above price includes taxes, snorkeling fees, freediving gear rental, facility use, study materials, and certification fees.

Prerequisites

Be ten years of age or older (with parent or guardian consent).

Be able to swim 25 meters without any swim or buoyancy aids.

Great Combo's

Because the SSI Basic Freediving Course is an introduction to freediving, you want to continue with your SSI Level 1, the Molchanovs Wave 1 or AIDA 2 beginner freediving course. When you do the course directly after the Basic Freediving Course, you’ll get a nice discount on the second-course price since we’ll make this introduction day part of your first official beginner freediving course.

We teach our freediving courses in the following languages. The Molchanovs Wave 3, SSI Performance Freediver, and AIDA 4 courses are only available in English, Dutch, and South African.

If you want a quick reply, please use the short form on this page.

For more detailed information about Courses, Accommodation, Prices, etc. Please follow the below links.

For more detailed information, please fill in this form.

Explore Breath-hold Diving and Surprise Yourself!

It’s incredible what the human body is capable of. It’s pretty common for guests to come here, and in the first classroom session, we get them to hold their breath for 3 or 3:30 minutes. We have people diving down to 20 meters in the first session. Join us for any recreational level, and you’ll be surprised by your capabilities!

Just fill in the form, and our support team, who are all freedivers too, will get back to you usually within hours – if they’re not diving 😉

Certified Speciality Courses & Workshops

You will get to learn the Ins and Outs of an Amazing Sport!

Join the AIDA Competitions as a Competitor or Safety Diver!

You love freediving, and you want to become more involved in the competitive side of freediving. Then AIDA can help you with this! AIDA developed two short specialty courses where you learn more about the competitive side of freediving.

These specialty courses will give you more knowledge and skills of freediving’s competitive depth disciplines, such as Constant-Weight Monofin and Bifins, Constant-Weight No-Fins, and Free Immersion. In the pool, we have disciplines, including Dynamic Monofin, Dynamic Bifins, Dynamic No-Fins, and Static Apnea.

With the course AIDA Competition Freediver, you will learn the start and surface protocols, the important regulations for the athlete, and what they can and cannot do during the competition. You will also experience what it feels like to be in a competitive environment. Our instructors are competitive freedivers themselves, and they will teach you various ways to prepare for competitions and push yourself at the competitions and freediving championships.

The AIDA course ‘Safety Diver’ is very interesting for those not immediately interested in competing themselves but might want to help out at the competitions. We will teach you the competition procedures and calculate dive times, and we’ll simulate a competition experience so you know how to be a reliable safety diver.

Depending on the participant’s skill level, we can also turn the course into a Deep Safety workshop.

Specialise in Safety – You Can’t Lose With This!

A must-have for all freedivers, whether you are a freedive instructor candidate or a basic freediver, is mandatory for all Master freedivers and instructors.

It’s always a good idea to get your Emergency First Responder certificate. Learn the “How-To” of First Aid, CPR, AED, and Oxygen administration in emergencies and emergency assessment. After this course, you’ll be able to assess and evaluate any emergency situation accurately.

In one of our most rewarding courses, you will increase not only your diving safety and comfort significantly but also that of the people you dive with.

The course covers the following:

Primary Assessment
First Aid & CPR Skills
Primary Stabilization Techniques

Oxygen Administration in Diving Emergencies
Automated External Defibrillation Basics

We also offer instructor courses for those who are already SSI Freediving Instructors and are React Right or EFR and O2 provider certified.

Another great course is the 3-day Diver Stress & Rescue course, designed explicitly for freedivers. This course originated from the React Right course and the popular Scuba Diver Stress & Rescue course. In this course, you will learn many different First Aid skills immediately applicable to divers and real-world emergency scenarios for freedivers. The Diver Stress & Rescue course is a fun, educational, and rewarding way to become a better freediver!

Freediving Specialities and Workshops

Taking your Freediving to the Next Level!

There are workshops and specialty programs available for each level of freediving.

Basic Speciality Programs:

Coral Identification
Fish Identification
Marine Ecology
Night & Limited Visibility
Photo & Video
Sea Turle Ecology

Pool & Level 1:

Free Immersion
Monofin
No Fins Freediving
Scooter / DPV Diving
Training Tables
Wreck Diving

Level 2 & Level 3:

Variable Weight

Workshops:

Mouthfill Equalisation
Trainingplans
Seasonal Programs
Custom Programs

We teach all freediving specialties in English, some in German, Russian, South African, French, Chinese, and, of course, almost all in the Philippine languages. However, we teach the Specialty Instructor courses only in English and Dutch.

If you want a quick reply, please use the short form on this page.

For more detailed information about Courses, Accommodation, Prices, etc. Please follow the below links.

For more detailed information, please fill in this form.

Become a Specialist and Be the Best You Can Be!

Taking on single or multiple freediving specialties is a great and fun way to enhance your knowledge about freediving and our oceans. The freediving specialty courses range from 1-day specialties and workshops to 3-day courses with training plans for when the course is finished.

Whether it is an ecology course or training for depth, enjoyment, or technique, freediving specialty courses are a fun and educational way to become a better freediver!

Fill in the form today, just check our availability. Usually, you’ll have an answer within hours.

Change Your Lifestyle! Become a Pro Freediver!

Are You Ready for the Flip Flop Lifestyle on a Tropical Island like Panglao?!

Instructor Course

Calling all freedivers who dream of becoming professional freediving instructors. Do it! Change your lifestyle! Move to a tropical island with white sandy beaches and coconut trees – live the dream!

Each month we teach at least one or two instructor courses. If you have any questions about the Molchanovs Instructor Courses, the SSI Freedive Instructor Course or the AIDA Instructor courses, please don’t hesitate to message us.

Do you want to do something life-changing and incredible?! Join us in Panglao for 3 to 6 months for an adventure of a lifetime. Our long-term development programs like the Freediving Zero to Hero or the Freediving Internships will turn you into the deep diver you were meant to be!

Whether you are a beginner or a Master Freediver, our development program will help you become a skilled professional – teacher and freediver.

The purpose of the freedive instructor course is to incorporate everything you have learned from all freediving courses together with your teaching skills. After the course, you will have increased your freediving knowledge and can teach various freediving courses. You’ll be prepared and ready to teach and train students with our freediving internships and development programs.

Prerequisites

Suppose you are not doing an internship or freediving Zero-to-Hero program with us but want to start the instructor course immediately. In that case, you must be a minimum Level 2 freediver (SSI Advanced Freediver, AIDA 3 or Molchanovs Wave 2 freediver) and have a valid First Aid and CPR Certificate not older than two years.

Please note that starting your instructor course with SSI Performance Freediver, Molchanovs Wave 3, or AIDA 4 will give you access to the higher instructor levels and offer greater flexibility as an instructor since you can teach the Advanced Freediving courses, too.

Combo Program

The most well-known program is the Zero to Hero freediving program, which is a complete 3 – 6 month program which you can be taken on its own or via an internship. In this program, you take all levels and train with students and instructors.

Additionally, the instructor course is often combined with weeks of training or the Master Program.

Please get in touch with us via the link below for all possible combinations.

The Freedive Academy Panglao 2024 Instructor Course Schedule

We run SSI, AIDA, and Molchanovs instructor courses every month now!

You must schedule your trip to Panglao wisely. The start of your Zero to Hero freediving program should be planned around your instructor course, just like we do with the freediving internships. If you do ‘only’ an instructor course with us, arriving in Panglao the day before your course starts is possible, but it makes the instructor course very challenging.

Please feel free to contact us anytime with any scheduling questions you may have.

Our guests are finding us for professional development programs and instructor courses! The beginner-to-freeding instructor programs with the new bonuses are especially popular. Every month, we run at least one, mostly two FITCs, mostly Molchanovs and AIDA, and every couple of months, an SSI Instructor Course. We are continuing to run Wave 3 Instructor courses online.

The courses below are confirmed and happening, but some might still have somewhat flexible dates. If the below dates don't work with your particular schedule, please don't hesitate to contact us! We have the team in place, and since most of our guests are here long-term, we can often move courses around. Message us!

~May 20 - 29, 2024

AIDA ITC