With a Freediving Internship, you help us, and we help you.
Our company founder & owner, Vincent, had this to say about the internships.
“Something a lot of people don’t realize, but when you work in the tourism industry, seven days a week, from early morning to late at night, and especially when you’re a big freediving center like us, you need help. Working with interns and internships is a fantastic solution for both the center and the customer.
Here at the Freedive Academy Panglao, we wanted to do Freediving Internships the right way! Now, we have interns around any day of the year, which is a blast and results in great group dynamics and a beautiful, exciting family atmosphere. Our interns get a big discount on their courses, free housing, and free lunches, and in exchange, they work for us around the center.”
Regardless of your motivation, money, experience of working in a big shop, or social aspect, internships are guaranteed to be fun and memorable!
Come to Panglao for a Freediving Internship
Freediving can be Expensive, but if You Help Us, We’ll Help You!!
There are many reasons why someone could do an internship. Maybe you want to save some money on your freediving courses or freedive training. Perhaps you want to build up experience working in a freediving center. Maybe you are keen on the freediving knowledge you gain while hanging out with us. You like to be part of a freediving family. Whatever it may be, an internship at the Freedive Academy Panglao might be right for you.
Because we’re based on Panglao Island, are a big freediving center with bungalows and our very own 25-meter pool, have a retail shop, and multiple staff houses, we can offer great opportunities for joining the different freedive instructor courses, short and long-term freediving internships, and freediving development programs.
But of course, Panglao is also a beautiful green island covered by palm, coconut, and banana trees. Driving around the island on your scooter with shorts and flip-flops almost immediately makes you experience the flip-flop freediver lifestyle. The island has excellent facilities and restaurants, and on days off, there are plenty of things to do in Panglao and Bohol. Furthermore, the groceries are cheap but very good. The fruit is spectacular! The Filipino people are the most friendly people you’ll ever meet. Traveling to Panglao is super easy, and just as easy is also extending your Philippine Visa – much easier than in any other Asian country!
The Freedive Academy Panglao is located on the island’s north side, about 10 minutes away via scooter from the busy Panglao tourist area Alona. Instead of tourism, we choose fantastic diving, nature, and peace 😉 At about 15 minutes from Tagbilaran City, we are based centrally on Panglao island and only a 4-minute walk from the staff houses.
The dive center, pool, resort, and location are top-notch. We extended our 10-meter pool into a beautiful two-lane 25-meter pool with unique static and seating areas, perfect for pool presentations and dynamic and static training. With a 15-minute scooter drive, we also have a fantastic 50-meter pool at our convenience – we take all our Level 3 and Master students there regularly too.
We developed a fantastic outdoor area with bamboo bungalows, perfect for freedivers. With great music playing from the speakers, the outdoor space and terraces are perfect for chilling out, using gym equipment, or stretching.
But of course, the strongest point of our location is the massive drop-off at about 300 meters from the dive center and resort. We have direct access to 50 meters with a 10-meter swim, and at about 80 meters from the shore, we have a 130-meter buoy. With year-round near-perfect diving conditions, freediving doesn’t get better than this. The water temperature ranges from 26 – 31C, and the visibility is usually around 30 meters and goes up to an easy 40 meters. Because of the easy access to depth, we don’t need a boat for diving, and with excellent year-round diving conditions, we can be very flexible and plan our course schedules wisely. You will get the most out of your course and freediving internship with us.
Check out the video below to see how it is to Freedive with Us.
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.
One Freediving Internship – Different Packages!
We run instructor courses every month because we’re a true Freedive Instructor Training center. Combining the courses with, for example, a Mermaid Instructor and Swim Teacher courses is very easy. We can be very flexible with the internship packages. For most people doing a freediving internship, the freediving instructor course will be the end goal. However, this doesn’t apply to all guests – you can continue training after your instructor course.
We offer three-month freediving internships developed around the three most popular global training agencies;
Let’s get introduced! We’ll schedule a video call, answer all your questions, and show you around the center!
You can join our freediving instructor and development programs in many different options and ways. With many of our customers, especially those who enter the Zero to Hero programs or the Freediving Internships and those who come for training and an Instructor Course, we often schedule an FB, WhatsApp, or Skype call to discuss the different options. We understand that all the information about the various agencies, levels, and course options can be confusing. During this call, which is, of course, 100% free of charge and without any further obligations, we discuss all the options. We will make a plan together and immediately show you around the dive center in Panglao, so you have a good idea of what kind of Freedive Academy we are!
We believe this is a great way to get introduced, get your questions answered, and get an inside look into daily life at the academy. Fill out the form below. We’ll send you all the needed information and schedule a call. We look forward to talking to you soon!
Completing your Freediving Internship with the Instructor Course!
Change Your Lifestyle, Become a Pro Freediver!
The interns who join us in Panglao come for at least three months and finish their internship with the SSI Freediving Instructor course, the Molchanovs Instructor course, the AIDA Instructor course, or a combo of these courses. If you choose to do the SSI Instructor Course, whether you do a freediving Zero to Hero or a Freediving Internship, we always try to have you aim for the SSI Level 2 Freediving Instructor level. The skills requirements for the Level 2 Freediving Instructor are more challenging than the Level 1 Instructor. Still, we found that with the proper guidance and training plans, almost all our students can pass the Level 2 Instructor requirements in the three months they are with us. The only option for Molchanovs is the Wave 2 Instructor course; for AIDA, it’s the regular AIDA Instructor Course.
Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor Training Course
The Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor can teach the courses Molchanovs Wave 1 and 2, the Lap 1 and 2 courses, and the Theory 1 and 2 courses and guide the Base Training Level 1 to 4 programs.
Prerequisites: The candidate must have a Wave 3 Certification or pass the Wave 3 Crossover Evaluation and have a First Aid Certificate (no older than two years).
Duration: 10 days
Performance & Course Completion Requirements:
Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 40mtr. (dive time 80-90s)
Free Immersion (FIM): 40mtr.
Constant No Fins (CNF): 30mtr.
Dynamic Bi Fins (DYNB): 90mtr.
Dynamic No Fins (DNF): 50mtr.
Static Breath-Hold: 4:00min.
Standby Rescue (1min. Rescue Hang): 15mtr.
BO Rescue (50mtr. tow incl. Rescue Breaths): 25mtr.
CO2 Dive: 60sec. Surface Kicking followed by 20m CWT dive
* All skills need to be demonstrated with instructor level quality.
SSI Level 2 Freediving Instructor
The SSI Level 2 Freediving Instructor can teach Try Freediving, Basic Freediving, Pool Freediving, and Level 1 and 2 Freediving.
Prerequisites: The candidate must have 100 logged dives, have completed the Level 3 Freediving program, have a First Aid Certificate (no older than 2 years), and must hold the specialty certification for Training Technique.
Duration: 12 days
Performance & Course Completion Requirements:
Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 40mtr. or 3 x 25mtr. with 1-minute rest
Dynamic Bi Fins (DYNB): 85mtr.
Static Breath-Hold: 4:00min.
20mtr. Standby Rescue (1min. Rescue Hang)
20mtr. BO Rescue (50mtr. tow incl. Rescue Breaths)
5x 20mtr. (1min. surface interval)
400mtr. Swim: In less than 15min.
800mtr. Swim with Equipment: In less than 15min.
* All skills need to be demonstrated at an instructor-level quality.
AIDA Instructor Training Course
The AIDA Freediving Instructor can teach the courses AIDA 1 Introduction to Freediving, the AIDA 2 open water and pool freediving courses, the AIDA 2 Advanced Freediver Course and the AIDA Monofin Course.
Prerequisites: The candidate must have an AIDA 4 Certification or pass the AIDA 4 Crossover Evaluation and have a First Aid Certificate (no older than two years).
Duration: 10 days
Performance & Course Completion Requirements:
Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 40mtr.
Free Immersion (FIM): 40mtr.
Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 30mtr. (dive time 1:30 min.)
Free Immersion (FIM): 30mtr. (dive time 2 min.)
Dynamic Bi Fins (DYNB): 90mtr.
Dynamic No Fins (DNF): 50mtr.
Constant No Fins (CNF): 20mtr.
Static Breath-Hold: 4:00min.
Standby Rescue (1min. Rescue Hang): 15mtr.
25mtr. BO Rescue (50mtr. tow incl. Rescue Breaths)
5x 20mtr. (1min. surface interval)
* All skills need to be demonstrated with instructor level quality.
The Molchanovs, SSI, or AIDA Freediving Instructor Combo
It doesn't matter if you do a Zero to Hero, a freediving internship, or a single instructor course with training; with the Freedive Academy Freediving Instructor Combo, you get the best of two worlds!
First, please note that this is not a 2-in-1 course - you won't get two certifications with one course! The Freedive Instructor Combo is a full FITC or Instructor course followed by a separate Instructor crossover course.
Some guests want to take the SSI Instructor course because it, like no other, prepares them to become proper dive professionals. Some want to become Molchanovs or AIDA instructors because of the agencies' flexibility.
The Freedive Academy runs SSI & Molchanovs, SSI & AIDA, and Molchanovs & AIDA combo courses.
We are saving time with performance requirements that are often the same between the different agencies. We're saving time discussing and demonstrating the skills. An excellent example is also, with the SSI and AIDA Instructor Course, we add instructor candidate skills video review, which is usually only done with the Molchanovs FITC. We are adding more value to the different courses, running both courses more efficiently, and thus can do the crossover in a shorter time frame and, therefore, cheaper. This is one fantastic and compact package for both certificates! It's truly the best of both worlds.
Do the Performance Requirements seem Challenging?
They are! Becoming a Freediving Instructor is not easy, but it will be the most amazing thing you will ever do!
Becoming a freedive instructor in 3 to 6 months is not easy! You need to work hard and give your best! It will be one of the most challenging and engaging things you’ll ever do and, at the same time, one of the most amazing things you’ll ever do. Almost all our interns who leave us after three months have a +5 minute breath hold – that is pretty cool!
Freediving has the potential to change lives – we’ve seen it many, many times already. You will have so much fun!
Change your Lifestyle! Move to a Tropical Island!
At our Freedive Academy in Panglao, we offer many opportunities to become a pro-freediver. We offer quite a few different instructor courses, and we can offer them all with a package, like with or without training. Join us in Panglao for a 3-month internship, and we’ll take you from absolute beginner to freediving instructor. With us, you can start your program at any time!
Contact us now for more information about our internship programs.
Fill in the form today. Just check the possibilities. Usually, you’ll have an answer within hours.
Doing More than ‘Just’ a Freediving Internship
Preparing Yourself as a Future Shop Owner
You now know about our Freediving Center in the Philippines and the Freedive Instructor Courses we run here in Panglao every other month, and you might even have read about all the things you can do in Bohol. But you will get so much more with one of our freediving internships.
These are some of the reasons why guests join us in Panglao!
The Social Side of an Internship
Swim and Freediving Instructor Combo
Learning How to Build a Successful Business
Freediving Courses are Expensive!
The Mermaid Combo
The Teaching Experience
Important Updates to the Freediving Internship Program!
We also implemented similar updates to our beginner to freediving instructor programs, and we are sure you’ll love them too!
When you join a 3-month internship and start with the beginner freediving course, you will get a 35% discount on the entire internship program. The same applies to any additional courses you might take, such as the first aid and emergency first responder course or the freediving specialty instructor courses like, for example, monofin freediving, nofins, or variable weight. You get a 35% discount on all courses and programs!
If you travel with your partner, you both get the internship package discount. For every course or specialty your partner joins, they will receive the same discount as you.
We are looking to upgrade our intern accommodation. The Freedive Academy is a fully equipped dive center with the best possible and latest equipment. We have been using the staff accommodation for seven years already. The accommodation slowly became outdated and didn’t match the academy anymore. The current interns are staying at the bamboo bungalows directly at the academy, and although we like this a lot – it’s nice having the interns around all day. We are considering renting two larger apartments around the corner from the shop – one man and one female apartment. They’re bigger, have a much nicer bathroom and a fully equipped kitchen. If we decide to push this through – definitely not sure yet – we’ll also ask our interns to pay for the utilities. When the air-conditioning is turned off during the day, the water, gas, and internet will be around $30 – $40 per intern.
In Panglao, we offer customer discounts on all our freediving gear. When you confirm your freediving internship with us – which will be finalized via payment of the 20% down payment, you will lock in your retail discount. Your discount can be as much as 20% on selected items like freediving wetsuits, freediving fins, masks, snorkels, and many other items. If you want to buy new gear, please get in touch with us since not everything we sell is listed online.
If you want to join us for a freediving internship, apply now!
When Can You Start Your Freediving Internship?
Pretty much any day you want, but…
Even though we offer some flexibility in arrival and departure times, we have only provided quarterly internships since 2019. This has resulted in a more robust internship program and helped us solve some practical problems, like the free housing that we offer.
Our interns still get free housing but now have set dates for their room availability. We can only provide housing for the internship programs per quarter. For example, your free accommodation can be available from January 1st till March 31st. With fixed times, we can offer more activities, better freediving, and a beautiful close group of ocean-loving water enthusiasts!
In this example, you are more than welcome to start the internship in mid-December and finish in late April. But before and after your 3-month freediving internship, you must organize your accommodation. Of course, we’ll assist you with finding accommodation too, but you need to arrange and pay for it yourself. Also, it is essential to know that, in this example, your instructor’s course would start somewhere in mid-March.
Please read carefully! We are no longer offering internships.
Important Update on our Internship Program!
We’re shifting our focus to our incredibly popular Zero to Hero program, a comprehensive package that takes you from beginner to freediving instructor with exclusive extras and bonuses.
In 2025, we’re phasing out our internships and concentrating our resources on expanding the more immersive Zero to Hero program. This comprehensive Freedive Academy program is truly the ultimate pathway to becoming a certified freediving instructor, with exclusive benefits and bonuses that provide the best possible learning experience.
If you’re ready to commit to your passion for freediving, embark on an epic adventure, and start on this life-changing journey, join us for 2 to 6 months of intensive training and personal growth. Contact us today to discuss the different options that are available!
Please note that if your preferred dates do not fit the dates listed here—or have been fully booked already—be sure to contact us for the Zero to Hero programs. The beginner to instructor freediving programs are packaged really well and are definitely very interesting and competitive. Plus, our Zero to Hero (and other long-term) students are just as much part of the Freedive Academy family as our interns.
Join us in Panglao for 3 to 6 months and do Something Incredible!
For more information about the internship, accommodation, prices, etc. Please follow the below links.
Apply now, send us your motivation, and join us for an adventure of a lifetime!
AVAILABLE NOW! The Brand-New Freedive Academy Mobile Training App!
All the Freedive Academy's Expertise, Now in Your Pocket!
The Apnea Assistant, Your Personal Breathwork Coach!
The Apnea Assistant is Hands-Down, the Most Complete Freediving App Currently Available!
Can't make it to Panglao to train with us in person? No problem! Our team has poured their passion and expertise into creating an incredible app that brings the Freediving Academy experience to you, wherever you are.
The Apnea Assistant is completely free to use, with no premiums or annoying ads. It's packed with everything you need to improve your breath-hold, refine your technique, and deepen your freediving journey – from customizable training tables and guided breathing exercises to a detailed training log that tracks your progress. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned freediver, the Apnea Assistant will help you take your training to the next level.
Download it today and start training like a pro!
Disclaimer: The Freediving App provides tools and guidance for freediving training but should not be used as a substitute for professional instruction. Learning freediving involves essential safety practices and breathing techniques best taught in a supervised environment. We always recommend taking an intro or beginner freediving course with a certified instructor before utilizing the app.
We made an in-depth comparison of why we believe the Apnea Assistant is the best freediving app out there.
