Apnea Bali: The Best Freediving School in Asia

You don’t just learn how to dive here. You learn how to trust yourself.

I’ve trained freediving, a LOT. Tiny schools with plastic chairs and chipped fins. Massive academies with mirrors and slogans. In lakes, in the sea, in the heat, in the cold.
But Apnea Bali—this place is different.

You ride your scooter twenty minutes past Amed, away from the bustle, through twisting green and heat and volcano dust. And then you arrive.

At a place that feels like it was built with intention.

There’s a custom-built pool. An outdoor gym. A restaurant with actual incredible barista coffee (not always a given in dive towns). The moorings are a short swim from the shore, and the vibe is calm and cool. Focused. Like everyone showed up to get better—but without the stress.

The Instructors

You won’t find this kind of coaching anywhere else. Not this consistent. Not this personalised. Not this human.

Julia is a powerhouse in a small package. She can see right through your words to where your head is really at. She specialises in mental coaching, the stuff no one talks about but everyone needs. She’ll call you out. She’ll make you laugh. She’ll remind you what’s true. She’s hit me with her snorkel when I said dumb things about myself. I loved her for it.

Eli is precision. Every hand placement. Every fin kick. You leave her sessions transformed, because she doesn’t stop until your dive feels like second nature. Style before depth. Form before ego. She’s strict, but it’s a gift.

Valentina is calm pressure. She’ll take you further than you thought possible and somehow make it feel like your idea. Her steadiness is the kind that dissolves fear. You find yourself doing things that used to scare you, and smiling the whole way down. You will feel safe.

Every instructor brings something different. And somehow, you get the one you need, on the day you need them.

How They Train You

On day one, they sit you down. What do you want from this? What are you chasing? If your goal is too ambitious, they’ll let you know. Gently.

But they’ll also help you build the bridge to get there.

Your first few sessions? It’s all about style. Do you look calm? How can you improve relaxation? Is your movement clean? Do you move like you trust the water? Are you feeling the water? 

Because if not—they’ll pause you. Adjust your weighting. Change your mask. Tweak the tiniest details you never even thought mattered, until something clicks.

Only when your foundation is rock solid will they let you go deeper.

Why It Works

Because they care.

They talk to each other after every session. Plan your next steps. Make sure you never plateau, never drift. You feel held. Not coddled—held.

It’s rare and beautiful.

And yeah, the place is clean. The gear is solid. The coffee is perfect.

But what matters most is this:

They see you. And they teach you how to see yourself.

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Also read: Best Dive Schools in Amed, What Freediving Taught Me About Patience, and Competing Against Yourself.