How to Plan the Perfect Freediving Retreat

PostedJuly 4, 2025

Planning a freediving retreat isn’t just about booking accommodation and putting up an event page. It’s about creating an experience that pulls people out of their daily noise — and into the deep. It’s about community, adventure, quiet moments on the ocean floor, and the island life that breathes life back into tired bodies.

So, how do you plan the perfect freediving retreat? Let’s break it down.

1. Know Who You’re Diving With

Start here: Who’s coming?
Is your retreat for absolute beginners who’ve never equalized past three meters? Or is it for intermediate divers chasing new personal bests — the ones who dream of thirty meters and the hush of the deep? Maybe it’s for underwater photographers. Or for digital nomads who want equal parts work, depth, and reef time.

Ask them. Use quick surveys or polls. Post questions in your freediving groups. The more you know about your tribe, the easier it is to build an experience they’ll never forget.

2. Pick the Right Blue

Location is everything.
You want clear water, healthy marine life, reliable weather, and facilities that understand depth training. Places like Dahab, Dominica, or Bali offer all this — plus the laid-back rhythms that make post-dive hammock naps part of the itinerary.

Think about:

Access to depth close to shore
Safe conditions for deep dives and training
Marine life: turtles, dolphins, coral gardens that become part of the adventure
Community: nearby freedive schools, local instructors, support boats

Take your time. Ask operators questions, visit there. Read reviews from other freedivers — they’ll tell you what’s really up.

3. Craft a Program That Breathes

A retreat shouldn’t feel like a bootcamp.
Design a schedule with flow:

Daily depth training
Technique workshops
Equalization clinics
Optional dry training: stretching, yoga, breathwork
Rest days to explore island life — waterfalls, hikes, local food

Balance is everything. Depth takes energy — but so does connection. Leave space for group dinners, sunset swims, maybe even a freedive with whales if you’re lucky enough to run your retreat where they pass by.

And build in time for silence — freedivers crave that too.

4. Get the Word Out

If you’re opening your retreat to the wider ocean-loving world, your marketing should feel like an invitation — not a sales pitch. Use your social channels. Share photos of your own dives. Talk about what makes your chosen location magic. Collaborate with freediving schools or travel brands who share your audience.

Stay real. Stay authentic. People don’t just sign up for depth — they sign up for the feeling you promise.

5. Stay Flexible. Ocean Teaches That.

No matter how well you plan, nature has her own plans. Maybe the wind picks up. Maybe you swap a deep day for a fun reef day. Maybe your group wants more theory and less line diving.

Stay adaptable. Listen to your people. Take their ideas — it makes the retreat feel like co-creation, not a tour. Keep backup plans in your back pocket — and a sense of humor handy too.

Final Exhale

Planning a freediving retreat is part logistics, part ocean magic. If you hold the space right — you give people depth, connection, adventure, and a mirror to see themselves a little clearer than before.

If you want more freediving stories and mindset tips, check out my piece on When the Ocean Becomes Your Mirror and The Mental Game of Freediving — both deep dives into how the ocean changes us, whether we’re ready or not.

So — where’s your next depth? Who are you taking with you?

Also read: AIDA Pool Rules Explained Simply, How to Prepare for Your First Pool Competition, Top Mistakes to Avoid at Your First Freediving Comp.