Welcome to Apnea Total Malta

Apnea Total Malta was born out of a passion for freediving and spearfishing.

Our main instructor and founder, Arturo, discovered freediving through spearfishing when he was a teenager. He then learned the proper freediving techniques in Asia where he not only became a Freediving Instructor but an Instructor Trainer, the highest level in freediving education. He has now certified more than 1.000 students. Needless to say, you will be in good hands!

Apnea Total Malta is a pure freediving center, and as such, we have chosen 2 Freediving Education Systems that follow our principles: APNEA TOTAL and MOLCHANOVS. Both Apnea Total and Molchanovs were created by freedivers for freedivers, and they both aim at making you the best possible freediver through different approaches.

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What we do

What our students say about their experience!

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Vecgtor of a monofin, freediving computer, freediving buoy, underwater torch, freediving wetsuit, round freediving buoy, freediving long fins , snorkel for freediving and a freediving mask

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Our Teaching Methods


  • High quality instruction

    We uphold the highest standards of freediving safety, instruction and education. We tailor our approach to our students’ needs and aim to cater to their individual goals. We effectively and enthusiastically engage our freedivers and equip them with the relevant knowledge and skills.

  • Safe Learning Environment

    There are many misconceptions about freediving that can be daunting. Apnea Total Malta provides a safe space. We adapt to your needs and celebrate all achievements, for there are no small or big victories. We have been freediving on a regular basis for more than 20 years, and have experienced, witnessed and overcome most of the challenges that freedivers face, so we are perfectly suited to offer genuine experience-based guidance.

  • High Performance

    We will make you achieve goals you thought impossible. Despite what people outside the freediving community think, free diving is more of a mental than a physical activity. We will give you confidence, mental strength, knowledge and techniques to enjoy freediving in a safe way.

  • Effective Educational Systems

    • Extremely qualified and experienced Instructors
    • Tailored sessions for individual needs
    • Focus on techniques, not numbers or depth
    • Always with you underwater
    • Practical approach with no written exam (Apnea Total)
    • Comprehensive Program & continued training (Molchanovs)

Why choose Apnea Total Malta?


Our goal is to make you the best possible freediver, not only by helping you reach a certain depth or bottom time, but more importantly by teaching you the right freediving techniques for you to free dive our beautiful oceans and seas safely.

We have a very practical approach and even though we have academic classes, our teaching mainly takes place at the surface and under the water. We keep our groups small for personalized tuition and faster progress. We also guarantee our freediving instructor will always be by your side underwater.

Our instructor, Arturo, has been freediving on a regular basis for over 20 years and professionally for almost 10 years. In addition to being extremely experienced, he is also qualified to instruct all levels of freediving including instructors. He uses his experience and expertise as an instructor but also as a free diver to understand your limitations and needs and provide you with the right recommendations to achieve your goals. Everybody is different and so is our approach to freediving.


Logotype of Apnea Total Freediving and Spearfishing School in white, blue and black color

Our Education Systems


Apnea Total Malta is the 1st Molchanovs Center in Malta/Gozo and the only freediving school to offer freediving courses from both Apnea Total and Molchanovs. On the one hand, a practical approach to freediving, on the other hand, an in-depth program. Both have proven to be very effective, and neither is better than the other. They simply cater to different kinds of freedivers, for Apnea Total Malta embraces the reality that we all have different aquatic potentials and comfort levels and that each of us has our own way of learning.

You may however wonder if 2 days are enough to learn all the necessary skills properly. Apnea Total has certified tens of thousands of freedivers. So, the answer is YES, a resounding yes especially with a freediving instructor like Arturo who has mastered the course and can draw on his many years of experience to adapt to the needs of his students. Don't take our word for it though, see for yourself what our freedivers have to say about our courses and teaching methods.

Why Molchanovs then? Though we love Apnea Total Courses, we felt freedivers would benefit from having a greater choice and so we chose Molchanovs, another pure freediving system that was not available in Malta/Gozo. We now have the opportunity to accommodate divers who are looking for in-depth knowledge.

Why freedive in Malta?


Freediver exploring a shipwreck while freediving in Malta

Freediving in Malta


The Maltese archipelago is a gem in the Mediterranean Sea. Malta has so much to offer: over 300 sunny days per year, a rich historical heritage, bustling seaside towns, sleepy villages, spectacular cliffs and rock formations, a vast array of attractions and above all beautiful blue water, the perfect setting for an extraordinary underwater adventure.

Malta’s underwater world is not to be missed. Its crystal clear water provides excellent visibility (average of 30 metres), no tides and very few currents. Therefore, Malta is the best place to learn how to freedive. Freediving in Malta is the opportunity to explore wrecks, caves, reefs, incredible rock formations and drop-offs from 5 to 50m in the best conditions possible. Malta’s sea life is also known to be richer than in many other parts of the Mediterranean. Last but not least, Malta is a year-round freediving destination with water temperature from 15 degrees in winter to 32 degrees in summer.

No surprise Malta is one of the main diving destinations in the world and the place we choose to call home.

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Three freedivers in an outdoor pool ready to train STA static apnea and dynamic apnea

Our Freediving Center


Our freediving center is based in the picturesque town of Mellieha, not far from the bustling St Paul’s Bay. Both are popular tourist destinations filled with restaurants, cafe and hotels. You can enjoy the blue in so many different ways here: boat rental, all kinds of watersports, scuba diving, snorkeling and obviously freediving.

The sea is our office but we also have on land training facilities: a classroom for our freediving knowledge development sessions with free WiFi, audiovisual equipment and water dispenser, a swimming pool for our Static and Dynamic sessions and a mini freediving shop. We also provide all the freediving equipment needed: low volume mask and snorkel, 3mm to 7mm wetsuit depending on the season, gloves, socks, long fins, lanyards, weights and rubber weight belts. Nose clips, goggles and swim caps are also provided for pool training.

We will reach the dive locations by car, aka the Apneamobile, which is equipped with a screen, WiFi, a roof rack and even a shower.

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