Junior Freediver (JrFD)

The Junior Freediver Course is for all children aged 11-14 who love the sea and water activities.

The Junior Course instills safe habits while developing aquatic acumen. It provides a unique, exciting and safe introduction to the wonders of the underwater world.

The Junior Freediver Course offers the opportunity to learn freediving skills in a fun, safe, supportive and engaging environment. It provides the proper skills and knowledge to freedive effectively and safely to a depth of 12m. Once your child reaches the age of 15, they can transition to the adult-level depth of 20m.

Your child will learn how the body responds to freediving, how to control their breath, how to equalize ear pressure, how to stay safe and look after their freediving buddy, as well as other essential apnea skills such as duck dive, streamlining, etc.

Junior Freedivers will gain confidence in the water, and the freediving skills and knowledge to safely explore the underwater world. They will also build self-confidence, increase body awareness, understand their limits, become safer at the surface and under the water and develop a healthy relationship with the ocean, the marine life and nature in general.

With a total of 2 academic sessions and 2 open water sessions, the Junior Freediver Course spans over 2 days. Both days follow the same schedule: knowledge development in our training facilities either in Malta or Gozo followed by practice in the Mediterranean Sea.

During the theory sessions, your child will learn about the principles of freediving, the free diving equipment, the importance of proper apnea techniques and safety protocols.

During the open water sessions, your kids will apply the freediving skills in a real-world setting. We will practice duck dives, kicking, equalization and breathing techniques along a freediving line. We will also practice safety procedures and the buddy system.

We do not teach teenagers separately to adults. Teens on our Junior Freediver Course follow the exact same programme as our adult students. All learn side by side, they share the same goal and  feel the same sense of achievement. Youngsters will learn the fundamentals of freediving, while fostering comfort in breath holding and depth.

Parental/Guardian participation is not required, but encouraged. Sharing the thrill of freediving with your child is sure to be an unforgettable family experience. Freediving is the most natural way to enjoy the sea and the ocean, and it can become your new family holiday activity.

Freediving can help teens thrive in many ways:

• Freediving introduces water confidence, which makes the experience in the water much safer and improves underwater performance including swimming in a pool, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, and all other water sports;
• The practice of freediving improves health, especially on a cardiovascular and respiratory levels, and well-being, and promotes a healthy lifestyle;
• In a youth course, kids learn breathing techniques that can be applied as an outlet for stress and anxiety, as well as to improve performance in land-based sports.
• Junior Freedivers develop valuable life skills such as rescue techniques, understanding of personal limits, both mental and physical,  and ability to identify danger.
• Learning to freedive increases overall confidence and body awareness by surpassing perceived limits.