Welcome to Apnea Total Malta – Your Gateway to Freediving!

Are you curious about breath-hold diving also known as freediving but unsure where to start? Wondering what freediving really is, if it’s for you, or which course to choose? Take a deep breath and dive into the world of freediving with Apnea Total Malta – your trusted freediving school in Malta and Gozo.

What is Freediving? Discover the Magic of Breath-Hold Diving

Freediving is the art of diving underwater on a single breath, without scuba gear. Thanks to the incredible Mammalian Dive Reflex (MDR), your body instinctively adapts when your face touches the water, allowing you to explore the underwater world safely and naturally. The MDR provokes a series of physiological responses that enables our body to adapt naturally to an aquatic environment.

Freediving isn’t new – it’s been practiced for over 7,000 years (Ertebølle culture)! Today, it’s enjoyed worldwide as a blend of mindfulness, athleticism, and exploration. Freediving can be a thrilling recreational activity, a competitive sport with exciting disciplines like Static Apnea (breathholding at the surface), Free Immersion (pulling the line), and Constant Weight (kicking down the line), or used for Spearfishing.

Free diving is often compared to snorkeling and scuba diving, though these 3 activities are very different. Snorkelers float at the surface with their face in the water while scuba divers use a breathing apparatus to stay underwater. No equipment is required, per se, to freedive. However, free divers can use a low volume mask, a snorkel, long fins or a monofin, a noseclip, a wetsuit, weights and a weight belt. To freedive along the line, a freediver also needs a freediving buoy. New freedivers don't have to buy gear. Freediving courses usually include the equipment. Otherwise, you can rent it at the dive center.

Freediving is more than a sport—it’s a path to inner calm, disciplined practice, and unforgettable underwater adventures. Whether you're chasing breath-hold milestones or dreaming of meditative dives, we’ve got the course for you.

Why Take a Freediving Course? Learn to Dive Safely and Effectively

Since freediving is the most natural way to dive, you might be wondering why you should take a freediving course. The answer is simple: only a qualified freediving instructor can teach you to free dive efficiently (breathing techniques, equalizations methods, stretching and relaxation exercises, etc.) and safely (buddy system, rescue skills, risk awareness, safety procedures, etc)

You will then need to determine which freediving course is the most appropriate for you. As a beginner freediver, you will usually have a choice between a one-day introductory course and a certification course, the length of which depends on the freediving educational system. Each freediving agency has its own education system of freediving program. Although it sounds complicated, rest assured that most of the freediving agencies cover the similar skills in their respective courses, which is why you can easily crossover from one freediving federation to another.

We offer the following 3 courses to new freedivers eager to start their underwater adventure, one non-certificate course and two certification courses from the freediving education systems we chose to represent.

Start your Frediving Journey with Apnea Total Malta

We offer three excellent starting points for new freedivers, whether you just want to discover what freediving feels like or you’re ready to begin your certification journey here in Malta and Gozo.

Link to Apnea Total Malta Discover Freediving Course

Apnea Total
Discover Course

This one‑day introduction is perfect if you’re new to breath‑hold diving and curious about what it feels like to glide underwater. You’ll learn the basics, meaning how to duck dive, kick efficiently, equalise comfortably, and manage breath holds during classroom and guided water practice.

This course is not a certifying course, but it’s a great way to build confidence and decide if you want to continue your journey to be a Freediver

Apnea Total
Freediver Course

The Freediver Course is our core beginner certification, designed to be hands-on, focused and practical. It the Freediver Course covers the fundamentals needed to freedive safely down to 20m: breathing techniques for longer breath holds, equalization methods to adapt to the pressure, efficient finning to move easily below the surface but also safety procedures and buddy team work.

The Freediver Certification, issued by Apnea Total, is recognised worldwide.

Molchanovs
Wave 1

The first step in the freediving world by Molchanovs, Wave 1 is a comprehensive introductory course: effects of freediving on the body, physics/physiology, breathing & equalization techniques, mental exercises for optimized dives, buoyancy, euqipment, introduction to several freediving disciplines, and of course, safety and rescue procedures.

Wave 1 opens the door to Base Training, online training, and a supportive community

Why Choose Apnea Total Malta? Expert Instruction with Passion

Your freediving experience depends on your instructor. Our head instructor, Arturo, is a Master Freediver and Instructor Trainer with over 1,300 certified students. Trained intensively in both Apnea Total and Molchanovs systems, Arturo blends passion, patience, and personalized coaching to help you reach your potential safely.

With certifications from Apnea Total or Molchanovs, you're free to dive anywhere in the world.

We believe in quality education, safety, and fostering a supportive community. Don’t just take our word for it – check out glowing reviews from our freedivers:

What our students say about their experience!

See ALL Reviews

    
 
 
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   Felix 
 14 September 2026
 
 
  I had a fantastic 3 days of freediving and spearfishing with Arturo at Apnea Total Gozo. This was my first time trying both, and I had absolutely no prior experience. Arturo is an outstanding teacher, and his passion for the water is infectious. He has a real talent for making the theory interesting and, more importantly, showing you how to apply it in the water. The dry practice and exercises really pay dividends when you’re in the water just an hour later. Spending time in the water with Arturo was an absolute blast, and it was amazing to see how much you can achieve in just a few days, even starting from scratch. Thank you, Arturo, for a great experience and a great time. I hope to be back in Gozo soon!
  
 
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   Dalia Icloud 
 13 September 2026
 
 
  I had such a great time with my instructor Reggie! She made me feel very safe in the water, after me not having dove in 3 years. We had a really good conversation on relaxation , and practiced my technique again. It was a fantastic experience being in the blue water, freediving with amazing support. Thank you to the team for making it a great experience , really professional and I learnt so much from Reggie about the sport and her journey as well freediving ❤️ thank you!!! I will be back soon
  
 
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   Leon Zhong 
 12 September 2026
 
 
  I did the 2-day freediving course in ApneaTotal Malta and the half-day expedition in Gozo. I enjoyed both! The intructors Reggie and Arturo are both very patient and informative. They made me feel comfortable in the ocean.
  
 
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   faustino janeiro 
 11 September 2026
 
 
  100% recommended! I arrived with zero diving experience and am leaving with a new passion. I was lucky enough to have Arturo as our instructor, and that played a huge part in what I’ve taken away from the course! He’s very friendly and approachable, but also very attentive, and he made sure throughout the course that we got the very best out of it. It’s definitely an activity that, if you’ve never tried it before, will change the way you view your holidays. I’d definitely do it again – I’m already thinking about my next trip to Malta so I can do a more advanced course with Arturo.
  
 
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   Jennifer M 
 7 September 2026
 
 
  I had an amazing time in my two days of diving with Apnea Total Malta. It was a last minute booking in peak season but they did their best to accommodate me and let me know about an opening to dive. My depth session with Reggie was fantastic - I haven't met anyone who both infectiously update but also super calming. I had wanted to wreck dive for the second day and the team coordinated to make sure it was suitable for me. It was an equally delightful session. Arturo was a wonderful guide who put in extra work counteracting currents to make sure I could be in position for a good view at the bottom. I received videos from both diving days. Both dive sites were a short swim from shore. I highly recommend them for both coaching and fun diving experiences.
  
 
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   Stuart Lafferty 
 6 September 2026
 
 
  Learning to Free dive with Apnea Total in Gozo was a fantastic experience. Four of us signed up for a Discover Freediving course. No-one in the group had done this before so it seemed like the perfect introduction to the sport. Initially there was some nervousness and apprehension, everyone a little uncertain about holding their breath underwater. Our Instructor Arturo, through a combined passion for his sport, professional instruction, and relaxed manner immediately put everyone at ease. The day was split into 2 halves. Firstly the classroom where we learned about the sport and the equipment used. He explained to us physiology and the effects that being submerged has on the body, and breathing and relaxation techniques that we would later employ. The time flew by! The second half of the day was spent in the sea where we were introduced to the practical elements. Everything we did was demonstrated in bite sized chunks, and we slowly built our technique step by step. Everybody in the group progressed at different rates, yet Arturo managed to personalise the training to the individual. No-one felt left behind or pressured to move on before they were ready, and by the end of the day we all had achieved much more than we had expected to. Each of us felt that we had really achieved something. My wife and I (she was one of the four) were free the next day so we combined our Discover training day into the full freediving course. As you would expect the second day built on what we had previously been taught. We developed our breathing and relaxation exercises, and learned about safety and rescue techniques. In the water, the progression continued in a similar manner, as we kept practicing Arturo gave constant feedback, guidance, and encouragement. I can happily announce that we are freedivers! -albeit baby ones. We both had the best two days learning to freedive, and we are certainly going back for more training. The wife has her eye on a mono-fin and a sparkly mermaids tail, and I am going back to build on what I have learned so far. Our friends are also returning to complete the full course. If you’re reading this review weighing up whether or not to give it a try. All I can tell you is that I cannot recommend this school highly enough. Value for money, professionalism, enthusiasm, and top quality instruction they get a 10/10 from us.
  
 
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   João Banza (PT) 
 6 September 2026
 
 
  I recently completed the Freediving Course with Apnea Total Malta, and my feedback is extremely positive. The course is very well structured. It is an intensive two-day experience and the amount of knowledge gained is enormous. As an Advanced Open Water (PADI AOW) scuba diver with more than 50 dives, I learned a lot of new things that will be useful not only for both sports, but also for improving my respiratory health and breathing techniques in general. Our instructor, Arturo, was excellent. Besides sharing a great deal of knowledge with us, he was always very attentive to the students, both during the theory sessions and in the practical sessions in the sea. He encouraged us to go beyond our perceived “limits”, but always with safety as the absolute priority. Both Apnea Total Malta and Arturo are highly recommended. A big thank you to the whole team for an excellent experience!
  
 
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   Sandra Geordie 
 2 September 2026
 
 
  So glad I booked a course with these guys. The most patient instructor in the world, really well set up, always felt safe. I had a brilliant two days and look forward to continuing my free diving journey ☺️
  
 
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   Jens Kock 
 31 August 2026
 
 
  Es hat unglaublich Spaß gemacht. Danke Reggie, für die kompetene Einweisung und für das sichere Gefühl, welches du uns jederzeit vermittelt hast. Auch toll ist es, im Nachhinein Bilder und Videos von den Unterwasser-Einheiten zu haben. Klare Empfehlung!
  
 
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   Gabriel Soriano 
 30 August 2026
 
 
  Una experiencia de 10. Arturo no solo es un gran instructor de apnea, también consigue transmitirte mucha calma y confianza. Gracias a él he podido superar miedos, sentirme más seguro en el agua y disfrutar muchísimo de la experiencia. Se nota que le apasiona lo que hace. Totalmente recomendable.
  
 
 
  
 
 
   Trustindex rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 534 reviews

Ready to Dive In? Start your Freediving Adventure Today!

Join Apnea Total Malta and explore the breathtaking underwater world of Malta and Gozo with confidence and skill. Whether you want to learn to freedive, freedive for fun, or spearfish, our courses and activities provide the perfect foundation.

Contact us now to book your course or learn more about freediving with Apnea Total Malta – your trusted freediving school in the Mediterranean.

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