I have been to a few freediving schools around the globe and nothing beats Freedive Utila! And it... read more
I have been to a few freediving schools around the globe and nothing beats Freedive Utila! And it... read more
If you’ve ever wanted to dive deeper while snorkeling or discover how long you can safely hold your... read more
I was hesitant to sign up for a freediving course because as a scuba diver holding your breath up to a depth of 21 meters/70 ft seems really scary. We're taught to never hold our breath. Well I decided to give it a try anyways knowing I had a lot of room for improvement with my freediving skills. Before the course I could maybe duck dive down to 20 ft and hold my breath about 45 seconds. Tex, Lisa, and Jon made me immediately feel comfortable and all my fears quickly dissipated. Lisa is a wonderful teacher and goes above and beyond to make sure your comfortable and safe. After only 2 classes with Lisa I was able to hold my breath over 1 min 30 secs and I managed to get down to 40 ft. I know I could have gone so much deeper but i was struggling with sinus congestion. They were nice enough to offer for me to return to try again once my congestion cleared up but unfortunately I waited until the end of my trip to take the course. My only regret while on Utila was that I didn't take the freediving course sooner! Thank you so much Freedive Utila for the amazing experience! I hope to see you guys on a return visit!
Wow!
Playing it cool, I signed up for the beginner course with a couple of friends, while in the back of my mind, being terrified about trying to freedive to 21m.
You see, I have done some spear fishing but never been able to go much below 8 or 9 meters. It seemed a big jump.
After walking into the shop and meeting Tex, I walked out almost feeling confident for some reason. I guess his Zen kind of washes off somewhat.
However, it was when we first sat down with Lisa the next day that I first thought maybe I could actually do it.
Lisa is an incredible teacher / mentor. The breathing and relaxation techniques she taught us really had us feeling so chilled it was almost hard to stay awake - turns out this is a pretty handy state to be in for freediving.
On the second day of the course after having sudden urges to surface at around 14m on 2 dives, Lisa spent some time with me, getting me so relaxed that next dive I made it to the knot at 20m without even really trying.
Amazing! If you are considering the course but have some fear of not succeeding, do it anyway. You have way more to gain than to loose. But take care - it's highly addictive.
Tex, Lisa and the rest of the crew - thanks for such a great experience! Only wish I did it when I first got to the island so I had more time to do the advanced course and hang out with you guys.
I had an amazing time doing my advanced course at Utila Free Dive! His team of instructors are extremely knowledgeable and help navigate you through this exciting sport. I have recommended all of my friends interested in doing something different or continue their training for this center.
Learning to free dive with Tex and the instructors at Freedive Utila was not only the high point of my trip, but an introduction to sport / lifestyle that I hope to continue at home. Tex is a natural born teacher; he explains/demonstrates everything from theory to practice with a calmness and patience. His quiet encouragement in the water instilled a confidence and helped me challenge myself more than I would have ever imagined!
I stayed in Freedive Utila and that really added to my experience. Great instructors, yummy cafe, lovely people and two crazy cats! I couldn't recommend Freedive Utila enough- for anyone who likes diving, snorkelling, swimming, yoga...or just wants to learn a little bit more about themselves.
I would highly recommend this course to anyone who enjoys snorkelling, spearfishing, or is involved in any water activities. The skills you learn in such a short period of time are incredible, and you feel so much more relaxed in the water after taking a course. As a surfer, I even felt like this course could benefit my surfing, knowing just how much longer you can actually hold your breath underwater than you think. The best part is that you don't need any previous experience, and don't have to be ridiculously fit to be good at freediving.
Tex, Jon and Lisa made our experience at Freedive Utila truly unforgettable. The courses are very interesting, the vibe is super relaxed, and they make you feel very safe and comfortable in the water. They are such experienced freedivers and are able to answer any questions you may have. All the dive gear is excellent quality and in great condition, and the small class sizes meant you got plenty of one-on-one instructing in and out of the water.
I did both the beginner and advanced courses, and couldn't believe that after just 5 days in the water, got down to a depth of 38 metres. We frequented the Halliburton wreck also, and were able to explore through the various compartments of the ship, something that we were unable to do on the scuba dives we did down there.
We stayed at the accomodation on site, which was clean, tidy and very comfortable. They have a great kitchen and lounge room and an awesome dock to watch the stunning sunsets on. They even do yoga on the dock every few days for a small donation (check out the roster when you're there or look up yoga Utila on Facebook).
I couldn't recommend doing the freedive courses enough, and found it more rewarding and enjoyable than the scuba courses I took on the island (and the acommodation far more comfortable also).
Thanks again Freedive Utila, i'm sure we will be coming to dive again with you on our next visit!
I had such an incredible experience with Freediving Utila and absolutely loved my course. I completed my open water course and my instructor, Lisa, was lovely. She was extremely knowledgable and patient, thus I would highly recommend her as an instructor. Learning to dive to a depth of 21m was something I was unsure I was capable off, but after succeeding it was an amazing feeling and has encouraged me to continue advancing with the sport. Everyone involved, including the instructors, owner, Tex, and fellow divers were all very welcoming and friendly, making my introduction to freediving quite comfortable and social.
This was definitely a highlight to my trip and the crew here are unbeatable. If looking to try freediving or engage in a new opportunity, I couldn't recommend these guys enough.