2-DAY FREEDIVING RETREAT LEVEL 1

Much more than a freediving course, understand the underwater world and begin to move freely and calmly within it. Get to know yourself in the water and immerse with seals, fish & dolphins.

Course Location: Mornington Peninsula, VIC

Ideal for anyone curious about learning about how to be at peace moving freely in the water, without the pressure of performance.

This entry level retreat is suitable for you if you seek to know yourself better in the water environment, either because you’ve heard the call of the ocean and are drawn to it willingly, or even if it represents negative experiences and fears that you seek to overcome to build new confidence.

Through healthy, supportive and stress-free development in freediving, liberate yourself from the things holding you back and become happy and confident swimming freely in the sea, and life.

Developing the skills and knowledge within your reach moves you towards PADI Freediver certification, available upon successful completion of the retreat.

Meet Your Instructor

Marlon Quinn - PADI Freediver Instructor Trainer

Let the water flow around you and learn to see within on a specialist retreat led by former IT Executive turned Sea Changer, Freediving Instructor Trainer, RIB Pilot and Dolphin & Seal Tour Host, Marlon Quinn.

He himself was not a natural freediver. Having feinted at the pool from cold as a young child. On another occasion being rushed to hospital unable to breathe, feeling as if suffocating. Being crushed to expiration by wayward teens in a game of stacks-on. Surely not the core foundations to holding one’s breath.

As an adult though, he at last found the sea, only to encounter a stingray head-on and retreat with fright. This was the catalyst though, to learn with the world’s best freedivers, the modern gods of the sea, where he found beauty and peace within himself, on one breath, freediving deep into the blue sea. In 2013 Marlon founded the Melbourne Freedivers Club and since 2014 Marlon has evoked the true passion of the water, providing freediving courses across Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. Going on to develop a multi-award winning dolphin & seal tour RIB charter operator and recognised premiere PADI Freediver Centre.

Highlights

Discover your inner dolphin and adopt the ocean as your home on this 2-day beginner water wellness breathwork, mindfulness & freediving retreat for just six guests.

• Supportive & Stress Free Learning:   Develop step by step with your dedicated instructor and reach PADI Freediver certification without pressure of performance
• Swim with Dolphins & Seals:    Find your inner dolphin, enjoy freedive line-diving coaching in groups of three, and after the opportunity to immerse with fish, seals and dolphins 
• Breathwork & Balance:    Guided breathwork and meditation sessions to develop a new relationship between you and your breath, breathing and breathhold confidence
• Immersion Tools for Every Day:    Floating effortlessly, begin to see inside yourself benefited by instructor insights and personalised coaching on breathhold
• Hot Springs Water Wellness:    Relax into the soothing waters of the Hot Springs for new water knowledge and ease followed by instructor-led stretching routine
• Refreshing Ourselves:    Light refreshments provided and a late lunch to close the retreat, hosted by your instructor

Skill Level

• Beginner          (eg Basic snorkelling experience up to PADI Skindiver certification)
• Intermediate   (eg Basic or Try freediving experience up to PADI Basic Freediver / AIDA 1* / SSI Basic / Molchanov Wave 1 or Lap 1 certification)

Health & Hygiene

We are committed to the safety of our guests, tour guides, skippers, and the people in our local communities around Port Phillip Bay and on the Mornington Peninsula. Have confidence that you are supported by an endorsed and recognised COVID Clean Practicing Business under the Australian Tourism Industry Council Quality Tourism Australia program. This provides guests with additional assurance that we have adopted global health and hygiene standards designed to keep your travels as safe as possible.

This endorsement is recognised by the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels Stamp, which is the standard regulatory bodies and guests expect for tour operators worldwide.

Program

Get ready to set yourself free with WaterMaarq in the beautiful restorative waters of Mornington Peninsula and southern Port Phillip Bay.

An important place of indigenous, colonial history and unique temperate reef waters and protected marine creatures and bird life. 

Includes:

• 2-Day Retreat Based at the Peninsula Hot Springs
• PADI e-learning access for on-line learning before the retreat
• Breathwork exercises & guided meditation
• Pool breathhold & dynamic session
• Hot Springs bathe & stretching session
• Boat dive for line-diving, seal swim & opportunity to immerse with dolphins
• PADI Freediver Certification
• 6 x Guests Maximum

• Welcome, Theory Recap & Self-Awareness
• Breathwork & Guided Meditation
• Pool Relaxation & Breathhold Practice

Day 2

• Hot Springs Bathe & Guided Stretching
• Boat Dive Line-Diving Coaching, Fun Freedive Seal Swim & Opportunity for Immersion with Dolphins
• Retreat Debrief & Closure

Bathing suit, 5mm wetsuit including hood, weightbelt and weights, mask and snorkel, fins, towel(s), neoprene gloves and socks, re-useable water bottle, and, personal sunscreen.

Included Excursion

During this retreat, you will enjoy a bathing experience at the Peninsula Hot Springs, as well as a boat trip in the beautiful southern waters of Port Phillip Bay. The boat tour includes a specific freediving line-diving session in groups of three, and afterwards a fun session to swim with seals, unique temperate fish, and the opportunity to immerse with dolphins.

Location

This wonderful water wellness, breathwork and freediving retreat takes place on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. It's around a 90-minute drive from Melbourne. In modern life the Mornington Peninsula is well known as a centre of well-being, surrounded by the waters of Port Phillip Bay and the Southern Ocean and Bass Strait. An incredible environment it is a destination that favours relaxing activities and immersion in Nature. Renowned for fresh produce farms, marine delicacies and long-established wineries, the Mornington Peninsula provides experiences for the discerning visitor. Historically rich, the region was home to the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation that may have traversed the shores for more than 40,000 years. First Settled by the British in early 1800s, it is an area now recognised for healthy living and protected wildlife including Australian Fur Seals, Bottlenose Dolphins (Burrunan) and Weedy Seadragons.

PADI Freediver Certification

This 2-Day Freediving Level One Retreat provides the opportunity for you to develop skills and knowledge within your reach and move towards PADI Freediver certification, which is available upon successful completion of the retreat. To satisfactorily enrol in a PADI Freediver certification course you must be at least 15 years old. You need adequate swimming skills and need to be in good physical health. No prior experience with snorkeling, skin diving or freediving is required.

• Caters to snorkellers, skindivers and beginner freedivers
• Minimum age: 15 years
• Learn to freedive 25m length in the pool, to a depth of 10m in the sea and hold your breath for 1:30 comfortably
• Successful completion results in world-recognised PADI Freediver level one freediving certification

• Session fees are non-refundable (unless the session is cancelled by us for unforeseen circumstances), please choose your experience with care. Trip insurance is highly recommended as cover for unforeseen cancellations
• Retreat are held on the Mornington Peninsula and visit Fingal, Rosebud and Sorrento VIC during the sessions
  
• Please arrive at the beginning venue 15 minutes before commencement time to ensure you have enough time to check in and get settled
• Please dress comfortably
• Please bring a bag with your swimmers, 5mm wetsuit, fins, mask, snorkel, weightbelt, a towel and your own re-usable water bottle. Rental equipment is available.
  
• Guests must be able to swim. Retreats do not cater for people with no swimming ability. The Instructor retains the right to refuse participation in which case your attendance is forfeited
  
• Guests with back, neck, or heart conditions, those who are pregnant or who have injuries/conditions that may cause a risk to their health are advised not to participate, or do so at their own risk
• A Diver's Medical Statement and Questionnaire must be submitted to attend the course
• A diving medical (AS4005.1) may be required prior to commencement of the course
• All participants under the age of 18 years must have a parent/guardian sign all applicable waiver/medical forms
  
• Subject to minimum numbers and may be rescheduled if minimum numbers are not met
  
• The supplier reserves the right to substitute the venue / pool and / or change the day’s itinerary without notice