3-DAY FREEDIVING ADVANCED RETREAT LEVEL 2

Get to know the water and all its states, removing resistance, beginning to let go to the natural forces and build trust and connectedness with the sea. Develop a stronger connection with the ocean using breathwork, more advanced meditation and relaxation techniques to experience the water as it flows around you, setting you free to immerse in a new way with seals, fish & dolphins.

Course Location: Mornington Peninsula, VIC

Ideal for Level One certified freedivers comfortable diving to -10m interested in sharpening tools and techniques to immerse more freely.

This second level advanced retreat shares advanced freediving techniques and deeper meditation skills that will set you free in regular life. Begin to understand and see yourself more profoundly in relation to the underwater world, your inner drivers and beliefs. Get to know the ocean as teacher in order to begin your journey into deeper depths. 

Perform depth line-diving and enjoy the opportunity to immerse with seals and dolphins. Be guided by your PADI Freediving Instructor Trainer, Marlon Quinn, in a supportive and stress-free way to learn the skills and techniques to set you free. 

Upon successful completion earn a PADI Advanced Freediver Level Two Certification at session’s end.

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

This second level advanced retreat builds upon the ideas and foundations established in the first level, when you began to connect with the inner self and the connection with the sea inside all of us. With your new inner focus, you are freed up to explore the outer world and enable more graceful and intuitive movements on this 3-day advanced 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

• Intermediate   (eg certified PADI Freediver or AIDA 2* / SSI Level One / Molchanov Wave 1 or Lap 1 certification)
• Advanced     (eg certified PADI Freediver or equivalent with advanced levels of open water experience)

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:

• 3-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
• 2x Boat dives for line-diving, freefall practice, rescue simulation, and reef swim & opportunity to immerse with dolphins
• PADI Advanced Freediver Certification
• 6 x Guests Maximum

Day 1

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

Day 2

• Training Discipline & Equalisation Approaches Theory
• Breathwork & Guided Meditation
• Boat Dive Line-Diving Coaching, Fun Reef Freedive & Opportunity for Immersion with Dolphins

Day 3

• 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 two boat trips in the beautiful southern waters of Port Phillip Bay. The boat tours include a specific freediving line-diving session in groups of three, and afterwards a fun session to explore the reef, swim with seals and 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 3-Day Freediving Level Two Retreat provides the opportunity for you to develop skills and knowledge within your reach and move towards PADI Advanced 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 18 years old. You need adequate swimming skills and need to be in good physical health. You must hold a recognised PADI Freediver level one certification or recognised equivalent. 

• Caters to intermediate and advanced freedivers
• Minimum age: 18 years
• Learn to freedive 50m length in the pool, to a depth of 20m in the sea and hold your breath for 2:30 comfortably
• Successful completion results in world-recognised PADI Advanced Freediver level two 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
• Retreats 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