Apnea Total Malta

Apnea Total Malta is a freediving and spearfishing school with two training centres: one in St Paul's Bay on Malta and one in San Lawrenz on Gozo, close to the Blue Hole and the Inland Sea. It teaches people to dive on a single breath, from a one-day introduction for complete beginners to certification courses, coaching and guided trips for qualified freedivers. Courses are taught in small groups, and the instructors dive with every student.

The school was founded in 2017 by an instructor trainer and his partner, and the Gozo centre opened after eight years of teaching on Malta, in response to requests from students. It is the only freediving school with centres on both islands, and a good choice if you want a different kind of holiday activity from the usual scuba dive. You will find it in our directory of dive centres in Malta.

Two islands, two training centres

The Malta centre is in St Paul's Bay, a lively resort town on the northern coast with a seafront promenade, cafés and shore access for water sports. The Gozo centre is at John Matty House on Triq San Lawrenz in San Lawrenz, a quiet village on the western side of the island by the Blue Hole and the Inland Sea, where the Azure Window once stood. Our Gozo guide explains the island's pace of life and what to see on land, and there are hotels in Gozo and hotels in Qawra and St Paul's Bay for either base.

Freediving is a sport in which you hold your breath under water, whether you are covering distance, going deep or simply floating at the surface. The school treats it as a relaxation and mental control activity rather than an extreme sport, and it is taught with a strict buddy system: nobody dives alone, and the instructor stays beside you on the line all the way down and back. Learning how your body responds, including the mammalian diving reflex, is part of every course.

Each centre has a classroom with free wifi, audiovisual equipment and a water dispenser, and a small freediving shop. Lessons are held in the classroom, but most teaching takes place on the surface and underwater, in the sea. The islands suit beginners because of warm water, very little current, no tides, and visibility that averages around 30 metres, with wrecks, caves, reefs and drop-offs for different levels. Divers can book at either centre, and courses are scheduled on request rather than to a fixed timetable.

Courses for beginners and certified freedivers

Most courses follow the Apnea Total education system, which is built around learning by doing: there is no written exam, and your instructor judges progress in the water. The Discover Freediving course costs 130 euros for one day, with a classroom session and an open water session to a depth of 12 metres. The only requirement is basic swimming ability, and it can count as the first day of the Freediver Course if you want to continue.

The Freediver Course costs 250 euros and lasts two days, with a classroom session and a sea session each day, reaching 20 metres. Anyone aged 15 or over can take it, and children aged 11 to 14 can take the Junior Freediver Course, also 250 euros which goes to 12 metres and follows the same programme as the adult course. A parent who takes the Freediver Course with a child receives a 50 euro discount. On completion you earn an internationally recognised Apnea Total certification.

For certified freedivers, the Static Apnea course costs 130 euros and lasts a day, teaching relaxation and breathing so that you can hold your breath for more than three minutes. The Advanced Freediver course costs 350 euros lasts three days and takes you to 40 metres, starting with the static day. The Master Freediver course is a four-week intensive costing 1200 euros with a maximum depth of 60 metres, and the school also trains freediving instructors. Crossovers from other agencies are possible.

Molchanovs courses, coaching and fun dives

Apnea Total Malta is also the first Molchanovs centre in Malta and Gozo, and the only school on the islands to teach both systems. Molchanovs is a more in-depth, structured programme for keen freedivers who want to keep improving, with Wave 1, Wave 2 and Wave 3 levels and access to a community of divers and training plans written by top freedivers.

Certified freedivers can also book fun dives, freediving expeditions, boat trips, underwater scooter outings, coaching sessions, workshops and training sessions, and these can be combined with courses into a personal programme. Coaching sessions and workshops are aimed at certified freedivers who want to refine their skills and knowledge.

If you hold a freediving certificate from another agency, you can join in on your own terms. Our things to do in Malta page has ideas for the rest of your holiday.

Spearfishing in Malta and Gozo

The school teaches spearfishing as well as freediving, with a Discover Spearfishing course, a course called The Spearfisher, guided spearfishing safaris and workshops. A freediving certificate is required for every spearfishing course and activity, although someone who has just completed the Discover Freediving course may join at the instructor's discretion.

The local rules are simple to state. No spearfishing licence is needed in Malta or Gozo, but spearfishing is prohibited at night, while using scuba equipment, in marine parks, at designated commercial dive sites and in marked swimming areas. Courses cover speargun handling and safety, fish identification, hunting tactics, equipment care, emergency procedures and sustainable, selective fishing.

What is included and what to bring

All the equipment for courses is provided: a low volume mask and snorkel, long fins, a wetsuit of 3mm to 7mm depending on the season, gloves, socks, lanyards, weights and weight belts. Transport to the dive site, water and snacks are also included, and the instructors take underwater photographs and videos for you to keep. You should be able to swim.

Equipment is only part of the picture. You are not expected to chase numbers: relaxation and clean technique come first, and depth follows. The team adapts each course to your starting point, whether you are a snorkeller, a scuba diver, a spearfisher or a self-taught freediver, and celebrates every personal best, large or small. Easy shore access to dive sites also means you can combine a course with swimming at some of the best beaches in Malta.

Group sizes are kept small, there is no minimum number of students to start a course, and the school schedules around you. Once you agree dates, a non-refundable deposit confirms the booking. For help planning the weather side of a trip, our Malta weather guide covers the sea and air by month, and our flights from the UK page lists routes to the islands.

The instructors and languages

The main instructor and founder, Arturo, is an Apnea Total Instructor Trainer, the highest teaching level, and a Molchanovs Wave 3 instructor and spearfishing course director. He grew up on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, discovered freediving through spearfishing and has taught more than 1,300 students in English, Spanish and Catalan. In 2019 he assembled a team of more than 50 freedivers and supervised safety for a feature film.

Regina, known as Reggie, is an Apnea Total and AIDA instructor and a competition safety diver. She grew up in Argentina, has taught in Honduras and Thailand, and has trained over 300 students in English, Spanish and Italian. France, the co-founder and general manager, is the first contact for bookings and questions, though she does not accompany courses at sea.

How to book

If you are planning a longer holiday around your course, our guide to where to stay in Malta compares the main resort areas. Tell the school which centre you prefer, your level of experience, the course or activity you have in mind and your dates, and the team will confirm availability. If you are not sure where to start, the Discover Freediving course is a one-day, low-commitment introduction, while certified divers can ask about coaching or expeditions.

To get in touch, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message on to Apnea Total Malta.