Deep Med

Deep Med is a freediving school in the Gozitan village of Xagħra, built around slow, thorough teaching rather than quick certificates. Freediving means diving on a single breath, with no scuba gear, and the school offers everything from a one day taster to seven day advanced courses, personal coaching and supervised training for certified divers. Its own rigid inflatable boat takes small groups to sites away from the busiest tourist areas.

For UK visitors the attraction is a full week of structured training in warm, clear water, with a bed on site if you want one. The school is listed in our directory of dive centres in Malta, and our Gozo guide helps with the island above the surface.

Who they are

Deep Med was founded by Fabrice, who is also head coach and Malta's national record holder. He grew up in Malta, spent his teenage years sailing, worked as a navigation officer in the maritime industry, and took his first beginner freediving course about ten years ago. After years exploring Maltese wrecks and reef walls he moved to Gozo, which offered the depth, space and quiet that the busier main island no longer did, and built the school there.

Dawid is the second coach in the team, and the instructors are qualified to teach up to Wave 3, with a Junior programme also launched. Courses follow the Molchanovs education system, which was built by freedivers for freedivers and includes an online platform for base training. The school stresses that certification should follow genuine progress and that it does not push depth targets.

Courses and prices

The taster costs from €130 for one day, with two and three day versions available at €240 and €330. Wave 1, the beginner course, runs over four or five diving days with rest days and costs from €495; most students reach 12 to 25 metres. Wave 2 takes five days, costs €595 and aims for around 24 metres, with monofin technique, advanced rescue and mindfulness. Wave 3 takes seven days, costs €795 and suits experienced divers working towards 34 to 40 metres and beyond, and it is also the route to becoming an assistant instructor.

Course prices include instruction, all freediving equipment, safety support, transport to the dive sites, boat dives where used, morning stretching and breathing sessions, evening equalisation work, 18% VAT and certification on successful completion. Equalisation, the technique of clearing pressure in the ears and sinuses, is practised daily because it limits progress for divers of every level. No prior experience is needed for Wave 1, only that you swim comfortably and feel at ease in open water.

Coaching and training days

For divers who are stuck at one depth or struggling with equalisation, relaxation or early contractions, the five day coaching programme costs €550. The instructors get in the water at every session, observe how you move and breathe, and build a plan around what holds you back. Coaching packages do not include equipment, so bring your own or ask the school for local rental advice.

Certified freedivers can book supervised training at €50 a day, with a line depth of up to 80 metres and safety divers. The school caps groups at two divers per buoy, which gives each person more comfort and a depth that suits them. Those who prefer weeks of practice can book longer stays: a seven night training package costs €730.

Where the school dives

Gozo's coast faces every direction, so there is nearly always a sheltered spot. Ras il-Ħobż is a submerged pinnacle off the south coast that drops beyond 50 metres, with a shallow plateau at 5 metres for any level. The Blue Hole and Dwejra is a sinkhole with an arch leading to open water, sheltered from north easterly winds and reaching about 35 metres. Reqqa Point on the north coast has vertical walls, chimneys and a 40 metre drop, and is calm in southerly winds.

Excursion days go further afield. Comino's caves and Malta's wrecks are on the programme, and when the school crosses to Malta it usually heads to Ċirkewwa, where the P29 patrol boat sits upright at about 35 metres. The wrecks at Xatt l-Ahmar, near Mgarr, lie at up to 40 metres. If you enjoy boat days, see our guide to the Blue Lagoon on Comino.

A week with Deep Med

Each morning starts with stretching and breathwork before heading to the site, and the first breath up of the day sets the tone. The school dives five days with rest days built in, using the boat to reach caves, arches, wrecks and open water drop offs chosen according to conditions and what the group is working on. Rest days are treated as part of the training, because the body consolidates what it has learned, and they make a good moment to explore Gozo.

Between sessions there are theory and practical workshops on equalisation, breathing and mindset, shaped around what the group needs that week, and a fun dive at least once a week. Not every session is about technique: boat days visit Gozo's coastline, Comino's caves and Malta's wrecks. The weekly schedule is shown in the school's calendar, and the evenings are quiet and food focused, with time to recover before the next day.

Why Gozo for freediving

The school chose Gozo deliberately. The island is only 67 square kilometres, so moving from site to site is easy, and its shape almost always leaves a calm side whatever the wind is doing. Depth lies close to shore, there is little boat traffic, and the underwater landscape includes caves, arches, tunnels and dramatic walls. Visibility can reach 30 metres, and the water holds about 20°C even in the coldest months of the year.

Malta, by contrast, is bigger and busier, and the prominent north westerly wind makes many of its sites uncomfortable or inaccessible. The school therefore trains in Gozo and visits Malta for wreck excursions when conditions allow. Marine life includes barracudas, octopuses, cuttlefish and colourful nudibranchs, and the Gozitan sites range from beginner friendly plateaus to deep walls.

Staying at the centre

The centre has three double rooms, each with air conditioning and an ensuite bathroom, a shared kitchen, a pool and a large shaded outdoor area used for the morning stretching sessions. There is also a pizza oven on site for evenings. Staying there means no transport to organise, and it tends to create a friendly group feel across the week. Meals are not included.

Packages combine a course or coaching with a room. A six night Wave 1 package with four diving days costs €900, and a one week Wave 1 package costs €1050. A one week coaching package costs €970. If the rooms are full, there are Airbnb options nearby, and the school provides transport to the sites. Our guide to hotels in Gozo lists other places to stay.

When to come and how to get there

The best season runs from mid May to mid November. Sea temperatures pass 20°C by June and peak at about 27°C in August, while October is warm with quieter sites. Winter water falls to around 15 to 17°C, and the school does not recommend winter for courses or coaching. Our Malta weather guide gives month by month conditions.

Most visitors fly to Malta and cross to Gozo. The main ferry from Ċirkewwa runs round the clock and takes about 25 minutes, with a car and driver at €15.70, paid on the way back. The fast ferry from Valletta takes 45 minutes at €7.50 one way and can be cancelled by weather. Plan flights using our page on flights to Malta, compare other Gozo operators such as Atlantis Gozo Diving Centre or Apnea Total, and see things to do in Malta for rest days.

To get started, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page, tell us which course or package you want and your dates, and we will pass your message to Deep Med.