After 12 years running freediving courses and trips out of Sydney, we’ve learned one thing above all else. The biggest jump in a diver’s confidence rarely comes from a new technique. It comes from feeling safe enough to be vulnerable in the water. That’s why we built a women’s freediving retreat around community first and depth second, running this year on Kuata Island in Fiji.
What is a women’s freediving retreat?
A women’s freediving retreat is a multi-day trip where women train, dive and travel together in a female-only group. Ours runs on Kuata Island in Fiji, pairing freediving coaching with the support of an experienced, all-women community. It suits complete beginners through to certified freedivers wanting to progress in a safe space.
Why an all-women group changes how you learn
Freediving asks you to be honest about fear in a way few other sports do. You can’t fake calm underwater. In a mixed group, many women feel pressure to perform confidence instead of admitting nerves, and that pressure slows progress rather than speeding it up.
A women’s-only retreat removes that pressure. You’re not the only woman on the boat, and you’re not the only one who feels the urge to breathe early or struggles with equalisation some days. Everyone in the water has been there, and everyone is rooting for you to get past it.
There’s a physiological angle too. Research from freediving education group Molchanovs shows that women’s bradycardic response, the heart rate slowing that helps conserve oxygen underwater, is typically more pronounced than men’s. That’s one reason women often progress faster than they expect once the nerves settle.
Twelve years of building this community
I’ve spent 12 years teaching freediving from Sydney, and in that time I’ve watched our community grow into something bigger than a course calendar. We run the oldest established freediving school in Sydney, and I’ve worked as National Geographic’s head safety diving consultant, including on the 2021 Disney+ series Secrets of the Whales alongside filmmaker Brian Skerry.
I’m also Australia’s deepest hands-free equalisation freediver, reaching 62 metres without using my hands to equalise. None of that matters underwater if you can’t help someone through a moment of fear. This retreat exists because that side of coaching, the human side, is where I’ve learned the most over the years.
Why we chose Kuata Island, Fiji
This year’s retreat runs on Kuata Island, in Fiji’s Yasawa group, staying at Barefoot Kuata Island Resort. Fiji’s official tourism authority describes Kuata as the gateway to the Yasawas, and it’s a proper adventure island rather than a polished resort strip. Expect open-air bures, warm water on your doorstep, and reef sharks cruising past most days.
There are two accommodation options to suit different budgets. Choose a simple garden bure if you’d rather put your money toward diving and travel, or book one of the premium beachfront bures for a five-star finish, complete with an open-air stone bath and uninterrupted ocean views.
Either way, you’ll spend most of your time in the water rather than in your room. That’s the point of coming here.
What’s included in the retreat
- Daily guided freediving sessions across Kuata’s reef systems
- Small-group coaching tailored to your level, from complete beginners to certified divers chasing depth
- Structured breathwork and equalisation sessions between dives
- All meals, prepared to suit the group
- A supportive, women-only group with an experienced female-focused coaching approach
- Accommodation in your choice of garden or premium beachfront bure
Who this retreat suits
This trip suits women who haven’t freedived before and want to start in a supportive space, as well as certified divers looking to progress their depth alongside other women. It also suits anyone who has done mixed freediving trips before and wants to try something different this time.
If you’re new to the sport, you can complete a discover freediving experience during the retreat itself. If you’re already certified, you’ll spend your time on depth and technique work with a small group of similarly experienced women.
If you’re ready to hold your spot on Kuata Island, get in touch with us, and we’ll walk you through dates, pricing and what to pack.
Freediving retreats for women are having a moment, and for good reason
Women’s-only dive spaces have grown steadily over the past few years, and freediving is no exception. PADI has highlighted this shift too, publishing on how female ambassadors are raising awareness of freediving and helping more women into the sport. We’ve watched the same pattern in our own courses and trips.
A women’s freediving retreat isn’t about excluding anyone. It’s about giving women a specific space to be beginners, to be nervous, and to be proud of small wins without needing to explain any of it first.
Book your spot on our women’s freediving retreat
Whether you’re brand new to freediving or already comfortable underwater, our women’s freediving retreat on Kuata Island is built to help you dive further and feel more supported doing it. Explore our full range of freediving courses, or read about our recent Yasawa Islands trip for a feel of what a Fijian freediving adventure with us looks like.