Where Beginners Actually Dive on Our Courses
Try Freediving is a one-day course that runs mostly in the pool. It is held at UNSW Aquatic Centre in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs or Mingara Aquatic Centre on the Central Coast. If the weather allows, one pool session may swap for a shallow ocean session, but the day is built around theory, breathing and pool time.
Level 1 (Wave 1) runs over two days. Day one is theory and pool training. Day two moves to open water, and the site depends on where you book. In Sydney, that is Gordon’s Bay in the Eastern Suburbs; on the Central Coast, it is Terrigal Haven; and in Jervis Bay, it is a boat dive.
We have run Level 1 at Gordon’s Bay for more than five years. It sits on a heavily patrolled stretch of coastline, with lifeguard patrols, council monitoring and drone overflights. It is also a marine reserve that is sheltered from swell, wind and currents, which makes it a calm place to learn.
Sydney Harbour sites such as The Spit and Lilli Pilli are a different story. They sit in bull shark transit zones during summer, so we only train there in the colder months. If there is heavy rain, poor visibility or unsafe conditions before your course, we reschedule and send you alternative dates.
Feeling a bit nervous about sharks is completely normal, and plenty of first-timers are. Ask your instructor anything you like. Knowing exactly where you will be diving tends to settle nerves quickly.
Wondering Where Your First Dive Will Be?
If you would like to start in a pool and build from there, our Try Freediving course is the gentlest way in. You can learn more about Freediving Central, or get in touch if you want to know exactly where your course will run.