There are few better feelings in this world than being under the sea – floating among the fish, looking up at the sun dappling through the water, and feeling completely removed from the living, breathing day-to-day life above the surface. And while the average dip can certainly bring you most of these things, for aquatic thrill-seekers, there is nothing more fun than pushing the boundaries of what your lungs can achieve and getting deep into the drink. Enter freediving.
Defined as diving underwater without the use of breathing apparatus – so, in this case, without air tanks – freediving sees trained athletes going as deep as 30 metres on one breath, with professionals descending as far as 70 metres. The world record, set by Herbert Nitsch in Spetses, saw the diver go down to 253.2 metres on a single breath. Some people freedive to experience the ocean as purely as possible; just them and the water. Others do it for the sheer thrill of reaching depths rarely plumbed. Whether you’re a beginner to the sport or a veteran, here are our picks of the best dive spots around the world to go deep.
The Blue Hole
Egypt
Often thought of as the freediving capital of the world, Dahab on the Red Sea in Egypt is seen as something of a rite of passage for budding freedivers. While many factors draw keen divers to its shores – the eerie beauty of the Blue Hole, the area’s abundant marine life and clear waters – what really sets this spot apart is its accessibility. In comparison to some key dive locations that require boats and long journeys, Dahab’s Blue Hole is practically reachable from the shore. Add in year-round balmy weather and protection from high winds, and you have a freediving site that’s accessible 365 days a year. That may also be why this beautiful location is the deadliest diving location in the world. With more than a hundred people losing their lives accessing its depths, it provides a stark reminder of the dangers of the sport.
Namotu Island
Fiji
Sitting in the Mamanuca Islands just a short boat ride from Denarau, Namotu Island is perhaps best known for its superb access to some of Fiji’s top surf breaks, which has unsurprisingly made it a hotspot for wave riders. But for those more intrigued by what’s going on below the breakers, Namotu Island offers freediving courses with Kyron Rathbone. Starting on land, you move on to training in the pool before finally heading out into the ocean to explore some of the most abundant and diverse marine life in the world. From coral gardens to steep drop-offs, there’s something for every ability and adrenaline level here.
Dean's Blue Hole in The Bahamas
Dean’s Blue Hole
The Bahamas
Dean’s Blue Hole is where you come if you want to go deep – 202 metres deep, to be exact – making it the third deepest blue hole in the world. This spectacular chasm, in a paradisiacal bay on Long Island in the Bahamas, is where freedivers descend to push limits and break records. Kiwi freediver William Trubridge, in particular, has set a number of world records here. Trubridge also runs Vertical Blue at Dean’s Blue Hole, one of the freediving community’s leading competitions. Easily accessible from the powder-white beach, Dean’s Blue Hole is another ultra-convenient location to set new records. When you’re not navigating some of the ocean’s deepest levels, Long Island is lined with powder-sand coves and gin-clear waters – perfect for wandering, lazing or swimming at slightly more normal depths.
El Pit Cenote
Mexico
Fancy descending into a hole that feels like opening a door to Atlantis? Head to the Yucatán Peninsula to El Pit, a stalagmite- and stalactite-lined cenote that looks truly otherworldly. Descending to 40 metres, with a hydrogen sulphide layer at around 30 metres, diving El Pit can be split into two sections: the upper portion, which offers crystalline visibility, and the layer below this milky acid cloud, where the water is infinitely more peaceful and the lack of sunlight gives a shadowy, dreamlike effect. The best part? The water hovers around a balmy 25–27°C year-round, making for comfortable diving no matter the month.
Iceland's Silfra Fissure
The Silfra Fissure
Iceland
There’s freediving, and then there’s freediving between two tectonic plates in frigid glacial meltwater with visibility over 100 metres. That’s the ticket at Iceland’s Silfra Fissure – a crystalline body of water in Þingvellir National Park that sits between the North American and Eurasian plates. Much like El Pit, the water here remains at a constant temperature year-round. Unlike El Pit, however, it sits between a frosty 2°C and 4°C. If you can find a thick enough wetsuit, this is a once-in-a-lifetime freedive. The water’s immense clarity makes diving here feel more like floating through the air, and while it might not be the deepest destination – the fissure bottoms out at around 63 metres – the jaw-dropping experience of diving under such unique conditions, in such freezing temperatures, makes this a freediver’s fever dream.
Christ of the Abyss Statue
Italy
There is something almost pilgrimage-like about freediving to Christ of the Abyss, just off the coast of San Fruttuoso in the Italian Riviera. In a sport as dangerous as this, it seems fitting to visit a site that has become an unofficial homage to those who have lost their lives to the sea. Originally placed there in 1954 by the artist Guido Galletti, the statue was installed in honour of Italy’s first scuba diver, Duilio Marcante, who wanted to pay tribute to his friend Dario Gonzatti, who tragically died while diving near the spot. Sitting just 15 metres below the surface, it’s an easy and straightforward dive, making it perfect for beginners.
Nemo 33
Belgium
Not quite ready for open water yet? Or simply want to experience the sensation of freediving into a deep pit in a safe, controlled environment? Hop on a flight to Brussels where, on the city’s outskirts, you’ll find Nemo 33 – one of the deepest pools in the world. Reaching 34.5 metres, Nemo 33 features a number of simulated caves and training platforms to help aspiring freedivers practise some of the more technical elements of the sport. Maintaining a temperature of 33°C year-round, it’s also one of the few places in the world where you can safely freedive without a wetsuit, stripping away even more apparatus for a pure, uninterrupted experience of descending through the water.
