⚕️ Hey — before you book, check this out!Complete your self-check medical form. If something is flagged on page one, you get a second chance on page two — still self-check. If something is still flagged, go to page three, print it out, and take it to a doctor to sign you off. One day. One breath. One ocean. The Taster Day is the first step. No experience, no expectation — just you, an instructor, and a stretch of Northland water clear enough to see what you came for. $280 full day — your $50 deposit today locks your spot; balance on the day. By the end of the day, most people are holding their breath longer than they ever thought possible. Some keep going and book Level 1. Some come back six months later. Either is fine. You leave with a benchmark and a memory. Who this is for You're curious about freediving but not sure if it's for you You've snorkelled and want more You're a scuba diver wanting to dive without the tank You're visiting the Bay of Islands and want one good day in the water What we do Morning: breathwork foundations, equalisation technique, safety briefing at the Freedive Studio in Paihia Pool session: confined-water work — getting comfortable face-down, breath-up rhythm, first dives Open water: guided dives in a sheltered Bay of Islands site, with one-on-one supervision Debrief: what comes next, if you want it to What's included All equipment (wetsuit, mask, fins, weights) Professional SSI-certified instruction Pool entry and open-water site fees Hot drinks and a snack between sessions What to bring Togs to wear under your wetsuit A towel Sun protection (rashie or SPF 50+) A change of warm clothes for after Water and lunch Who teaches it Sacha Williamson — New Zealand's first female SSI Freediving Instructor Trainer, second overall in the country. 25+ years professional diving. Trained the freediving instructors at Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust for nearly a decade. AdventureMark and Qualmark accredited. Bay of Islands local. You'll be in the water with an instructor trainer — not someone who finished their course last summer. Frequently asked Do I need to be a strong swimmer?You need to be water-confident. You don't need to be fit, fast, or experienced. If you can swim 100m without stopping, you're fine. What if I can't equalise?We'll work on it. Equalisation is a skill, not a talent. By the end of the morning most people have it. What about weather?Bay of Islands ocean conditions are reliable, but if a day is unsafe we reschedule — no cost. We have indoor pool capacity if the open water is off. Minimum age?12 with a parent or caregiver present. Under-12 by special arrangement — email us. Refund policy?Reschedule any time up to 48 hours before. Within 48 hours we'll work with you — life happens. Full policy here. What's next after a Taster Day SSI Freedive Level 1 — the natural next step. Two-day certification. Freedive Adventure Day — once you're certified, the guided ocean day. Recovery Studio Sauna & Plunge — wind down after the water. Safety, certification & accreditation Freedive Aotearoa is an SSI Instructor Training Centre, AdventureMark certified, Qualmark accredited, and operates under a WorkSafe-aligned Safety Management System. Read our safety standards → Pick your date below — or chat with Sacha on WhatsApp if you'd like to ask first. {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Course","name":"Freediving Taster Day","description":"One-day intro to freediving in the Bay of Islands, Northland NZ. Morning breathwork and pool session, afternoon open-water dives with SSI Instructor Trainer. No experience required.","url":"https://www.freedive.co.nz/products/freediving-taster-day","provider":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Freedive Aotearoa","sameAs":"https://www.freedive.co.nz"},"hasCourseInstance":{"@type":"CourseInstance","courseMode":"Onsite","courseWorkload":"PT8H","location":{"@type":"Place","name":"Freedive Aotearoa, Paihia","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"30 Selwyn Road","addressLocality":"Paihia","addressRegion":"Northland","postalCode":"0200","addressCountry":"NZ"}}},"offers":{"@type":"Offer","category":"Paid","price":"280.00","priceCurrency":"NZD","availability":"https://schema.org/InStock","url":"https://www.freedive.co.nz/products/freediving-taster-day"},"inLanguage":"en"}
