I tell you what, it was awesome to return to Tasmania to freedive. It is just such an incredible place to experience. And not only that, the freediving community is one that is warm and welcoming. And you know, being so far south, it’s one of the coldest places to freedive in Australia, but the positive vibes would never make you think so.

It was February 2015 when I first had the fortune of teaching my first level one freediving course in Hobart, supported by the team at Go Dive in Hobart. And what an eye opener it was to the phenomenal south-eastern coastline near to Eaglehawk Neck. During that trip, my beautiful accomplice, Melissa, described freediving around the coast and under the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest sea-cliffs and sea-caves evocatively and powerfully, using the words ‘wild and untamed‘. She was right, and it’s a description that has prevailed!

Since that first course, freediving in southern Tasmania is one of my all time favourite destinations. And since those courses in the early years, it’s been fantastic to see my students like Kaeo Landon-Lane continue to develop as a freediver and then take the steps to open his own freediving school, Freedive Tasmania.

So then, in the early Summer of season 2025/26, it was with delight that I returned to Hobart and Eaglehawk Neck to run what I think could be the first ever Freediving Instructor course in Tasmania. And in this course it was wonderful to welcome accomplished freedivers that had learned and developed locally, even under the guidance of Kaeo, and certainly active and proud members of the local freediving community in Tasmania.

Ahead of the candidates were four scheduled intensive days of training in the classroom, pool, and open water to work towards the ambition of becoming a PADI Freediver Instructor. And in sea temperatures that greeted us with barely 13c.

This is a moment I won’t forget, a moment I didn’t think was possible for a long time, and a moment I’m so proud to share with all of you who helped me get here.

Over the last four days I’ve learned, taught, performed, slept, repeated… I strive to master my craft and bring the very best back to my community, and this achievement helps me do exactly that. I became a Freediving Instructor – Nathan Williams, Deep South Freediving 

When: December 2025 (Four days)

Grade: PADI Freediver Instructor (Level 1)

Candidates: Nathan, Jacob, Callum

Requirements: Demonstrate teaching skills, safety practices, 20m constant weight dive, rescue from 15m depth, 50m dynamic swim, 2’30” static

Program: Daily classroom sessions, multiple pool training sessions and open water dives

Tasmania is a place that you cannot begin to imagine what it’s like to freedive in. Most would shudder at the thought and think it’s going to be freezing in the water and firmly on the side of uninviting. How right their perceptions are, but how wrong the actuality is. The way the currents flow around Australia, Tassie is pretty fortunate really, well, in terms of the East coast that is. Because compared to Victoria, the sea temperature is only about 1-2c less in the coastal waters of the south-east. So, even though impressions of Antarctica swirling up with icebergs, it’s really not the case. And even better, the water is unlike any other around the southern coastline of Australia that I’ve experienced. It is this wondrous dark blue and on the days you savour, it’s this incredible very clear dark blue that is absolutely mesmerising.

Given it’s exposure to the Southern Ocean, it is a wild place. You are going to experience 6-metre swells and wind that will blow you over, but you’re also going to get glassy calm surface and lulls of swell that you won’t want to exit. It is a place to freedive that demands the best of mind, body and temperament from you. There’s no faking it down to 20 and 30 metres deep here, this is truly a region that breeds strong freedivers that can handle all kinds of conditions. 

To then become a proficient freediving instructor, not only are you a freediver that can manage tough and variable, and cold conditions, you are one that can find the pleasure, beauty and wonderment in these rich waters. And in ways that you can share with others and bring the calm and joyfulness to freediving, even if it’s grey, overcast and barely double digit degrees in and out of the water. 

And so it was my honour really, to welcome my freediving instructor candidates Callum Jacob and Nathan, on the PADI Freediver Instructor Course, Tasmania edition.

CALLUM

In the early days it was the Victorian coast around Apollo Bay that saw Callum introduced to the water, catching crays and the like. He moved to Tassie and then completed all his freediver courses with Kaeo of Freediving Tasmania. From early ambitions to explore his limits, Callum is focused on moving the ego drive out of his way and optimising self-aware freediving.

Driven to become a freediving instructor who is regarded as fun, trustworthy and interesting!

JACOB

As a young animated kid, Jacob first connected with the water plucking abalone from 3-4m deep. And since then he’s been inspired by just how much of Tassie there is to explore. He wanted to be safe and proficient and developed through courses with Kaeo as well. His favourite moment has been freediving in thick schools of Tuna.

Driven to become a freediving instructor because he says it’s amazing to help people to become comfortable in the water.

NATHAN

A keen spearfisherman very young, he quickly learned that rather than chase, he could be calm and let the fish visit him. He loves the positive mental health aspects of freediving, the slowing down, it’s his happy place. One favourite moment is when he was underwater and heard whales singing, and it was the sensations of those vibrations going deep through his chest that were life changing.

He is excited to become an instructor, to share the wonders of freediving, and to provide a supportive space for mental health in a friendly community.

View a selection of images from the course below and see the full gallery of images and videos here.

Thanks to Callum, Jacob and Nathan for joining me on this historic Hobart based PADI Freediver Instructor Course, an incredible experience and an awesome adventure to share.

So grateful to have the opportunity to do my instructor course here in Tas and with such an experienced teacher, Marlon Quinn – Callum Gorrie, Freediving Instructor, Freedive Tasmania