Heyyyy my water lovvies! This has been an absolutely incredible year and I’ve been blessed to travel to some of the best freediving sites in the world, to enjoy this incredible sport as a competitive freediver. But you keep asking me which are my favorites, so I’ve decided to do a quick round-up post and give you my top 5 freediving destinations. Each of these wonderful places has something truly unique about it, and you can’t even compare between them. There’s all just fantastic! (I’ll leave it to you to decide which is the best freediving destination)!!
1. Tulamben, Bali
There’s no shortage of wrecks to freedive on all over the world, but the USAT Liberty in Tulamben Bali is a favorite of mine. Not only is it easily accessible from the shore, the water is always warm, the depths aren’t too crazy (it ranges form 5-30 meters) and there’s so much live flooding around the wreck, it’s truly incredible.
The ship was originally a cargo ship that was damaged by the Japanese, it was towed to Bali in 1942, finally settling in the spot it is now after a local volcano erupted, and pushed it into the sea near Tulamben village. You’ll see some of the most gorgeous water in the world, as well as big barracuda, moray eels, and plenty of hard (and soft) coral colonies. For freediving, this is an unmissable destination, so GO NOW!
2. Koh Tao, Thailand
Koh Tao needs to be on your bucket list of the worlds best freediving locations because it’s just awesome. Get in and freedive amongst whale sharks, bright and lively coral reefs and all the wonderful marine life Thailand has to offer. You’ll find Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand, and it’s well known by freedivers the world over for the white sand beaches, turquise blue water and steep and rugged cliffs.
There’s 25 different dive sites to explore, including the HTMA Sattakut Wreck that’s an easy 30 meters freedive down, it really is paradise if you enjoy tropical island life, plenty of coconuts and the sunsets the island has become famous for. There’s not much that Koh Tao doesn’t offer for a freediver like me!!
3. The Great Blue Hole, Belize
In what’s easily one of the most recognizable dive sites in the world, the Great Blue Hole is a freedivers paradise. Pluging to a terrifyingly deep 124 meters, it’s perfect for every freediver, whether you’re a beginner or someone learning to push the limits and get a little deeper, like I am. The water when we went was absolutely crystal, and I can’t wait till I get a chance to go back. It was incredibbbbbble!
4. The Blue Hole, Egypt
As one of the most famous freediving sites in Egypt, the Blue Hole is just outside of Dahab. Essentially, it’s just a giant sinkhole that plummets to a whopping 110 meters deep. Perfect for practicing your depth, as the water is crystal-clear and almost glassy calm. There’s also a TON of marine life around, especially at the saddle, one of the most famous dive sites here as you get literally flooded with schools of bright tropical fish. Plus, beginners can swim out from the beach, so it’s super accessible!!
5. West End, Grand Bahama Island
If you know anything about freediving, there’s a particular reason all of my freediving friends recommend getting in the water off West End in Grand Bahama. Here’s a hint, the “other” name for this beach is Tiger Beach, because, you guessed it, there are a whole host of tiger sharks that call this particular dive site home. It’s the biggest draw that gets freedivers like me coming back again and again, because when you’re freediving with giants of the deep like this, it’s COMPLETELY mind blowing.
A combination of awe, fear and seeing these terrors of the deep up close was like experiencing my deepest childhood nightmares and dreams all in one go. Though I do need to warn you, freediving here isn’t for the faint-hearted, and definitely not somewhere I would recommend a beginner who is still learning to freedive to do. SHUDDERS as I remember, I really wanted a speargun in my hands just to feel safe, but I doubt it’d even phase one of these monsters if they really wanted a piece of me!.
