Join French and Singapore National Record holders Thibault Guignes and Michelle Ooi for a week of freediving workshops, training and relaxation in the scenic Camotes Islands.

Your Trainers

Thibault is one of the deepest freedivers in the world in the disciplines of Free Immersion and Constant weight Bi-fins. He has developed his own unique approach to depth training, which has allowed him to achieve more than 200 dives past 100m depth in his freediving career so far. He is also the head of Education at Molchanovs Freediving and has a wealth of freediving knowledge to share. This depth camp will be run at his new centre, Camotes Freediving.

Michelle has held multiple national records for Singapore and is currently the deepest woman in South East Asia. She has been teaching and running freediving training programs for years and specialises in teaching no-fins and monofin techniques.

The Location

The Camotes Islands are a group of four islands located about 60km east of Cebu in the Visayas Region of the Philippines. We will dive from the north of the western island called Pacijan Island. Panoramic, tropical landscapes and a calm, deep sea are among the characteristics of Camotes. With a population estimated at roughly a hundred thousand, the islands are remote and idyllic, ideal to focus on your freediving training and calm your mind in a peaceful and natural environment. There are nearby caves, hills and lakes to explore in your leisure time.

The Diving

Our dive site is a quick boat ride away from the dive centre. With its flat sea, no drift, average visibility of 25m, up to 150m depth and nearby coral reefs, this is a dream freediving location! There is also a 25m pool on site for any pool work during our workshops.

Getting to Camotes

After arriving at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, take a taxi to the Port of Danao. The taxi ride is about an hour long (~600php depending on traffic), and the white taxis work with taxi meter, so you don’t have to worry about getting overcharged. From Danao, take the Jomalia ferry which takes about 2 hours to arrive at Consuelo Pier, Camotes Islands. From Consuelo pier, the drive to the centre is about 20 min. You can arrange pick-ups from the pier with your accommodation.

There is an alternative ferry route from Cebu Pier, which is closer to the airport than Danao. However, it is not running at the moment but we will update if the ferries on this route start running again.

Please check the current visa requirements for your nationality to travel to the Philippines and ensure that you have the appropriate visa if required.

The Schedule

Here is a sample of the daily schedule that we will have:

8 am-9 am: Stretching, meditation and visualisation

9.30 am-11.30 am: Depth dive session

2 pm-4 pm: Workshops and masterclasses

5 pm-6 pm: Yoga

There will be time for some leisure dives, sunset hikes and exploration of the surrounding natural attractions. On Wednesday, we will have a rest day from depth diving and will explore a nearby underground river, where you can do an optional static session!

A detailed schedule will be sent to you closer to the date.

Courses

The workshops will cover freediving topics in much more detail than is required in a typical course, but you will have the option of doing a Molchanovs course (Waves 1 - 3) during the week. So, you don't need any freediving experience to join :) If you choose to take a course, will receive access to the e-learning materials that you should go through prior to the start of the week, to maximise your experience at Depth Camp.

Inclusions & Exclusions

Prices include all training and certification costs.

Accommodation, travel, meals and equipment are not included.

Accommodation options

There are many options to suit different comfort levels and budgets, which are available for booking on the various booking platforms. Descriptions of each accommodation can be found here.

Equipment

For the week you will need your own mask, snorkel, wetsuit, weight belt/neckweight, lanyard and fins (optional: nose clip, yoga mat). We highly recommend that you bring your own equipment. If you need to purchase any items, do check out our store.

Booking and cancellation policy
Full payment is needed to secure your spot. If you are unable to make it at the last moment, you can postpone your booking to the next depth camp but there may be a price difference that you will need to cover.

Depth Camp in Camotes, Philippines, 11-17 Dec 2022

Underwater/beach clean up