Malta freediving trip 2024
After a long cold and wet winter the club was desperate for some outdoor adventures, and so our Malta trip was booked!
Malta is a freediving paradise, with plentiful easy-access offshore diving, 25+ metre visibility and warm waters. Based in St. Paul’s Bay, we were joined by AIDA 2 and 3 students, PADI Freediver students as well as a rotating cast of club members looking to escape the dreary UK weather.
Pre dive preperation Freediving
New experiences
As a freediver who had never dove outside of the UK before, I was especially looking forward to the visibility, and I was in for a treat. On a sunny morning (does it ever rain in Malta?) we took a ferry over to Gozo, the second-largest island in the Maltese archipelago and made the short drive to the Inland Sea, a lagoon connected to the Mediterranean via a natural narrow arch
Not the usual tourists
Most tourists explore the area via small boats, but not us. We donned our kit, grabbed a buoy and swam out through the arch into the open sea. The seabed drops quickly once hitting the arch, and with steep walls on either side, illuminated turquoise blue water and a cream coloured corridor of rock far below, you feel like you’re floating at the top of a natural cathedral. Once hitting the sea we realised we were surrounded by mauve stinger jellyfish, their pink and purple tones in wonderful contrast with the water. Thankful for our sting-proof wetsuits we set up a line for depth dives. At one point a group of scuba divers swam below us, showering us in air bubbles.
After some successful diving and still in our kit, we walked the short distance to the famous Blue Hole. I hadn’t researched these sites beforehand and had no idea what I was in for. The Blue Hole looks like a typical tidal pool, but a quick duck dive revealed its incredible secret. Approximately 10 metres down is a large archway leading out into the open sea. A couple of spectacular swim-throughs reminded me why I love freediving so much, we get to explore places few will ever see!
Loads of extra things to do
Even when windy weather kept us out of the water, Malta was a blast. A few of us hiked across the island to Popeye’s Village, the film set of the 1980 film with Robin Williams. Who knew that it was still around and in such good condition? Wimpy’s burgers were eaten, cheesy photographs were taken. For the history buffs, Malta also has quite a few prehistoric, megalithic temples, so Stonehenge fans can get their fix.
Freediving in Malta
Malta 2024 was a grand success and we’re all looking forward to our next trip abroad. I’ll wear my Popeye hat for the occasion.
Interested in joining us?
We run regular trips through Apneists UK for qualified dives.
For prospective freedivers we run freediving courses that can be done before you travel or actually in the location.
Entry level courses here: AIDA 2
Club calender here: Club trips and teaching days
