Two cousins hope to introduce more people to Bermuda’s underwater world through freediving.

Sebastian Dill and Adam Johnson, both PADI freedive instructors, launched Freedive Bermuda last September, through which they trained more than 60 people about the sport.

“Our main goal is to help create a community of freedivers on the island who are knowledgeable and safe, so that they can enjoy all that the island has to offer,” Mr Dill said.

Freediving, or skin diving, involves diving underwater without the aid of scuba equipment with divers holding their breath until they resurface.

“We both got into freediving at a super early age,” Mr Dill said. “Adam and I began exploring the reefs around the island together.

“The more we dove, the more we became interested in learning how to become better, and safer freedivers. The more certifications that we did, the more they helped in our journey as freedivers as they gave us a huge amount of theory and techniques.

“Learning how to dive more efficiently, as well as learning the proper techniques for safety and rescue, really allowed us to become more comfortable pushing ourselves further.”

Mr Dill said Freedive Bermuda offered PADI Basic Freediver and PADI Freediver certifications, and has also launched surf survival workshops and freediving tours in partnerships with Dive Bermuda and Sail Bermuda.

The pair hope to start a summer camp next year.

“For those people who do not have a lot of experience being in and underneath the water, the PADI Basic Freediver is a great way to start their journey,” Mr Dill said.

“Here, they will explore proper breathe-up and breath-holding techniques, as well as get an intro into proper diving and rescue techniques, all in a confined water area that guarantees a calm and relaxed environment.”

Mr Dill said that while freediving could be dangerous, it was actually a peaceful experience.

“When freediving, it is all about being as relaxed and as peaceful as possible,” he said. “It is a meditative activity that enables you to explore some amazing places and experience the beauty that the oceans have to offer.

“In our time freediving, we have been able to dive with some absolutely incredible animals, in some incredible places. We have dove with sharks, whales, dolphins, rays, sea lions, and turtles all around the world.”

He explained that freedivers make significantly less noise than scuba divers, which helps to prevent disturbing marine life.

“Having these mind-blowing experiences with such beautiful creatures is what really drives us to keep diving and getting better,” he said.

“The experience that stands out the most to us both was our experiences diving in the Galapagos Islands. The concentration of sea life is truly astounding.”

Mr Dill added: “If you, or anyone you know wants to get comfortable in the water, is a freediver or spearfisherman and wants to learn safety and rescue techniques and stay down longer, or someone who wants an accessible and fun way to explore the reefs around our beautiful island, then do not hesitate to reach out.

“We have an Instagram @freedivingbermuda as well as an email freedivingbermuda@gmail.com.”