courses Offered:

Bottom Dwellers offers a wide variety of courses and programs. Be it snorkelling programs for the family, freediving courses for a wide varierty of levels or our coveted and renowned freedive-harvesting and spearfishing programs that lead the way for sustainable and ethical harvesting courses in Canada, there’s something on offer for everyone.

Our Freediving instruction is founded around the Performance Freediving International educational system. Bottom Dwellers is proud to teach an instructional system that paved the way for safety in freediving internationally over two decades ago and that was founded by a fellow Canadian and Vancouver Island resident.

If you aren’t sure what course is right for you take the time and explore the course desription pages to find a program that will suit your needs and desires. Our FAQ page is also very helpful in answering course questions to get your there.

Quick links:

Scroll down the page through our ‘Skimming the Surface’, ‘Getting Deeper’ and ‘Tide to Table’ sections and click on the related course you’re after to be taken to specific course description page with all course details.

Click through images for all course details!

Skimming the Surface: These are our snorkel and pool-certifiable freediver programs. Pool-Freediver+ is our newest and most thorough Advanced Snorkeler package.

Getting Deeper: The following programs are the “freediver” course offerings from Bottom Dwellers.

The ‘PFI Freediver’ is the foundation of our instruction at Bottom Dwellers for complete beginners to those that have experience and wish to challenge themselves within depths of up to 20m. The ‘Basic Freediver’ is mostly offered as certification when students are unable to achieve the certification bench marks of the ‘Freediver’ course but manage to complete all ‘Basic Freediver’ tasks necessary for the shallower certification.

The “Intermediate Freediver” is our next most common freediver course allowing those that are comfortable freediving to depths of 10m+ to challenge themselves with this deep and extremely thorough program.

Tide to Table: Bottom Dwellers paved the way for Canadian Spearfishing with their first to market ‘signature’ Tide to Table and Freedive-Harvesting courses and packages. The most thorough and comprehensive freedive-harvesting and spearfishing experiences you could hope for in BC waters. There’s options available at most levels and depths from hand-harvesting to spearfishing.

Popular course excerpts below:

PFI freediver:

In this course you will be taught the fundamental building blocks of Freediving. You will learn freediving skills and techniques and experience first hand how these will benefit you within an aquatic environment. You will learn about the physics and physiology of freediving and how your body adapts to being at depth. The PFI Freediver course will allow you to reach depths of up to 20m/66' deep during our open water sessions. In confined water sessions the PFI Freediver course will also have you explore and practice Static Apnea with the goal of increasing your breath-hold capabilities and learning to better manage your body for freediving.

Focus of instructional material in the PFI Freediver course will be on:

• Proper safety practices and procedures as well as rescue and risk management

• Proper Surface prep and Recovery Breathing Techniques for Freediving and Snorkelling

• Open-water and Confined-water skills development. Take what you learn in the classroom to the pool, and from the pool to the ocean. Learn and improve proper freediving techniques and skills, including, but not limited to: safety procedures, breathing techniques, entry techniques, constant weight and free immersion techniques, equalization techniques, emergency procedures ...

• Learn about proper freediving equipment: why it works and how to maintain it.

Bottom Dwellers' Freedive-Harvesting/Spearfishing Course:

This course bridges the gap for the 'certified freediver' allowing them to grow as a safe and competent freediver, adapting to safe, efficient and conscientious Freedive-Harvesting and Spearfishing methods and practices

Freediving within their certification standards, students will be taught the fundamentals of safe Freedive-Harvesting, band-powered device handling as well as the basics of Ethical Freedive-Harvesting and Local Rules and Regulations. 

Focus of instructional material in BD's Freedive-Harvesting Course will be on:

• Proper safety practices and procedures for freedive-harvesting and spearfishing as a safe-buddy system

• Proper execution of safe-buddy system protocols

• Classroom and In-water skill development covering such topics as: handling of band powered devices, safe freediving practices while harvesting, line management, signals and communication

• Freedive-harvesting/spearfishing equipment use, management and maintenance. Learn the benefits specific freedive-harvesting/spearfishing equipment: why it works, how to maximize it's potential and how to keep your gear working for you.

PFI INtermediate FREEDIVER:

If you're a capable and competent freediver looking to take your freediving to the next level; wanting to learn to freedive deep safely;  to dive deeper and have longer breath holds; to have a full understanding of the physics and physiology which affects you as a freediver and how to apply this science to applicable real life situations and scenarios. The PFI Intermediate Freediver level course is for you.

In this course you will be taught the fundamental building blocks of Freediving and expand upon them in detail throughout the course. You will learn freediving skills and techniques at an Intermediate Level and experience first hand how these will benefit you within an aquatic environment. You will learn about the physics and physiology of freediving and how your body adapts to the aquatic environment. The PFI Intermediate Freediver Course will allow you to reach depths of up 40m/135' deep during our open water sessions. In confined water sessions in this course you will also become seasoned with Static Apnea training, the goal of which would be increasing your breath-hold capabilities and learning to better manage your body for freediving.

Focus of instructional material in the PFI Intermediate Freediver Course will be on:

• Proper Safety Practices and Procedures at an Intermediate Level
• Proper Surface prep and Recovery Breathing Techniques for Freediving
• Open-water and Confined-water skills development. Take what you learn in the classroom to the pool, and from the pool to the ocean. Learn and improve proper freediving techniques and skills at an Intermediate Level including, but not limited to: safety procedures, breathing techniques, entry techniques, FRC and RV training protocols, constant weight and free immersion techniques, equalization techniques, emergency procedures ...
• Learn about proper freediving equipment: why it works and how to maintain it.

Bottom dwellers' Freedive-Harvester Package:

This package on offer from Bottom Dwellers is a two course package.Learn proper and safe Freediving Techniques from a PFI Professional in the 'PFI Freediver' course.  Take those skillsets learnt and adapt them to Marine Harvesting Applications in Bottom Dweller's 'Freedive-Harvesting Course' where you'll learn about local marine life, rules and regulations, risk management and valuable techniques and skillsets (including band-powered device handling) for freedive-harvesting and spearfishing.

These two courses together create Bottom Dwellers' 'Freedive-Harvester Package' to get you freediving, spearfishing and harvesting in the marine environemnt safely and competently.

SNORKEL-HARVESTER:

This Snorkel-Harvester course on offer from Bottom Dwellers Freediving is a 1.5 Day Package where you’ll learn the fundamentals of snorkelling and hand-harvesting on our local BC coast. Learn Proper and Safe Snorkelling Techniques from a PFI Professional in the 'PFI Snorkeler' course.  Take the Snorkelling and Hand Harvesting skillsets learnt in the class and pool and adapt them to Basic Marine Harvesting Applications in a Bottom Dweller's Snorkel Adventure where you'll learn about local marine life, rules and regulations, risk management and valuable techniques and skillsets for freedive-harvesting.

Includes: All PFI Snorkeler Certification, All Instruction Class, Confined Water and Open Water settings, Pool Booking and a guided in-water adventure on the final day.

ADVANCED SNORKEL-HARVESTER:

This Advanced Snorkel-Harvester course on offer from Bottom Dwellers Freediving is a 2 Day Package where you’ll learn the fundamentals of snorkelling and hand-harvesting on our local BC coast. Learn Proper and Safe Snorkelling Techniques from a PFI Professional in the BD Advanced Snorkeler Package.  Take the Snorkelling and Hand Harvesting skillsets learnt in the class and pool and adapt them to Basic Marine Harvesting Applications in a Bottom Dweller's Snorkel Adventure where you'll learn about local marine life, rules and regulations, risk management and valuable techniques and skillsets for freedive-harvesting.

Includes: PFI Snorkeler Certification, PFI Safe Buddy Certification, All Instruction Class, Confined Water and Open Water settings, Pool Booking and a guided in-water adventure on the final day.

ADVANCED SNORKELER PACKAGE:

This course package on offer from Bottom Dwellers Freediving is a 1.5 Day Package where you’ll learn the fundamentals of Snorkelling in the PFI Snorkeler course and then build on those skilllsets with the safe practices and risk management techniques for snorkelling and freediving in the PFI Safe-Buddy Course. Learn proper and safe Snorkelling Techniques from a PFI Professional in this Advanced Snorkeler Package then take the skillsets learnt in the class and pool and adapt them to an live ocean setting while on a guided Bottom Dweller's Snorkel Adventure.

Includes: PFI Snorkeler Certification, PFI Safe Buddy Certification, All Instruction in Class, Confined Water and Open Water settings, Pool Booking and a guided in-water adventure on the final day.

PFI Safe Buddy:

The PFI Safe Buddy program was designed by PFI to create a platform upon which its students and customers, certified or not, could learn about the safety procedures, rescue techniques and risk management methods which accompany safe freediving practices. This program was designed by PFI with the intention of helping increase safety awareness during recreational breath-holding/freediving activities. This course focuses solely on the safety and problem management for apnea training along with near blackout (Loss of Motor Control etc.) and blackout management. It does not include instruction for any freediving or breath-hold techniques as does the PFI Freediver courses.

PFI snorkeler:

The PFI snorkeler course is the entry level course in the PFI education platform which Bottom Dwellers instructs. By taking the PFI Snorkeler course you will learn proper safety and problem management techniques, skills, techniques and the basics of surface snorkelling with the option of limited skin dives to a maximum of 5m/16'. Taking the PFI Snorkeler course will allow you when completed, to enjoy the aquatic world in a safe and knowledgeable manner. Heading on a warm water trip? Book a snorkeler course and head off on your adventure with the right knowledge to enjoy it safely and skillfully with the whole family. 

COACHING SESSIONS:

Contact Bottom Dwellers and line up a 'Coaching Session' to work on PFI Freediver Level skillsets in a small group or private lesson environment. 'Coaching Sessions' are available to work on your safety protocols and freediving techniques, keeping them sharp and improving upon certain areas of your choosing. 'Coaching Sessions' are also a great way to finish up skillsets which are needing completion for 'Freediver Level' Certification. For more information on rates and bookings follow the link below:

LINE DIVES/POOLS SESSIONS:

'Line Dives' are currently booked upon request by contacting Bottom Dwellers. Come out and freedive on the Bottom Dwellers freedive rig with a group of certified freedivers. Freedivers on 'Line Dives' must be Certified and will manage their own safety. It is an excellent way for you and your dive buddies to keep your dive technique and safety protocols sharp. For more information on rates and bookings follow the link below: