Freediver floating at the surface practicing static apnea breath hold in calm water near Koh Samui

Breath Hold Training

Static Apnea Clinic in Koh Samui

One Day. Maximum 3 Participants. Learn to Hold Your Breath Longer.

Check Availability See What You Will Learn

1 Day Full Session

3 Max Participants

6 Breath Programs

All Levels Welcome

Static apnea is the foundation of all freediving. It is the practice of holding your breath in still water without moving, and it is where the real mental and physiological work happens. Your ability to relax under the urge to breathe determines your ceiling in every other form of freediving.

This one day clinic teaches you the breathing techniques, mental strategies, and body awareness that allow you to extend your breath hold well beyond what you thought possible. It is open to beginners and certified freedivers alike.

"Most participants extend their breath hold by 30 to 60 seconds in a single session." — Diego Pauel

This Clinic Is for You If...

You are a certified freediver who wants to push your personal breath hold record

You are a surfer, swimmer, or spearfisher who wants to extend your underwater time

You want to understand the mental side of breath holding, not just the physical

You have completed the Beginner Course and want a focused session on breath hold time

You are curious about what your body is actually capable of under controlled conditions

You do yoga, meditation, or breathwork and want to take your breath awareness into the water

No experience or certification required. If you can put your face in the water, you are ready.

Calm water surface for static apnea practice near Koh Samui

Your Session

A full day of focused breath hold training, progressing from theory to dry practice to water holds. Every step builds on the one before.

9:00 AM

Physiology and Preparation

You learn exactly what happens to your body during a breath hold: the mammalian dive reflex, the diaphragm contractions, the oxygen and CO2 interplay, and why most people give up long before they actually need to. Diego Pauel covers the breathing preparation techniques used by competitive freedivers to slow the heart rate and extend the relaxation phase before any water entry.

11:00 AM

Dry Breath Hold Practice

Before entering the water, you practice the full preparation sequence on dry land. You learn how to do a recovery breath sequence, how to position your body, and how to use mental techniques to stay calm during the contraction phase. You will take your first timed breath hold during this session. Most people are surprised by how long they hold when the preparation is right.

1:00 PM

Water Practice

The session moves to calm water. You practice static breath holds face down with Diego Pauel supervising every hold from the water beside you. You will work through multiple rounds, progressively extending time with feedback after each attempt. Diego Pauel adjusts technique and mental cues in real time based on what he observes. You will set a new personal best.

3:30 PM

Debrief and Training Plan

Diego Pauel reviews your session data and gives you a clear picture of what worked, what held you back, and how to continue training after you leave. You leave with a specific home practice protocol so the progress you made in the clinic continues long after Koh Samui.

Book Your Session

What You Will Learn

The physiology of breath holding and why your body signals you to breathe long before it needs to

The correct breathing preparation sequence used by competitive freedivers before a breath hold

Mental techniques to stay calm during the contraction phase and push through the discomfort

Body position and relaxation techniques that reduce oxygen consumption during a hold

Buddy safety protocols so you can practice static apnea safely at home or with a training partner

A personal home practice protocol based on your specific strengths and limitations from the clinic

Static apnea breath hold practice session in calm water near Koh Samui

What Is Included

Everything you need for the session is provided. Just bring swimwear and a towel.

Full Day of Coaching

Theory, dry practice, and water sessions. Approximately 6 hours of focused training with Diego Pauel.

Physiology and Safety Theory

Comprehensive briefing on the science of breath holding, the mammalian dive reflex, and blackout prevention.

Supervised Water Sessions

Multiple timed breath holds in calm water with real time coaching and safety supervision on every attempt.

Take-Home Training Protocol

A personalized practice plan based on your performance so you can continue progressing after you leave.

Your Instructor

Diego Pauel

Diego Pauel holds credentials from 6 breath and freediving programs: Apnea Total, Oxygen Advantage, Breatheology, International Breathwork Foundation, Breathing Cold, and GPBA. The Static Apnea Clinic draws specifically on the Oxygen Advantage and Breatheology methodologies, which focus on CO2 tolerance, respiratory physiology, and the mental components of extended breath holding.

This is not a standard freediving course repurposed into a clinic. It is a focused, single-day session built around one outcome: you will hold your breath longer when you leave than when you arrived.

Apnea Total Instructor Oxygen Advantage Breatheology IBF Breathing Cold GPBA

More About Diego Pauel

A Note on Safety

Static apnea is safe when practiced with a trained, attentive buddy. It is not safe when practiced alone. Every hold in this clinic is supervised directly by Diego Pauel. You will never hold your breath without someone in the water watching you.

The clinic includes a thorough briefing on shallow water blackout: what causes it, how to recognize warning signs in your buddy, and why it can happen to experienced freedivers without warning. This knowledge is part of what you take home.

Happy freediving student at the surface after a breath hold session in Koh Samui

What Students Say

He takes time for each participant, accompanies you every second underwater, and gives constructive feedback. I went from nervous to 20 meters in 3 days.

Jonas, Germany

Amazing what you can do in 2 days. I went from 12 meters to 20 meters and spotted a whale shark at Sail Rock.

Glynnis

The patience, knowledge, passion, and kindness. He helped me overcome my fears underwater.

Dominique

Clinic Questions

Do I need to be a certified freediver to attend? +

No certification is required. The Static Apnea Clinic is open to anyone who wants to improve their breath hold, whether you are a complete beginner, a certified freediver, a surfer, a swimmer, or someone who simply wants to explore what breath holding feels like in a controlled environment.

How long will I be able to hold my breath by the end? +

That depends on your starting point, but most participants extend their personal best by 30 to 60 seconds or more. The clinic focuses on removing the mental and technical barriers that hold people back. You will leave understanding exactly what was limiting your breath hold and how to continue training on your own.

Is this the same as freediving? Do we go in the ocean? +

Static apnea is purely breath holding without movement. The clinic is conducted in calm water, not in the open ocean. There are no fins, no depth, no duck diving. Just you, your breath, and the surface of the water. It is the most controlled and measurable form of freediving training.

I have heard about blackout. Is this safe? +

All static breath holds in this clinic are performed with a certified buddy and never alone. Diego supervises every hold personally. The session includes a full safety briefing covering the causes and prevention of shallow water blackout. Static apnea done correctly with a trained supervisor is very safe. Static apnea done alone or unsupervised is not.

How is this different from a full freediving course? +

The Beginner Freediving Course teaches you to dive vertically in the ocean, covering equalization, duck diving, and open water safety. The Static Apnea Clinic is focused exclusively on breath hold duration and the mental and physiological techniques that extend it. Many people do the clinic after the Beginner Course to push their personal best. Others do it as a standalone experience, especially surfers and swimmers.

When does it run and how many spots are there? +

The Static Apnea Clinic runs on request with a maximum of 3 participants. Message Diego on WhatsApp with your preferred date. He will confirm based on availability within a few hours.

What do I need to bring? +

Just swimwear and a towel. Everything else is provided. The session takes place in calm, shallow water so no freediving equipment is needed.

Can I do this clinic and a freediving course in the same week? +

Yes. Many students do the Beginner or Advanced course Monday to Wednesday and the Static Apnea Clinic on Thursday or Friday. It is a great way to build on the breath hold skills from the course while they are fresh.

Have a question that is not listed here?

Ask Diego Pauel on WhatsApp