Freediving in Koh Tao – Antara Freediving

Freediver face at the surface in Koh Tao during a calm freediving session

ANTARA FREEDIVING

Discover the Freediver Within

PADI Certified  ·  Koh Tao, Thailand

The Practice

The Space Between Breaths

Freediving is more than a sport - it's a meditation in motion. We guide you to discover calm, awareness, and trust in yourself beneath the surface.

01

Calm

Learn to quiet the mind and relax the body. The ocean responds to stillness.

Experiences

Begin Your Journey

No commitment

Not sure yet?

That's completely fine. Send us a message — tell us where you're at, what you're curious about, or what's making you hesitate. No pitch, no pressure. We'll just talk.

Mayank Rathi — founder and instructor at Antara Freediving, Koh Tao

Mayank Rathi

Founder · PADI Freedive Instructor

The story behind Antara

I came to this island looking for something. I found it underwater.

I have a mathematics degree, which means I've spent most of my life in my head — analysing, planning, researching the next thing. For a long time I was anxious in that low-level, hard-to-name way. I came to Koh Tao with no real plan, just a feeling that something needed to shift.

Then I went underwater on a single breath. And everything went quiet.

It wasn't about depth or performance. It was about what happens when you stop fighting and let your body do what it already knows how to do. We're built for this. We came from the ocean — and somewhere in us, we still remember.

Antara exists because I know what good coaching feels like — and I know how much it changes things. I built this school to give every student the kind of attention that actually makes a difference: small groups, no rush, and a real focus on each person's experience.

Outside the water I'm drawn to mountains, breathwork, astronomy, and anything that makes the world feel bigger. I found something that works, and I want to help you find it too.

“Antara — discover the freediver within. Not a new skill. A remembering.”

Our Home

Koh Tao, Thailand

Koh Tao freediving draws divers from around the world for a reason — crystal clear waters, abundant marine life, and the perfect conditions to discover the freediver within.

Aerial view of Koh Tao island and its turquoise waters, Thailand

Koh Tao

A small island in the Gulf of Thailand, home to some of the best diving in Southeast Asia.

What to Expect

How a Session Unfolds

Each experience follows a natural rhythm—from stillness on land to freedom underwater.

01

Theory

~1 hour

We start on land. Freediving physics, physiology, and safety—everything you need to feel informed and at ease before entering the water.

EqualisationMammalian dive reflexSafety
02

Breathwork

~45 min

Guided breathing exercises to calm the nervous system and extend your natural breath-hold. The foundation of every dive.

Diaphragmatic breathingRecovery breathRelaxation
03

Pool Session

~1.5 hours

Controlled environment for static apnea and dynamic practice. Build technique and confidence before the ocean.

Static apneaDynamic swimmingBuddy system
04

Ocean Session

~2 hours

The real thing. Calm, guided dives in the warm waters of Koh Tao. We descend together at your pace, with no pressure.

Depth progressionEqualisation practiceMarine life
★ Instructor's pick
Student during the Discover Freediving 1-day introduction course in Koh Tao

Discover Freediving · 1 day · ฿2,800

One day.
A completely different relationship with the ocean.

By the end of the day you'll have held your breath longer than you thought possible and dived deeper than you expected. That's not a promise — it's just what tends to happen.

In the Water

Life Between Breaths

Freediver floating calmly at the surface before a dive in Koh Tao

Surface calm

The moment before the dive—stillness above prepares stillness below.

Questions

Things people wonder about

Experiences

Ready to Go Deeper?

Curious, nervous, excited - all welcome.