Freediving & Mermaid Course
Freediving and mermaid courses in the Maldives run through the same on-site dive centres that teach PADI and SSI scuba certification, working from a resort's calm lagoon rather than open water. Freediving itself usually follows a structured syllabus — breathing and relaxation technique first, then buoyancy and depth work in shallow, sheltered water — while a mermaid course trades the certification path for a monofin styled as a tail and a more playful, family-friendly session that asks for no diving background at all.
It's a shorter list than scuba diving generally, run at a handful of resorts rather than every dive centre on the map. Anantara Veli's Aquafanatics team runs PADI-certified freediving, and the same operator works from its adjoining sister island, the family-friendly Anantara Dhigu, next door. In Makunudhoo Atoll, Soneva Secret offers freediving across its own private lagoon alongside its manta ray and dolphin excursions, and in Noonu Atoll, Soneva Jani folds freediving into its Dive Center's wider snorkelling and diving programme.
None of it requires a diving background to start. A freediving taster or a mermaid course is usually arranged directly with the resort's dive centre once you're on the island, fitted around the rest of the itinerary rather than pre-scheduled from home.
Good to know
No diving background required
Freediving builds breathing, relaxation, buoyancy and depth technique from scratch, and a mermaid course asks for even less — no certification and no diving history at all.
Only a handful of resorts run it
Anantara Veli (with sister island Anantara Dhigu next door), Soneva Secret and Soneva Jani are the resorts with an active programme in the evidence we work from.
Book on the island, not from home
It's arranged through the resort's own dive centre once you've checked in, fitted around the rest of the itinerary rather than pre-scheduled.
A dedicated mermaid course is the rarer of the two
Freediving is the better-documented programme; if a mermaid course specifically is what you're after, flag it during your consultation and we'll confirm directly with the dive centre.
Where it’s distinctive
Anantara Veli Maldives
South Malé Atoll · speedboat, 30 minutes
PADI-certified freediving offered with Aquafanatics.
Soneva Jani
Noonu Atoll · seaplane, 40 minutes
Freediving is offered alongside the Dive Center's snorkelling and diving programme.
Soneva Secret
Makunudhoo Atoll · seaplane, 55 minutes
Freediving is offered across Makunudhoo Atoll's private lagoon.
Before you book
What's the difference between a freediving course and a mermaid course?
A freediving course follows a structured syllabus, usually PADI or SSI, building breathing and relaxation technique, buoyancy and depth tolerance over several sessions. A mermaid course is the recreational cousin: guests wear a monofin styled as a mermaid tail and work on technique in shallow water, with no certification and no diving background required.
Do I need diving experience to try freediving in the Maldives?
No. Where resort dive centres offer freediving, it runs as its own beginner-friendly programme separate from scuba certification, starting with breathing and relaxation drills in shallow water before any depth work follows. It's usually the same team — Anantara Veli's freediving runs through its on-site Aquafanatics dive centre, for instance — so a first try and further sessions can happen across the same stay.
Which Maldives resorts offer freediving or a mermaid course?
Freediving is the programme with resorts we can point to directly: Anantara Veli runs PADI-certified freediving through its Aquafanatics dive centre, with the same operator working from its adjoining sister island, Anantara Dhigu; Soneva Secret offers freediving across Makunudhoo Atoll's private lagoon; and Soneva Jani folds freediving into its Dive Center's snorkelling and diving programme in Noonu Atoll. A dedicated mermaid course is less commonly listed as its own named programme — tell IMJ if that's specifically what you're after and we'll check directly with the dive centre.
How do I book a freediving or mermaid course session?
It's arranged through the resort's own dive centre once you're on the island rather than pre-booked from home. Tell IMJ during your consultation if freediving or a mermaid course matters to your trip, and we'll steer you toward a resort with an active programme and flag it to the dive centre ahead of your stay.
Tell us the occasion, and we’ll find the island.
Thirty minutes on dates, occasion and which island actually suits you: no obligation, no scripted pitch.