exhaleFreediving & Spearfishing
Exhale Freediving and Spearfishing. Illustrative ocean campaign artwork.

Exhale Freediving & Spearfishing

PART TIME BUILDER. FULL TIME SPEARO.
WELLINGTON / TAUPŌ / MANAWATŪ

Explore courses Explore the tees

Learn the skills. Look after your buddy. Respect the water.

Courses, coaching, trips and apparel.

01 / Build your foundations

Start well.
Go from there.

Your first course or the next stage of your diving. Learn with people who want you to understand the skills, not just tick the boxes.

The foundations

PADI Freediver

Find your rhythm in the water. Build breathing awareness, equalisation, efficient movement and the buddy skills that every diver needs.

Wellington
Next intake by enquiry
$500.00 NZDper person
Explore the course

The next step

PADI Advanced Freediver

Refine the skills you already use. More control, better preparation and focused feedback for certified freedivers ready to progress.

Wellington or Taupō
Dates TBC
$800.00 NZDper person
Take the next step

EXHALE SKILLS COURSE / SPEARFISHING

Bring home better habits.

There is more to spearfishing than getting down and pulling the trigger. Build your planning, equipment awareness, buddy skills and judgement, then put them to work in the water.

Dates and location by enquiry. An Exhale skills course, not a PADI certification.

$650.00 NZDper person
Explore the course

Dates, suitability, full inclusions and the total payable are confirmed before payment. PADI certification depends on completing the applicable course requirements.

What do I need to achieve for PADI certification?

Know what you are working towards. We teach the skills with you, rather than expecting you to arrive already able to complete them.

PADI FREEDIVER

Your starting point.

Minimum age 12. No previous freediving qualification required. Suitable swimming ability and medical screening are needed.

Static breath hold
1 min 30 sec
Dynamic underwater swim
25 m
Constant weight depth dive
10 m
Full entry and course requirements

PADI ADVANCED FREEDIVER

Build on your foundations.

Minimum age 15. PADI Freediver or a qualifying certification is required. These targets are for participants aged 18 and over.

Static breath hold
2 min 30 sec
Dynamic underwater swim
50 m
Constant weight depth dive
20 m

Ages 15 to 17: 2 minute static breath hold, 40 metre dynamic swim and 15 metre depth dive.

Full entry and course requirements

These are supervised course completion targets, not numbers to prove before enrolling. Knowledge, buddy procedures, rescue skills and all other applicable requirements must also be completed. Never practise underwater breath holding alone. The course pages link to PADI’s published requirements.

02 / Train with purpose

Small details.
Better diving.

You do not need another personal best to have a useful session. Choose a skill, get good feedback and build from where you are.

On the line

Depth Sessions

Time to work on preparation, equalisation and efficient movement. A session built around suitable goals, not a promised depth.

Venue by arrangement
Suitable training and experience required
$150.00 NZDper person
View the session

Two hours to practise

Pool Sessions

Work on body position, finning, relaxation and buddy skills. A controlled setting with time for questions and feedback.

Manawatū or Wellington
Participant numbers agreed before booking
$200.00 NZDper 2 hour session
Explore pool training

Your goals, your session

One on One Coaching

Bring the skill you want to sharpen or the question you keep coming back to. Focused time, shaped around your diving.

By arrangement
Format and price agreed before booking
By enquiryprivate coaching
Talk through your goals

Venue, equipment, safety support and session details are confirmed before booking. Coaching does not itself award a PADI qualification.

Breathwork / mindset / progression

Find the calm.
Build from there.

Better preparation, consistent practice and honest feedback. Towards Five is our planned pathway for working towards a longer breath hold with appropriate coaching and supervision. The number never comes before the person.

Explore Towards Five

A coached progression, not a guaranteed result. Programme details and original training material are confirmed before enrolment. Never practise underwater breath holding alone. No hyperventilation.

05:00A possible goal.
Not a deadline.

Exhale Reset

A gentler starting point. Comfortable breathing awareness and relaxation in a dry setting, without making it a performance test.

Find out more

Build a practice

A planned series of guided sessions, with room to reflect, adjust and build a manageable routine between appointments.

Find out more

A clearer head

Practical coaching for preparation, expectations and consistency. Support for your diving, not a clinical treatment programme.

Find out more

Camps / Deep weeks / Exploration

Make time
for the water.

Get away from the usual routine. Put some time into your diving, learn with a good crew and leave with a clearer next step.

TAUPŌ / FREEDIVING CAMP

Explore.
Find your comfort.

Focused practice, useful feedback and time to build confidence. Work on preparation, equalisation and efficient movement, with room to explore at a pace that suits you.

Five days, including one rest day in the middle.
Campground access and cabin hire options. Accommodation not included.
Make your own way to Taupō. Dates and price TBC.

Price TBCExplore the camp

BAY OF ISLANDS / DEEP WEEK

A week of focus.
More time in the water.

A week focused on depth diving, practical coaching and consistency. Work towards your next qualification or join to train and explore, with a Canterbury outing and spearfishing finish being planned as optional extras.

Optional qualifications, extra sessions and exploration.
Dates TBC. Full programme confirmed before payment.

$1,975.00 NZDper personExplore Deep Week

Enquiries are open. Dates, suitability and inclusions are confirmed before payment. Optional qualifications and outings must be agreed separately. Compare the experiences

03 / Go spearfishing

Small crew.
Big days to plan.

Three proposed adventures. No more than four divers per trip. Register your interest, then decide once the details are confirmed.

A proper escape

Marlborough Sounds

Leave the usual routine behind. A small crew and a trip planned around the people, the operator and the conditions.

Marlborough Sounds
Dates TBC / Maximum 4 divers
$1,199.00 NZDper person, proposed trip price
Explore the trip

Make room for adventure

Alderman Islands

The kind of trip worth putting on the calendar once the details line up. Good preparation, a small group and no pressure to prove anything.

Alderman Islands
Dates TBC / Maximum 4 divers
$3,700.00 NZDper person, proposed trip price
Explore the trip

Plan it properly

Three Kings

For a well prepared crew of suitable divers. Know the plan, know your limits and make the important decisions before leaving shore.

Three Kings
Dates TBC / Maximum 4 divers
$7,500.00 NZDper person, proposed trip price
Explore the trip

Proposed trip prices. Dates, duration, operator, vessel, full itinerary, inclusions and terms are confirmed before any payment. An enquiry does not reserve a place.

The Exhale approach

Part time builder.
Full time spearo.

We’re Brendon and Craig Barnett. Both dads, builders, spearos and freediving instructors. We often work together, on building sites, in the classroom and out in the water.

At Exhale, we bring our different strengths to the same goal: helping you become a more capable, confident and considerate diver. We keep the learning practical, make room for questions and take the time to understand where you are starting.

Preparation, technique and looking after your buddy sit at the centre of how we teach. Whether you are new to freediving or already spending plenty of time in the water, we will help you work out a useful next step.

The story behind Exhale

Be the person your buddy wants beside them.

Practical skills. Good judgement. Respect for the water.

Meet your instructors

Your people in the water.

We teach as a team, bringing different strengths to the same practical, relaxed approach. Talk to either of us about your experience, where you would like to train and the skills you want to work on.

Brendon Barnett

PADI Advanced Freediver Instructor

Brendon brings a practical approach to the team, helping you work out where you are starting, choose a useful next step and take the time to understand it.

Working alongside Craig, he focuses on preparation, technique and good buddy habits. The aim is to build skills you understand and can put into practice.

021 131 6517

Craig Barnett

Freediving Instructor

Craig brings a calm, relaxed approach to the team, whether he is running a theory class or out diving alongside Brendon. He makes the theory clear and practical, with plenty of room for questions.

An awesome spearo, conscientious buddy and a legend to dive with, Craig helps keep the learning relaxed while taking the important stuff seriously.

027 713 1001

The Exhale training library

Keep learning.
Keep a record.

Original Exhale books and training resources, with a place to return to what you have learnt and keep track of your next step.

The work between sessions.

The library is being prepared. Finished books will have their own description, sample, format and price before they are made available. Training resources support coaching; they do not replace appropriate instruction or supervision.

Explore the library

Books are not available for purchase yet. Register interest in the books

Before you get in

A few useful
answers.

Something else on your mind? Ask us

Do I need freediving experience?

No previous freediving qualification is needed for PADI Freediver. You do need appropriate swimming ability, comfort in the water and medical suitability. Advanced training has additional entry requirements. Tell us where you are starting and we will help you choose.

Is the spearfishing course a PADI qualification?

No. The NZ$650 spearfishing course is an Exhale skills course. PADI Freediver and PADI Advanced Freediver are separate certification courses, with their own requirements.

How do I book a course or trip?

Start with an enquiry. We confirm dates, location, suitability, capacity, inclusions, the total payable and booking terms before taking payment. Proposed charter departures are expressions of interest until the full trip offer is confirmed.

What is included, and do I need my own gear?

Each confirmed offer will spell out the inclusions and any additional charges. Bring suitable gear where possible, but talk to us before buying anything. Do not assume gear hire, eLearning, certification, venue charges, boat travel, accommodation or meals are included unless listed.

What happens if conditions change?

The conditions and the group come first. The confirmed offer will explain postponement, rescheduling and cancellation arrangements before you book. An advertised itinerary is not a reason to continue in unsuitable conditions.

Can you guarantee a five minute breath hold?

No. Towards Five is a planned coached progression, not a guaranteed result. A static breath hold does not tell you how long it is safe to stay underwater while spearfishing. Never practise underwater breath holding alone or use hyperventilation to extend a hold.

What about medical suitability?

Complete the appropriate diver medical screening and obtain medical clearance when indicated. Use the general enquiry form to request a private suitability discussion, rather than submitting health information through it.

Your next step

Tell us where
you want to go.

A first course, a skill you want to sharpen or a trip you cannot stop thinking about. Start the conversation.

Talk to Brendon021 131 6517Talk to Craig027 713 1001

Enquiries are reviewed before a booking is accepted. Please keep medical information out of this form.

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