Training Camp:
Freediving & Spearfishing in Soufriére, Dominica (6 Spots Total)
What Are Freediving Family Training Camps?
Most of you know us from Deep Week - our week-long freediving courses but Freediving Family Training Camps are designed to go deeper, and we’re not talking about depth. These camps focus on refining specific skills - whether that be spearing, no-fins, mermaiding, anything really!- through training, learning, and a bit of adventure along the way. We don’t offer certifications at these camps, just time in the water, coaching, and community.
One of the best little-known spearing spots in the world.
Very few places in the world offer both ideal line-diving conditions and incredible spearfishing spots all in the very same bay. This is a unique opportunity to experience the best of both worlds during a week filled with learning opportunities, training sessions, shared meals and overall great vibes.
Soufriere is a small fishing village tucked away in a sheltered bay with no current, no waves and virtually unlimited depth for line diving.
Just beyond the bay, Dominica’s volcanic coastline opens up into a diverse playground for spearfishing.
Expect vibrant reef systems, dramatic drop-offs, access to FADs, and even easy, rewarding shore dives.
Come explore this new environment in this small trip built for just 6 on the “adventure island of the Caribbean.”
All we’re getting up to
Line-diving sessions on a platform We’ll jump on the line to work on bottom times, depth and finning technique
Spearing a variety of environments Soufriere has a bit of everything - shore diving spots, reef with drop offs, blue water, FADs, piers, etc! A spearing paradise
Dives with British Record Holder Harry McCahill As co-host of this adventure, Harry has a wealth of insight to share on both diving and spearing
Spearing workshops on theory, technique and species
Catch & Cook we’ll filet our catch and cook it up each night for dins
Hot Spring Soaks in a natural hot spring in the forest
Hikes & Waterfalls Soufriere is known as the adventure island of the pacific - literally tons to do and see!
Shared stories this is a great opportunity to connect with other spearos from around the world
Meet Your Hosts
This adventure will be guided by Marissa and Harry.
Marissa loves all things fish. She’s a Molchanovs instructor who has speared for over 6 years in 11 countries and basically froths at the mouth for spearfishing.
Harry is ranked as one of the world’s top 20 freedivers. As a Dominica resident he’s also got a ton of local knowledge and insight into the local reefs and species and can’t wait to share all he knows!
Feel free to shoot them any questions at deepweek@freedivingfamily.com.
* Top left imagery by Sandra at Deep Serenity
Who is this trip for?
As this is a training camp specifically designed for spearfishing, there are some prerequisites!
Minimum Wave 1 Certification or Equivalent As we’ll be in mixed environments (reef, blue water, current, etc.) we ask that anyone signing up to at least have a Wave 1 certification or equivalent and is familiar with safe buddying and rescues.
Comfortable diving at least 15m The BEST spearing spots we’ll be visiting are on reefs with drop offs, so to really get the best out of this experience, we recommend being able to comfortably dive to 15m. And if you’re rusty - don’t worry we’ll have a day of line-diving to knock that off!
Prior spearing experience This camp is designed to maximize the skills you already have while also picking up some new ones! So having some prior experience is a prerequisite for this trip!
How the week might unfold
* Please note everything is weather dependent and the schedule is likely to change based on the best conditions for each dive..
📅 July 15 – Arrival in Soufriére
• This will be a relaxed day as everyone arrives in Dominica
• We’ll have dinner together and a briefing at the accommodation
🔱 July 16 – Intro to everything spearfishing!
• We’ll start the day with a line diving session on the platform.
• Workshop going over gear, safety and species ID
• Hot spring soak in the afternoon if there’s time!
• Dinner together at the guesthouse, catered by one of the locals!
🐠 July 17 – Reef spearing day
• We’ll hit the water for our first day of spearing on the reef!
• We’ll spend the afternoon filleting our catch
• Ceviche for dinner! 🤞
🐚 July 18 – FADs spearing day
• We’ll head out early in the boats to hunt on the FADs
• Fish n chips for dinner!
🌴 July 19 – Waterfall hike (dry day)
• We’ll incorporate one rest(ish) day in the week! We’ll set out to one of the many waterfalls for a hike and a swim
• Then we’ll walk up Scott’s Head for sunset
🚤 July 20 – Last spearing day!
• We’ll head out for our last day on the water and return for a fish dinner!
✈️ July 21 – Departure day 🥲
• Departure to onward travel or stay and explore Dominica!
Soufriére is pure Caribbean magic. Nestled in a tropical rainforest, you won’t find flashy hotels or big supermarkets. Instead you’ll discover friendly locals, delicious home-cooked meals and daily rainbows.
For this training camp, we’ll stay at Harry’s Guesthouse, equipped with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and the only gym in the village! (which has an ice bath too!)
Where are we staying?
What’s included?
✅ What’s included:
• 5x nights accommodation
• Line diving
• All boat costs
• Local guide
• All transport fees for scheduled activities
• Spearing gear and equipment
❌ What is not included:
• Meals or beverages
• Travel insurance (highly recommended for this trip)
• Personal luxury items, toiletries, etc.
• Diving gear rental (wetsuits, weight belts, etc.)
• Airport transfers to Soufriére
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Dominica has a wide variety of species from reef fish to pelagics including:
- Wahoo
- Tuna
- Spanish Mackerel
- Barracuda
- Rainbow runners
- Snapper
- Lionfish -
Unfortunately, if you’ve never speared before this might not be the trip for you! We will be running beginner intro courses in the near future though so keep your eyes peeled for those!
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Yes! This camp is open to anyone who meets the prerequisites listed above!
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We run all of our spearing trips as catch-and-cook adventures, meaning we will not be catching more than we need. Any surplus will be given to the locals!
So leave the freezer bags at home!
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The water in the Dominica is pretty warm! A 3mm should be fine but if you get really cold then maybe consider a 5mm top!
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We won’t be offering certifications on this one! You must be at least Wave 1 certified or the equivalent to be able to attend this event!
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Due to the unique nature of the events and how each one is individually planned, we are only able to transfer your deposit to a future Freediving Family event and only if you have requested the deposit to be moved no closer than 8 weeks before the event begins.
In the event that you need to cancel your spot between 8 weeks and 4 weeks of the event starting, we do charge a fee equal to the event deposit. Any balance remaining can be applied to a future event.
If you need to cancel within 4 weeks of the event starting, we cannot move your balance to a future event.We cannot issue refunds.
For more info, check our terms of service.
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Any spearing equipment is included but any other freediving gear (i.e. wetsuit, fins, mask, etc.) will be available for rent. Lead will be provided but weight belts will not so please bring your own if you have it!
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You can pay an initial deposit to secure your spot and 8 weeks before the reunion begins the remaining balance is due.
With no deposit, there is no booking confirmed.
As soon as you book in, you will receive an email with a button that says “Pay Remainder Balance”. We ask that if you are booking on within 8 weeks of the event starting, you continue on to pay the remaining balance as soon as possible!
We ask the full payment to be covered eight weeks before the start of the event.
You can also choose to pay in full upon checkout.
For this event, we have “add ons” available that will determine which bed you get along with if you want to sign up for the after reunion. These options are available upon checkout.
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You can pay with a credit or debit card on our website. The payment is securely captured through Stripe. PayPal transfer or crypto are also options. If you would like to pay with PayPal or crypto, please contact Marissa at deepweek@freedivingfamily.com and she can assist you.
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Nothing during the camp is compulsory.
If you feel like you need some time to chill and relax by skipping a dive session, then by all means do so!
As Brandon always says, this is your vacation and you get to decide how much or little you want to do!
If you do decide to skip an activity, you are not entitled to a partial refund on the event.
Pricing
This one is coming up quick and we expect it to fill fast!
$550 AUD
Deposit
$2,590 AUD
Full Payment
The price includes accommodation, all transport to scheduled activities, boat fees and spearing equipment rental. It does not include transport to or from the airport, meals, or other diving gear hire. To ensure your booking is confirmed, please provide a $550 AUD non-refundable deposit. The remaining amount can be paid 8 weeks prior to the event. Your transaction is secure through Stripe. Terms of Service.