Freediving Family Reunion:
Spearfishing Expedition in Norway (8 Spots Total)
What Are Freediving Family Reunions?
Freediving Family Retreats are our way of bringing the friends and family we meet at Deep Weeks together once again to use what we learned to have fun and dive together in an incredible place somewhere in the world!
Each Family Reunion is a close knit and a unique experience for those that join. Space is very limited at these events which opens us up to one of a kind opportunities to explore the world with friends.
An arctic adventure in Northern Norway.
Over seven days in Northern Norway, we’ll find ourselves exploring a remote, world-renowned fishing region and it’s surrounding fjords in the Lyngen Alps. This trip is a true arctic adventure, combining spearfishing and seafood foraging with catch-and-cook beach barbecues, hiking, and a day of sailing!
For the first half of the trip we’ll be guided by Norwegian spearo and marine biologist - Eivind Larsen - whose local knowledge and scientific background will help us explore this new habitat! Species you can hope to encounter include: Halibut, Cod, Pollock, Monkfish, Scallops, Mussels and more.
Additionally, our journey finishes back in Tromsø where we’ll set sail with Elisabeth Fosstveit - a member of the National Spearfishing team in Norway, to spend a day exploring Lyngenfjord, ultimately ending on a remote beach for the night to camp in traditional tents!
What’s the schedule?
* Please note everything is weather dependent and the schedule is flexible.
📅 Aug 13: Depart from Tromsø
• Our journey starts in Tromsø (we recommend flying in the day before on the 12th)
• On the 13th after everyone arrives we’ll jump in a rented van and drive ~1.5 hours north to our accommodation in the Lyngen Alps!
🔱 Aug 14: Dive day on the boat
• We’ll head out in the boat for our first day of diving! Anything we catch we’ll cook up for a little BBQ on the beach!
🐟 Aug 15: Shore dive
• We’ll explore one of the shore diving spots of this area for foraged goodies like scallops and mussels!
🛥️ Aug 16: Dive day on the boat
• We’ll head out for our last day on the boat.
🏔️ Aug 17: Hike in the alps!
• Weather permitting, we’ll hike one of the more famous hikes in these alps, like Blåisvatnet (The Blue Lake) or a longer one depending on what the group wants to do!
Aug 18: Day and night spent sailing!
• In the morning we’ll drive back to Tromsø and board a sailboat with Elisabeth and her crew! We’ll spend the entire day cruising around the Fjords before settling down to camp on one of the remote beaches for the night in a traditional lavvu tent!
✈️ Aug 19: Departure day
• Return to Tromsø around midday. Everyone will catch their onward travel!
Who is this trip for?
If you’re wondering if this trip is for you here are some considerations and pre-requisites!
Minimum Wave 1 Certification or equivalent You must have passed your Wave 1 or above to attend any of our Family Reunions!
You’ve been to a Freediving Family event before As with all of our Family Reunions, you must have attended an event in Australia or a Deep Week.
Minimal spearfishing experience required If you’re new to spearfishing, don’t stress! - this is a beginner friendly trip open to anyone from “I’ve only been spearing once” to advanced spearos.
Feel free to email Marissa with any questions about the above at deepweek@freedivingfamily.com!
For the first 5 nights of this adventure we’ll be staying in cozy apartments in the Lyngen Alps.
Just 30m from the sea, the apartments are well equipped for divers with a drying room, gear room, showers, changing rooms and a sauna all on the first floor!
The apartments have 2 beds per room so we’ll be sharing!
From the apartments we’ll walk straight onto the boat (see picture left) in the morning, which is equipped with a heated cabin!!
Where are we staying?
One night under the stars.
For our last night we have a special treat planned! After arriving back in Tromsø we’ll jump onto a sailboat for a day of sailing, spearing off the boat and exploring the remote beaches of Lyndenfjord!
At the end of the day we’ll anchor up in a sheltered bay and pitch traditional Lavvu tents right on the beach for a night under the stars!
What’s included?
✅ What Is Included:
• Transportation for all scheduled activities, including transport from Tromsø to the alps and back
• 5x nights accommodation in a shared apartment (2 per room) + 1x of camping in traditional tents on the beach!
• All boat costs (including our day of sailing)
• Local guides
• Spearing gear and lead weight
❌ What is not included
• International flights to and from Norway
• Meals (we’ll all pitch in for side dishes to our fish dinners that we catch!)
• Travel insurance
• Personal luxury items, toiletries, etc.
• Diving gear rental (wetsuits, mask, etc.)
• Tips and gratuity
Your Hosts
This trip will be lead by none other than Freediving Family’s keenest spearo: Marissa Schmidt. Having spent a few years in Oregon, USA Marissa is no stranger to colder diving!
We’re teaming up with some of Norway’s most experienced spearos!
For the first half of our journey, marine biologist and Tromsø local - Eivind Larsen - will be our guide through his home turf in the Lyngen Alps!
And for our last night of the trip, we’ll sail through the Fjords with
Elisabeth Fosstveit, a Norwegian D6 Deck Officer and active spearfisher with deep local knowledge. Elisabeth leads trips with a focus on safety, adventure, and respect for the marine environment.
FAQ
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Not for this trip! This trip is built as a catch-and-cook style spearing trip, which means we’ll eat everything we catch and whatever we don’t eat will be donated to the local village where we’re staying.
So leave the freezer bags at home!
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This trip is built for all experience levels, however it’s not built as a course. So if you have never held a speargun before this might not be the trip for you!
But don’t worry, we will be running other spearing courses this year. so keep your eyes on the website! -
Unfortunately you have to have joined us for a Deep Week or one of our multi day events in Australia in the past to be able to join us at a Freediving Family Reunion.
We do this because, not to brag, but theres something special about our events that you just need to see to fully experience! But don’t worry, we will be running more and more reunions as we move ahead so you will have plenty of opportunities to join us in amazing places around the world.
In the mean time, check out our upcoming Deep Week dates by going to the Deep Week tab in our menu and join us for our next Deep Week! We are going to be in Bali running a Deep Week literally the week before this adventure begins. Why don’t you join us there!
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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 Reunion 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 2 weeks of the event starting, we do charge a fee equal to the event deposit. Any balance remaining can be applied to a future Family Reunion.
If you need to cancel within 2 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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All spearing equipment and lead weight is included. But if you need other things like a thicker wetsuit, fins, etc. those can be rented from our partner in Norway!
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The water in Norway in August sits at about 10–13 °C (50–56 °F)! So we recommend having at least a 7mm wetsuit and 5mm gloves and booties for this trip.
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Yes, partners and family members are welcome to join any Freediving Family Reunion, even if they haven’t been to an event before. They just need to meet the wave requirement and have some spearing experience for this one!
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Nope! Saltwater fishing is free and open to everyone in Norway.
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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.
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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 trip is compulsory.
If you feel like you need some time to chill and relax by skipping a 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
Our spots for Retreats are filling fast!
$750 AUD
Deposit
$4950 AUD
Full Payment
This price includes transportation for all scheduled activities, including transport from Tromsø to the alps and back, 6 nights of accommodation, boat rental, a day of sailing, all guide fees, spearing equipment, and lead weight. It does not include international flights, meals, travel insurance, diving gear rental (wetsuits, mask, etc.) or tips. To ensure your booking is confirmed, please provide a $750 AUD non-refundable deposit. The remaining amount can be paid 8 weeks prior to the Family Reunion. Your transaction is secure through Stripe. Terms of Service.