Malta has lots going for it for freediving including amazing visibility of 30m+ and impressive underwater topography including caves and caverns. One thing that always stands out to our divers visiting Malta at One Breath Freediving is the abundance and accessibility of shipwrecks available to see.

Here I have made a list of our favourite wrecks for freediving. All have been sunk on purpose as an artificial reef and diving attraction and all are in the depth range (or viewing range) of 10-20m. Next to each listing is a link that takes you to a video of the wreck on the OBF YouTube channel so you can get a better impression of the amazing experience that is wreck freediving here.

I hope you enjoy. Let us know in the comments which is your favourite wreck to freedive!

1) Patrol Boat P-29:
LOCATION: Cirkewwa | DEPTH: 20-35m | VIDEO: HERE
​Former East German patrol boat built in 1960's before being sold to the Maltese navy in 1997. Scuttled as a diving attraction in 2007. Sits in 35m of water at Cirkewwa in North Malta, this is one of the wrecks we see most as we frequently train at this location. 52m long and 8m wide and sister ship to P-31 in Comino.

HIGHLIGHT: 
Seeing the dark shape below from the surface and if able to dive just to 10-15m above it, gives an amazing view of the whole ship, so perfect for new freedivers and as a first wreck.

2) Tug 2:
LOCATION: Sliema | DEPTH: 12-20m | VIDEO: HERE
A former working tug from the Valetta port, this boat was sunk in 2013 as a diving attraction and artificial reef. It is quite a swim from shore (10 min surface swim) but well worth the effort as it is a great looking wreck in a typical 'tug' form. Doors and windows are all removed to make it safe for divers to explore.

HIGHLIGHT:
Perfect depth and size for freediving on and to access safely inside. Great fun and ideal for making cool freediving videos.

3) Um El Faroud:
LOCATION: Wied Iz Zurrieq | DEPTH: 15-35m | VIDEO: HERE
This former oil tanker is an impressive 115m long and 16m wide and sits on the seabed at 35m in two parts having been broken apart in a particularly fierce storm. This part of the coast is susceptible to strong currents so this particular wreck is more suitable for advanced freedivers. If you are lucky and probably with a strong current present, you might see schooling Barracuda around the upper decks.  See photo above for this ship being positioned for sinking.

HIGHLIGHT: 
The pure size of this wreck is immense and amazing to see for the very first time. The propeller is very impressive if you are comfortable down at 35m.

4) Patrol Boat P-31:
LOCATION: Comino | DEPTH: 10-20m | VIDEO: HERE
This is the sister ship of the P-29 at Cirkewwa so shares the same specifications but sits shallower on a sandy bottom at 20m deep making it another wreck perfect for all levels of freediver. Scuttled in 2009 it is still in good condition as it is sheltered from the worst storms. Accessing the wreck is by boat as it lies off the uninhabited island of Comino. Beware of other boat traffic, especially in the summer months.

HIGHLIGHT: 
Being able to see the whole wreck from the surface (see photo above) is amazing. So also perfect for snorkellers. Often lots of scuba divers which adds more fun with the accompanying bubbles.

5) MV Scotscraig:
​LOCATION: Anchor Bay | DEPTH: 10-20m | VIDEO: HERE
This wreck has an interesting history as it was used for the Popeye movie (1980), firstly to transport the material into the secluded bay to construct the film set, and then in the movie itself. The boat is a river ferry 25m in length and relatively wide, sitting at 20m depth on a mix of rocks and seagrass. The visibility here is never great by Maltese standards (15m maybe) and it is a LONG swim (or better by kayak) just North of Anchor Bay.

HIGHLIGHT: 
Not frequently dived on because of its more isolated location, so feels more of a real 'discovery' and the marine life can be more abundant because of this.
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Come freediving with One Breath Freediving to see these and more wrecks in Malta. Exploring and fun freediving sessions available to already certified freedivers.
Interested in deeper and historical wrecks in Malta? At this underwater museum website you can view numerous amazing Maltese shipwrecks in a 3D interactive experience: HERE
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By David Watson, Owner, Founder & Head Instructor / AIDA Instructor Trainer at One Breath Freediving

The Blue Hole in Dahab has a stunning reef with vibrant colours. There is nothing better than after a tough training session on the buoy & line than enjoying the natural beauty of the reef with the freedom and simplicity without the wetsuit and feeling the water on your skin.

By David Watson, AIDA & PADI Master Freediver Instructor and Owner & Founder at One Breath Freediving, based in Malta

Recently, during a shallower freediving session (that was forced on to us due to bad weather), I was diving down to the sea floor and just lying still on the sandy bottom playing with the sand in my hands. It was here during these breath holds that I was reminded of the importance of fun for freediving training. So for this blog post I wanted to discuss the concept of fun in sport and the importance of making practice ‘fun’, and how this can apply to freediving.

Freediving is a sport that can too often be overly focused on its end goals as a measure of success, as in “how deep was your dive?” or “how long did you hold your breath?”. Even at a recreational level it is still very easy to compare yourself with the person training next to you, or even comparing yourself to your own performance in the session you had last week. This ‘end goal’ focus can not only cause anxiety or increase fear of ‘failure’ but also as a consequence, reduce performance and decrease the positive feeling and sensation of the dive (which is why most of us do it in the first place, right?).

If we can try to recall our childhood when we played with our friends, maybe it was a football ‘kick about’ or a game of tag. There would usually be a winner overall but it more often than not, that that didn’t matter. The reason we played was for the joy of the play itself, not to try to beat our friends! To bring some of this fun back into adult sports can be very beneficial but at the same time it is difficult, especially to put our ego to one side. Having fun can increase physical and psychological health, releasing endorphins and decreasing stress. And what was the favourite word of us freediving instructors that we say to our students during the courses? .......RELAX..... This word is used so often in freediving that sometimes we can lose perspective of what we actually mean by it. Relax what? Relax how? Participating in an activity purely for the pleasure of the activity itself (with no end goals expected), can open up a doorway to new levels of relaxation due to the decrease in performance anxiety, (which creates tension and stress in both body and mind).

So what can this mean for our freediving training? It means sometimes dive off the line. Dive down to blow a bubble ring. Dive down to play with the marine life. Dive down and close your eyes. Dive down to look into a tunnel to see what is in there....just for the hell of it (exploration is FUN!). Sessions do not have to be about depth or times on every occasion. Playing and fun can distract from the breath hold and any anxiety (conscious or otherwise) associated with it. Hang and close your eyes.... Feel the sensation of the water on the skin... Try something new in the water with no expectations (no-fins maybe)! Or even like me, just lie on the seafloor totally engrossed with what small details or tiny creatures are before you on the sand, and this could provide you with a level of relaxation (and dive times) that simply cannot be achieved through force.
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Thanks for reading

Freediving in the Maltese Islands has lots of wonderful features that make it spectacular; the stunning underwater visibility of up to 40m, the cliffs and caves that are prevalent across the islands, the deep blue colour of the water that is unique to the Mediterranean Sea. But one thing that really draws freedivers to Malta is the chance to dive on ship wrecks. Malta has a LOT of wrecks, some sunk by nature (storms), by humans (wars), or on purpose to create artificial reefs. The P-31 wreck falls into the latter category.

Since being purchased by the Maltese Tourism Authority and sank as an artificial reef attraction for divers, the P-31 now sits upright on the sandy seabed West of Comino( just South of Blue Lagoon and just West of Crystal Lagoon), approximately 200m from shore. The depth on the bottom here is 20m and the top of the wreck is at just 10m deep. In fact the P-31 sits so shallow that it was necessary to cut off the mast of the ship before sinking her so as not to obstruct boat traffic. The wreck can often be seen clearly from the surface when you arrive by boat and I have even seen it occasionally from out of the airplane window when arriving or leaving Malta on certain days! In the summer months you will see a yellow ‘X’ marker buoy above to indicate the wrecks position.
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Since her sinking, the P-31 has had to weather some rough storms as the prevailing winds on the islands are from a NW direction and sitting this shallow in the water means that waves and swell have had an impact, but considering that she has been underwater for 10 years already the wreck is still in very good condition. Before sinking she was thoroughly cleaned and made safe for divers. This means doors and hatches were removed and obstructions such fixtures, wires and cables were cleared out. There are a number of levels to explore and for a freediver it is normally clear and obvious which direction it is possible and safe to go in.