Fahd Faiz is a Maldivian freediving pioneer. He holds a world record in static apnea — a freediving discipline where a person holds their breath underwater for as long as possible while remaining completely still — and is currently President of the Maldives Freediving Association. In 2015 he founded Freedive Maldives, the country’s first locally owned freediving centre. As the nation’s only PADI Instructor Trainer, Faiz has been central to developing both freediving education and marine conservation advocacy in the Maldives. In 2025, he worked with COMO Maalifushi to develop the resort’s freediving programme.
For Fahd Faiz — President of the Maldives Freediving Association, world-record holder in static apnea, and the guiding hand behind COMO Maalifushi’s new freediving programme — the ocean has always been a place of quiet belonging. “Being Maldivian, we are always connected to a marine environment,” he says. “From a young age we learn to hold our breath diving, going spear fishing, catching octopus, or simply playing in the water with friends. But freediving is something different altogether. It’s about pushing past your comfort zone and discovering new depths — both literally and metaphorically.”
When Faiz left a career in aviation in 2015 to pursue freediving full-time, there were no instructors in the Maldives. He trained in Thailand and the Philippines, later competing internationally before returning home to train other freediving instructors. “When you’re freediving, you become part of the ocean,” he says: “It’s my happy place; a world bigger than yourself. ” The experience is very different to scuba diving: “You descend in a single breath. Without the gear and all the bubbles and sound that come with it, you are interacting more closely with the ocean and its creatures. For me, it feels much more organic.”
Freediving is something different altogether. It’s about pushing past your comfort zone and discovering new depths — both literally and metaphorically
Faiz describes the waters around COMO Maalifushi as ideal for both novice and experienced freedivers. “The Thaa Atoll offers clear lagoons and incredible depths just off the reef — 60 to 70 metres in some spots,” he explains. “It’s perfect for guests wanting to explore deeper waters, while still offering safe, manageable conditions for beginners.”
It’s not just the ocean that draws people to freedive at COMO Maalifushi: the resort’s holistic approach to wellness — through meditation, breathwork and yoga — makes it uniquely aligned with the sport. Guests who choose to try freediving can take advantage of these complementary therapies, to deepen their practice and improve their results. “Freediving is as much a mental discipline as a physical one”, notes Faiz. “The biggest muscle we have is our mind. You need to shut everything out when you dive. The purely physical element is only about 20 per cent of freediving. How quickly you can block out stress and focus entirely on yourself is what makes a great freediver.”
The benefits of the mental discipline the sport requires reach far beyond the ocean, Faiz says. “There’s a saying I tell my students: we don’t freedive when we’re stressed. The stillness you cultivate underwater changes how you live on land. As freedivers, we try to live a stress-free life.” At COMO Maalifushi, experienced instructors trained by Faiz help guests embrace this ethos, guiding them to find calm both underwater and on land. Faiz adds that guests are often astonished by how quickly they progress. Beginners start with breathing techniques, learning how to safely extend their breath-hold times: “within the first hour, our instructors often see guests’ breath-hold double.” By day two, guests are ready to take to the water under expert supervision. “The instructors never push depths recklessly,” Faiz emphasises. “Safety always comes first: guests stay in their comfort zone, always with a buddy.”
For those who take the plunge, the reward is a rare experience that offers a deeper connection with the ocean and a meditative path to self-awareness. “You discover yourself in freediving,” reflects Faiz: “the best way I can describe the feeling is a calmness within yourself. When I’m free in the water, it’s part of who I am. I feel safer there than on land.”
For more information on COMO Maalifushi’s freediving programme, please contact our concierge team.
