Supported by Water Safety NZ

Koha Freedive Sessions

A full freedive day at the beach with spearfishing, hunting and gathering specialists. Made for our tāne, 35 to 55, and their dive buddies.

Koha Pay what you can

Choose your date

Sat 31 Oct · TutukakaSat 21 Nov · KaitaiaSat 19 Dec · Matauri BaySat 30 Jan · TutukakaSat 27 Feb · Matauri BaySat 13 Mar · KaitaiaSat 24 Apr · TutukakaSat 22 May · Matauri Bay

Your koha

$10$20$30$50$80$100$150$200

People

No gear? Add the full kit hire$65 for the day, usually $90. Freedive suit, mask & snorkel, fins & booties, weight belt, gloves.

1 day$65 · usually $902 days$120 · usually $180

Buy it as a gift voucherValid for 3 years from today. They can pick or change the date later.

I've read the health & safety and disclosure of risk I've read the cancellation & refund policy I agree to the terms & conditions

Bring your own dive gear, or add the kit above. Next, every person fills in the registration form. Your spot is confirmed once we have both.

Six years of koha sessions

Pay what you can. Leave knowing how to help.

We've been running koha freedive sessions for over six years. This summer, with a hand from Water Safety New Zealand, we're opening them up to the wider community. A full day at the beach with freedive instructors and local spearfishing, hunting and gathering specialists.

It's made for our tāne, 35 to 55, and their dive buddies. Not in that group? Come with us anyway, as someone's buddy. Bring your partner, your kids (12 and up) or your mate.

What to expect

Calm water first, then the open ocean

We start in a sheltered bay that opens from calm, confined water out to open water, so you build up at your own pace. Freedive protocols, safety and rescue, reading the weather and the ocean, and buddy procedures.

Then shore safety, ocean freediving and safe kaimoana gathering, at around 10 to 15 m. No experience needed. If you already dive or hunt, you'll sharpen your technique and your safety.

How the day goes

10am
Meet and register
Tutukaka: Lighthouse Walkway trail head car park, at the end of Landowners Lane. For other beaches, we email you the meeting point.
Then
A short bush walk
Down through the local bush to a sheltered bay. Gear on, buddies sorted.
Morning
Protocols, safety and rescue
Freedive skills in calm water, reading the ocean, and how to look after each other.
Afternoon
Out into open water
Shore safety, ocean freediving and safe kaimoana gathering with our specialists.
Till 3pm
Shared kai and a yarn
Potluck style. We bring a big spread, and we talk about the season ahead.

Never dive aloneYour best bit of safety gear is another personLearn together today, and you'll look out for each other all summer.

Bring your dive gear

Bring your own gear and pack for a day at the beach. No gear, or missing a piece? Add the full kit hire when you book: $65 for the day (usually $90). We only have enough for a few people, so book early.

Wetsuit

Mask & snorkel

Fins & booties

Weight belt

A plate to share For the potluck

Warm layer Beanie, jacket, towel

The bigger picture

Kaiako in every rohe

A huge thanks to the good buggers at Water Safety New Zealand for backing these days. The big picture is freedive, water safety and marine education kaiako in every rohe, so every community has its own people looking after each other in the water.

Fancy being one of them? Have a look at the kaiako pathway.

Dates and places

Saturdays, once a month

One session a month, at a different beach each time.

Sat 31 Oct Tutukaka · Sat 21 Nov Kaitaia · Sat 19 Dec Matauri Bay · Sat 30 Jan Tutukaka · Sat 27 Feb Matauri Bay · Sat 13 Mar Kaitaia · Sat 24 Apr Tutukaka · Sat 22 May Matauri Bay

How to book

Koha plus one form each

1. Pick your date and pay your koha (add gear if you need it). 2. Every person fills in the registration form, one each. 3. We email your confirmation.

Thank you for showing up and sharing what you know. Let's get everyone home for tea this summer.

Why tāne 35 to 55? The story behind these sessions+

We've been running koha freedive sessions for six years. This summer, with a small amount of funding from Water Safety New Zealand, we're opening them up to the wider community.

The numbers that got us moving

57people drowned in Aotearoa by 21 July 2026. That's 18 more than the same time last year.

54 of 57were men

32were aged 35 to 54. More than half.

64%were in or on the water alone

And the forecast isn't great. Water Safety NZ predicts up to 101 preventable drownings by the end of 2026, the first time over 100 in nearly 25 years. A strong El Niño is on the way, and El Niño springs and summers have averaged about 10 more drownings than other years. Summer is already the big one: 43% of all fatal drownings happen then.

We're expecting an awesome summer, with everybody in the water. So we're trying to get ahead of it.

So why tāne 35 to 55?

Because that's who the numbers say we're losing. Our dads, uncles, brothers and mates. The ones out gathering kai for the whānau, often on their own. Māori are over-represented in the drowning statistics too. The funding is there to reach these men first, and we need to fill those places or the funding goes back.

Why dive buddies too?

Because your best bit of safety gear is another person. Going alone is one of the biggest risks there is. So bring your partner, your kids (12 and up) or your mate. Learn together, and you'll look out for each other all summer.

Not in the funded group?

You're still welcome. Come as someone's dive buddy, or join our Community Freedive Sessions. Feeling generous? Pop in a bigger koha, or give us a hand on the day. Every bit helps us reach more people.

What you're getting

A $300 workshop, run by volunteers who are some of the highest-trained freedive instructors in New Zealand, alongside local spearfishing, hunting and gathering specialists. You pay what you can.

Why it matters

You can't know what you don't know. So here we are, sharing what we know, and learning from what you know. We really appreciate you showing up, sharing your knowledge and staying safe. Let's get everyone home for tea this summer.

Numbers from Water Safety New Zealand: 2026 drowning prediction (July 2026), summer release (Nov 2025) and the 2025 Drowning Prevention Report.

What you'll walk away with+

Success on this day isn't just you diving safely. It's you knowing how to help someone else. Think of it as first aid for the ocean.

The day has two parts

1Learning. Know yourself in the water, and safe ways to dive, hunt and gather.

2Helping and assisting. Be a buddy, spot trouble early and know how to step in.

Take it home

Even from the shore, you'll be able to teach your kids, your aunty or your mum:

How to check in with each other before, during and after
How to call for help, and how to use emergency services (111)
Simple things you can do in your community to keep everyone safer

Where to from here?

Drop in to our casual clubs (pool training Tuesdays and Thursdays), apply for a Spearfishing & Kai Day on the boat, or train as a kaiako and lead your own people. We love the tuakana–teina way: everyone learns from each other.

Got a group you'd like us to support? We can come to your rohe. Get in touch.

Commonly asked questions+

Do I need any experience?

No. We start with freedive protocols and skills in calm water, then build up. If you already dive or hunt, you'll sharpen your technique and your safety.

Do I need my own gear?

Yes, bring your wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins, booties and weight belt. No gear? Add the full kit hire when you book, $65 for the day (usually $90). The funding doesn't cover gear hire, and we only have enough for a few people.

I'm not a tāne aged 35–55. Can I come?

Yes, as a dive buddy. These sessions are funded to reach tāne aged 35 to 55, so most places are held for them. The best way in is to come with a tāne and register together. Or join our Community Freedive Sessions.

Can I bring my kids and my partner?

Yes, bring the whānau as your dive buddies (12 and up). Each person pays their koha and registers. Family and friends are welcome to cruise at the beach too, but only registered people go in the water.

Is my spot confirmed when I pay?

Not yet. Every person fills in the registration form, one each. Once we have your koha and your form, we'll email your confirmation. Under 18s register with a parent or guardian. Everyone also does a quick survey before and after the day, as part of our funding.

What if the weather's bad?

Safety comes first. If the ocean isn't safe, we move to the local pool or a backup date.

What happens after?

Apply for a Spearfishing & Kai Day on the boat, drop in to our weekly clubs, or train as a kaiako to lead your own community. Join the online club to stay in the loop.

Something else? Message us

Book your session