This proposal was initiated by Adam De La Mare and Stefan Ruiz, both UK-based freediving instructors and organisers.
It emerged from practical challenges encountered while working to expand facility access for freediving in the UK. In the course of that work, it became clear that there was no neutral, cross-community forum through which such issues could be discussed collectively.
Rather than pursue this solely as a school-level concern, the decision was made to explore whether a broader, community-led structure might be useful.
This site sets out that proposal.
Adam De La Mare
Adam has been freediving since 2010. He trained through NoTanx before becoming an AIDA Instructor in 2016 and later an AIDA Master Instructor.
Adam co-founded Freedive Menorca in 2018 and teaches regularly in the UK and abroad. While experienced in competitive and depth-focused freediving, his primary focus is now instruction and long-term participation in the sport. His teaching approach emphasises calm, clarity and accessibility.
Stefan Ruiz
Stefan’s background includes lifeguarding, swimming instruction, acting/stunt performance work and cold water therapy practice. He trained through AIDA levels 1–4 in Seychelles before qualifying as an AIDA Instructor in Dahab.
He founded Freediving London in response to growing interest in the sport and works to expand access to safe, structured freediving opportunities within the UK.
A Note on Role and Intent
This proposal does not position Adam or Stefan as leaders of any future structure.
As both are commercial freediving instructors and business owners, they would fall within the same membership category as other instructors or school organisers. Under the proposed structure, only one representative may be elected from each category. This means they could not both hold representative positions simultaneously.
The purpose of this initiative is not to establish a new authority, but to explore whether the UK freediving community wishes to create a representative forum at all.
If the community does not support the proposal, it will not proceed.
