Monica, originally from Argentina has always been enamored by the sea.
She started in the sport of freediving in her home-town of Mar del Plata. Then, seeking more ocean adventures, she moved to the Caribbean for several years before arriving in Koh Tao, Thailand in 1999.
Monica specialized in underwater videography and scuba diving before dedicating her career to the sport of freediving by co-founding Apnea Total in 2004. Monica now continues to develop the sport and education of freediving through Apnea Total while also enjoying the ocean on her travels around the world.
Eusebio, originally from Bilbao in northern Spain, has been involved in freediving for over a decade and is a leader in freediving education worldwide. In 2004 Eusebio co-founded Apnea Total, one of the world’s largest freediving education systems.
Since this time, Eusebio has educated and trained thousands of freedivers from beginner level to professional as well as world champion spearfishermen.
Eusebio’s personal performances include being a former National Record Holder for Spain in the three depth categories.
He currently freedives to 100 meters in depth in the self-powered disciplines, a triple-figure barrier that very few in the world have achieved. When not teaching, Eusebio travels the world with his camera and shares his freediving adventures and photography through his personal project of ‘One ocean One breath’.
Aven grew up in Missoula, Montana, in the northern part of the USA, surrounded by snowy mountains and far from any ocean.
Without realizing it, he had his first freediving experience when he was only 12 months old and fell off the end of a pier into a lake and sank like a rock. To everyone’s surprise, he didn’t mind the experience at all! He progressed from little-kid swimming lessons to grown-up freediving trips around the world.
All along, he has known his true passion- freediving! Since 2013 he has been part of the Apnea Total family and has had the opportunity to share his passion with over a thousand students, from complete beginners to the instructor trainer level. Since that first time of 15 seconds underwater when he fell into a lake, to now over 7 minute breath holds and 90 meter dives, Aven has loved every second spent holding his breath in the water.
Nikki ( & Riley )
Nikki from Ireland is a former national record holder in CWT, FIM, and CNF disciplines. Since 2013, she has taught and coached freedivers in many places globally, and has provided safety in competition. As well as being an Apnea Total Instructor Trainer, she is a Scuba Dive Master, Ocean Resilience Coach, Freediving liveaboard co-ordinator and Riley’s Mum. When not teaching you will always find her close to the sea , paddle-boarding or sailing. With over 2500 nautical miles of adventures, she is happy to share her love of the Ocean and passion for Freediving with you.
Saty was born in Manchester, New Hampshire in the white mountains of the United States, but she has always been an ocean girl at heart! She first discovered freediving in Utila, and fell in love because of its parallels with yoga and meditation. Her training then took her to the Caribbean to become an instructor, before finding home in Koh Tao where she loves to study plant medicine and soak up the sun on the beach.
With 6 years of experience freediving and 8 as a yoga teacher, she is passionate about integrating yogic philosophy and classical pranayama with freediving. She shares this love with her students, helping them to find balance, mindfulness and deeper connections to the underwater world.
Caro has been working and diving around the world since 2013, building a deep connection to the ocean. After becoming an Apnea Total instructor in 2022, she decided to retire her SCUBA tank and dedicate herself fully to freediving.
Her passion for breath-holding began in childhood, when she would challenge herself to hold her breath during underwater scenes in movies to see if she would “survive”! Today, Carolina channels that lifelong obsession into her teaching, helping others to explore the beauty and tranquility of freediving. She’s committed to sharing her knowledge in a fun and inspiring way.
