Underwater scene with a diver in black wetsuit and blue fins swimming near a rocky underwater landscape.

Cork Free Diving

How it all started & more freediving and wildlife information.

Instagram: cork_free_diving

One of the many cool things you can see when holding your breath and exploring out in the wild😊 A spiny starfish re-growing one of it’s arms🤯 Have you spotted this before? #starfish #spinystarfish #atlanticocean #freediving #snorkelling #c
Different perspectives from a recent outing😊 Freediving practise with @edi_the_fish and @corkfreediver 😊 We will keep practising throughout the winter, message us if you would like to come along (Cork/West Cork) #freediving #freedivingireland
Some of the many weird-looking things you can find underwater all around Ireland😊 The water is currently still around 13-14C, 2 years ago I recorded 11C🥶 Who else is still snorkelling or Freediving in Ireland? Does anyone want to join us in Decem
Out was the sun and so were we😅 Temperatures were mild yesterday and we decided to head to West Cork for some depth training and exploring. To my delight, I saw close to 20 ‘full’ mermaid purses (egg shells). We also came across a beau
Another thing we love doing within the community, is exploring and trying to find (more) suitable spots for freediving. This little gem is in West Cork, a bit hidden and exposed to northerly winds. The Gulf Stream seems to have more impact here due

Scroll below to find out more about Cork Free Diving and Cornelia.

Group of people in wetsuits standing on a dock by a water body, surrounded by trees and rocky landscape.

About Cork Free Diving and how it all began

Cork Free Diving is a community-based project started in 2021 when Cornelia and her friend Ann started to meet up regularly for snorkelling & freediving.

Soon, we realised there was no active network or communities of fellow freedivers in Cork or Ireland. Or at least we didn’t know about them.

One important rule when practising apnea or simply going out freediving and snorkelling is never to go out alone. And we wanted to figure out how to meet more like-minded people to go out with in case one of us two wasn’t available.

And so the page “cork_free_diving” got set up on Instagram to share our adventures and explorations at sea and find and meet up with like-minded freedivers.
Soon, Cornelia and Ann started to meet more fellow freedivers and quickly, regular meet-ups happened to do what we all love together: Go freediving in Ireland.

We are based in Co.Cok and mainly meet in Cork for open-sea, onshore and offshore dives, but we have also been travelling across Ireland to meet with more freedivers and clubs.

Since then, our network and community have massively increased, establishing a group of regular people (and now also friends) to go freediving with in Cork.
A lot has also happened in the Diving Ireland world (under Sports Ireland) and their Scuba diving clubs who not only now also welcome freedivers, but in the meantime, other very passionate freedivers have advocated and helped to create the first Irish National Freediving club in Ireland.

Behind Cork Free Diving, Cornelia is passionate about marine wildlife (or any wildlife), the sea, breathwork, and freediving. Photography and creating underwater content have also been a big part of the Cork Free Diving page to showcase Ireland's beauty beneath the sea.

In the meantime, Cornelia also started to connect with local resources to enable the possibility of going off-shore diving and exploring, hoping to observe some of Ireland's marine wildlife, such as blue sharks, basking sharks, dolphins, and whales.


A strict ethical and safety approach is always followed so as not to harass or disturb any wildlife we may encounter.


Four people in wetsuits on a dock by the sea with one person raising a leg, cloudy sky
Person snorkeling in clear blue water surrounded by rocky cliffs.
Group of people wearing wetsuits standing near a blue body of water with rocky landscape in the background.
Two divers underwater wearing fins and wetsuits
Group of people in wetsuits and casual clothing posing by water, holding diving or snorkeling gear, with houses and greenery in the background.

About Cornelia and her Freediving journey:

I have always been a “water baby”. I remember how I used to dive in pools as a child since I felt more comfortable underwater than swimming. I was also intrigued by what I could find at the bottom of the pool, often recovering lost earrings or other things whilst “exploring”.

Throughout the years, I would have always been snorkelling or freediving on holidays but only in 2020 did I complete my first Freediving course (SSI) in Cork. Now realising that freediving can also be a regular occurrence in Ireland, I started to connect with a fellow course member (and now good friend), going out snorkelling and freediving along the Cork's coast.

I love the sense of exploration and wonder, looking at little details or appreciating the powerful forces of the sea and its wildlife. I have always been into photography and action cameras (before on land), so naturally, I started to bring along my gear and also document some of our experiences underwater.

Over the years, I also completed CMAS Lvl.2. Although not drawn to competition or competition training, I like to stay on top of my technique and train in dedicated freediving sessions. Although not directly linked to Freediving, I am also a certified Breathwork facilitator (Conscious Connected Breath), which ultimately also benefits freediving.

Recently, we started regular pool sessions in Cork City, which will be beneficial in enhancing our skills and ensuring good safety and freediving practises all year round.
I am also freediving and snorkelling throughout the winter, and in Ireland, you can expect temperatures between 6C- 19C depending on location and time of the year.
Please read more in the blog post for dedicated information.

Cornelia

Group of four people in wetsuits holding snorkeling and diving gear, standing on a sandy beach near the water.
Freediver underwater wearing a black wetsuit and fins, pointing upwards.
Scuba diver swimming through underwater kelp forest