About Kalamata Freediving Academy
Built by divers, for divers - with a mission to make high-quality freedive training more accessible, structured, and safe.
OUR STORY
The Story Behind
Kalamata Freediving Academy.
KFA started as a small group of coaches running focused depth sessions for local athletes. As more divers joined, we built a full training system that combines technical standards, safety protocols, and personalised coaching. Today, the school supports beginners, advanced depth athletes, and competition divers through structured pathways and long-term progression plans.
FOUNDING TEAM
Meet KFA’s Founders
Each founder brings a different specialty: coaching methodology, athlete progression, and operational safety standards.
FOUNDER / Stavros Panoudis
Stavros’s resume with the water is extensive
His freediving journey began around age of 8, learning spearfishing from his father, soon they were competing as a father and son team in spearfishing competitions. For Stavros freediving is not only about sport, but a way of living, a way to redefine your self.
He has a strong background in competitive swimming and finswimming competing at national championship level and will be running our pool, technique and fitness, and most importantly our safety programs.
He is passionate about safety and developing other peoples skills to make safer, deeper divers. Has develop his own training programs and workshops for those divers who want to focus on deep safety.
An AIDA master and SSI performance instructor, competition deep safety diver and freediving coach certified by the Greek ministry of sport and a professional lifeguard mean you are always in safe hands.
He is known throughout the freediving world as an amazing manager and will run a tight ship meaning you will always be on time for your best dives.
Anyone diving in Kalamata in recent years will know his reputation for organization and safety and always having the best interests of athletes and students in the front of his mind.
He will always be there to support you. He will be your buddy!!
Email / stavros@kalamatafreedivingacademy.gr
FOUNDER / Gary McGrath
Gary is one of the UK’s most accomplished depth freedivers, holding multiple UK national records.
His personal bests include:
Constant Weight (Monofin) — 112m - National record
Constant Weight (Bifins) — 100m - National record
Free Immersion — 103m - National record
With over 20 years of freediving experience, Gary is widely respected as one of the sport’s most knowledgeable and approachable coaches.
He specialises in equalisation troubleshooting, technique refinement and building structure in training, helping divers understand what is actually happening in their dives and how to improve it.
Over the years he has coached many athletes to new personal bests and national records, working with everyone from first-time divers to elite competitors.
Owning a freediving school has been a long-held dream — creating the kind of training environment he wishes had existed when he started in the sport two decades ago.
Gary will always be at the centre helping divers progress, offering coaching, workshops and guidance to athletes and students training with us.
Email / gary@kalamatafreedivingacademy.gr
FOUNDER / David Mellor
David has been freediving for over 13 years and teaching for more than 12, building a reputation as both an exceptional athlete and a highly respected coach.
He is an incredible 7-time CMAS Category 2 World Champion and 7-time CMAS Category 2 World Record holder.
He currently holds the Category 2 world records in Free Immersion (100m), Constant Weight with Bifins (87m) and Constant Weight No Fins (67m).
Alongside his own competitive achievements, David has coached many professional divers to national records and major performance breakthroughs.
Known for his endless patience, good humor and deep technical knowledge, David is widely respected for his ability to solve complex problems in the water. A master of mouthfill and advanced equalisation, he has a rare talent for simplifying dry training and helping divers quickly understand what often seems impossible.
David will always be present at the centre, offering guidance, coaching and support — adding real value to anyone training or taking courses with us.
Email / david@kalamatafreedivingacademy.gr
OUR VALUES
What We Stand For
Clarity
Clear standards, clear session goals, and clear feedback so every diver understands what progress looks like.
Consistency
Training quality stays consistent across coaches, and levels through shared systems and standards.
Care
We coach the person, not just the
metric. Individual context and long-term well being always matter.
Safety
Safety is embedded into every decision from warmup design to depth progression and buddy protocol.
Start Your Freediving Journey in Kalamata
