Adrien Gasnier

Ten years, three languages

I came to diving through the army, then stayed for the caves. Ten years as a scuba instructor and a full cave guide, the last ten of them living in Mexico — the cenotes became the classroom.

Most of my freediving certification happened during the pandemic, which turned out to be the right way to learn it: no travel, no distractions, just breath-hold, equalisation and the long conversation between body and mind that the sport is really about.

I teach in Spanish, English and French, and I adapt to how you actually learn — someone who needs to understand the physics first, someone who needs to feel it in the water first, someone who is quietly terrified on day one. Relaxation, repetition, and enough fun that you come back.

Credentials, from AIDA

• AIDA Instructor since 17 April 2023 — AIDA 1, AIDA 2, AIDA 3, the pool courses and Monofin
• AIDA Depth Competition Safety (Safety B) and Pool Competition Safety (Safety E), both by Vertical Blue
• Competition safety at three AIDA Azul events in Playa del Carmen
• 94 students certified with AIDA — 22 AIDA 1, 64 AIDA 2, 8 AIDA 3
• Scuba instructor, 10 years
• Full cave guide

How I teach

Adapt to the student. Every programme is rebuilt around how you learn, not around a template.

Relaxation before depth. Breath-up, equalisation and calm come first. Depth is a consequence.

Repetition. Skills are drilled until they are boring, because boring is what survives at depth.

Fun. If the week is not enjoyable, you will not keep the habits. That part is not optional.

Where to start

Inmersion is a freediving school first. Scuba is a separate track — see the scuba track.

The four AIDA courses are the way in, from a first breath-hold to thirty-two metres. The ledger below has the depth, the duration and the price of each.