Meet Our Team
Freedive Tioman was started by Stella and Kat in 2015 — two passionate freedivers who fell in love with the ocean and wanted to share that joy with others. Since then, our team has grown, but the way we teach has stayed the same: friendly, patient, and personal.
We’re a close-knit team who genuinely enjoy helping people feel more confident underwater — whether it’s someone’s first breath-hold or someone looking to refine their technique.
Meet Your Instructors
The Heart of Freedive Tioman
Freedive Tioman was started by Stella and Kat in 2015 — two passionate freedivers who fell in love with the ocean and wanted to share that joy with others. Since then, our team has grown, but the way we teach has stayed the same: friendly, patient, and personal.
We’re a close-knit team who genuinely enjoy helping people feel more confident underwater — whether it’s someone’s first breath-hold or someone looking to refine their technique.
Stella Abbas
Co-founder of Freedive Tioman, multiple Malaysian national record holder, Athlete, Garmin Ambassador, SHARE equalisation instructor, Apnea Total and AIDA Freediving Instructor
Stella has always enjoyed the ocean and freedived before she even know it was a sport. She has a natural grace and ease underwater, and is a passionate instructor and coach for all levels. A few years ago she embarked on an athlete path and is now holding multiple national records for Malaysia.
Katrin Buckert
Co-founder of Freedive Tioman, AIDA instructor trainer, Master Instructor Molchanovs and Apnea Total
With more than 12 years experience teaching freediving and a background in competitive swimming, Kat is a passionate freediving coach and instructor for beginners to instructors. She enjoys finding the right approach for each student and digging into the small details that make us better divers.
Meet Our Team
The Heart of Freedive Tioman
Freedive Tioman was started by Stella and Kat in 2015 — two passionate freedivers who fell in love with the ocean and wanted to share that joy with others. Since then, our team has grown, but the way we teach has stayed the same: friendly, patient, and personal.
We’re a close-knit team who genuinely enjoy helping people feel more confident underwater — whether it’s someone’s first breath-hold or someone looking to refine their technique.
We teach freediving because we've seen what it does to people:
- It helps nervous beginners relax into the water.
- It helps curious travellers discover stillness in their bodies and minds.
- It helps experienced divers refine skills with focused guidance.
For us, freediving isn’t just a sport — it’s a way to connect with the ocean and with yourself.
Our approach is calm, supportive, and focused on your progress at your pace — not rushed, not pressured.
Freedive Tioman welcomes:
First-time freedivers looking to learn in a relaxed setting
Travellers wanting a meaningful ocean experience
Divers refining technique with structured coaching
Anyone curious about breath-hold diving and the underwater world
You don’t need to be highly athletic, experienced, or especially calm — just open to learning and exploring.
Our courses are structured, yet flexible
We understand that everyone learns differently. That’s why we take time with each student, offering encouragement and clear feedback to help you get the most out of your experience. Designed so that everyone feels comfortable and supported:
Certified lessons ranging from beginner to advanced levels
Patient, experienced instruction
Small group sizes
AIDA and Apnea Total accredited programs
A safe, friendly environment
We're located on Pulau Tioman
On the eastern coast of the Malay Peninsula — nestled on a white-sand beach with views of turquoise water and a beautiful house reef just steps from shore.
From here, several freediving spots are easily reachable either directly from the beach or via a short boat ride. The natural pace of Tioman — relaxed, welcoming, and calm — makes it an ideal place to learn and enjoy freediving.
We care most about
Safety in every session.
Honest, patient instruction.
Personal attention and progress.
Respect for the ocean environment.
Our goal isn’t to rush you — it’s to help you feel at ease, confident, and genuinely connected to your freediving experience.
A Personal Experience
When you choose Freedive Tioman, you’ll know your instructors — not just their names, but their approach, encouragement, and support in the water.
We’ve built a school rooted in friendship, respect, and shared love of the sea. And that’s the experience we want to share with you.