“And I just remember duck diving in, and as I started equalising I heard the waves sing, and they sang with me all the way down to the bottom of the line…It’s just so so magical”. 

Zandi grew up far away from the ocean, being taught to fear the water as a child like many other locals in Soweto, Johannesburg. However, in 2016 she took a snorkel trip which opened up her world to the wonders of the ocean. Since then she’s gone on a magical and challenging journey, and qualified as the first Black female free diving instructor in South Africa.

We chatted about her favourite moments free diving, the path to qualifying, barriers to ocean sports to different ethnicities, and her advice for taking your first free diving class. Check it out below!

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