Daniel Roettgermann
Lake Zurich, a rowboat, a missing anchor line and a memory - with a 15-year delay I became a freediver. As a child, holding my breath in competition against my father quickly became too easy and the fascination for the underwater world has always accompanied me. But except for a handful of scuba dives in the Mediterranean, there was unfortunately no water around. 15 years later I met Marco Melileo and a Freediving Instructors and Coache in Zurich. Since then Freediving is my passion. 396 training sessions and 3248 dives later Kaluna Freediving was born and a passion has become a hobby and profession at the same time. Freediving for me is a sport with physical and mental challenge, which allows me on my travels to explore the underwater world up close in the most remote corners of the world.
- 2012 - Apnea Academy Level 3
- 2014 - SSI Freediving Instructor Level II
- 2016 - Apnea Academy Instructor
- 2016 - USZ Freediving Trainer
- 2017 - SSI Freediving Specialty Instructor - No Fin
- 2017 - SSI Freediving Specialty Instructor - Free Immersion
- 2017 - SSI Freediving Specialty Instructor - Monofin
- 2017 - SSI Freediving Specialty Instructor - Basic Spearfishing
- 2017 - SSI Freediving Specialty Instructor - Spearfishing Safty & Training
- 2017 - PSA/Phorcys Spearfishing Instructor
- 2018 - Emergency First Responder Instructor
- 2018 - PADI Freediving Instructor
- 2019 - DAN EqualEasy Instructor
- 2019 - DAN PBLSD + FirstAID Instructor
- 2019 - DAN Oxygen First Aid Instructor
- 2019 - Molchanov Instructor
'Valdy' - Waldemar Bruderer
My diving career began as a scuba diver at the Great Barrier Reef when I was in Australia for a few years on business. At that time, I was fascinated by the newspaper articles about Pipin and Pelizzari's deep world records in apnea diving, while I tried my first duck dives while snorkeling. About 10 years ago, after a freediving course in Southeast Asia, I was infected by the apnea virus. In Switzerland I learned from Marco Melileo at the USZ how to relax in the depth of the lake and thanks to him and Daniel from Kaluna Freediving I always improved. Whenever possible I spend time in the water and find apnea diving the ideal balance to long days at the office.
- 2018 - Apnea Academy Instructor
- 2019 - USZ Freediving Trainer
2022 - Molchanovs Instructor
My love for the ocean began at a very young age, when I first learned how to surf. The feeling of riding the waves and being fully immersed in the water was exhilarating, and it sparked a passion for the ocean within me that has only grown over the years. It wasn't until high school, however, that I was introduced to freediving, and absolutely fell in love with it.
I had always been interested in photography and videography, so it seemed like a natural fit to combine my passion for the ocean with my love for visual storytelling. In 2019, I then ultimately started to create the videos for Kaluna Freediving. It’s an incredible experience to be able to share my passion with a wider audience and to help others see the beauty and wonder of the ocean.
- 2020 - Kaluna Freediving Videographer/Photographer
- 2022 - Kaluna Freediving assistant Instructor
Already as a child on vacation trips to southern Italy, I loved to surface shells from the seabed while snorkeling. Many years later, in 2011, followed the CMAS training to become a scuba diver in the dark waters of Lake Thun. The weightless silence and the strange underwater world fascinated me from the first moment. Soon after that I discovered freediving for myself. Together with friends I trained to improve the pressure balance and to dive deeper and deeper. Then, in 2018, I participated in my first freediving camp in Tenerife and was finally infected. Since then, I always spend vacations near the sea to spend as much time as possible underwater. Besides repeated trips to Tenerife, my passion also took me to Dahab, Kalamata, Thailand and the Philippines. In December 2022, I finally joined the USZ freediving training program and have been training with the Kaluna Freediving Team in the pool and in Lake Zurich ever since.
- 2020 - SSI Freediver Level 3
- 2023 - Kaluna Freediving assistant Instructor
Alex Hale
My childhood was a water adventure that I spent with my brother and sister. Whether we were riding our bikes to the local swimming pool, splashing around in our grandparents' backyard pool, cooling off in the small reservoir on our family's farm or vacationing by the sea, water was our constant companion. Swimming became a sanctuary for me, a place where I felt truly at ease.
In 2018, I developed a strong interest in breathing techniques for my mental and physical well-being, which eventually led me to freediving. Since then, I have continued to educate myself. I've explored diving destinations such as Y40 and Deepspot, traveled to the Magia Valley in Ticino and even dived in the picturesque waters of Greece. My weekly pool training at Freediving Tribe ZRH has become a ritual.
Over the past two years, I have discovered a deep passion for diving alongside other people, ensuring their safety and well-being as much as my own, and there is a deep satisfaction in helping other diving enthusiasts feel safe and comfortable in the water. As a swim master with a 6.30 minute static apnea PB, I am confident in my ability to respond when the situation calls for it.
As an assistant instructor, I already have the opportunity to pass on some of my knowledge to the newcomers in the
Club and at the same time learn even more from our instructors and delve deeper into the world of freediving
I am confident that I am able to react when the situation requires it.
