Freediving in Xiaoliuqiu: The Island Where We Train, Teach, and Live
- Anthony Feoutis
- Jul 28
- 7 min read
AIDA & Molchanovs Instructor Trainer
He is the founder of The Depth Collector and VD Freediving Taiwan. With over a decade of experience, he focuses on solving real-world freediving problems, from equalization to depth adaptation, using practical, field-tested methods.
2018
After completing our Molchanovs and AIDA Instructor Crossovers in Bali, Jiayin and I moved back to Taipei, newly certified, deeply in love, and ready to start building a life around freediving.
There was something paradoxical, almost unreal, about loving freediving that much while living in a city of millions of souls, loving the silence of depth while surrounded by constant noise. Teaching freediving in Taipei meant getting stuck in traffic just to reach the swimming pool, carrying suitcases filled with weight belts, fins, and wetsuits for students. It meant driving an hour to reach the ocean, changing on the side of the road, then driving another hour back before climbing seven floors with all the gear to clean and prepare it for the next session.
It was what it was, and I never thought it was too tough or too much work. Even if I am French down to my tiniest alveoli, complaining never crossed my mind. I was way too busy being happy.
Then, during a weekend escape, we came to Xiaoliuqiu for the first time.
You’ve probably never heard of this little tropical gem.
Xiaoliuqiu is tiny, almost ridiculously small. About 4.1 km from north to south and just 2 km across at its widest point. Only 12 km of coastline, wrapped in warm tropical water.
You can ride around the entire island in 15 to 20 minutes on a scooter.
One moment you’re cruising past rugged coral rock cliffs. Next, you’re standing on a quiet white-sand beach, looking at water so clear it feels unreal. You leave your key on the scooter without a second thought and slip into the sea to swim with green turtles.
And the best part?
This little island is only a 20-minute ferry ride from mainland Taiwan. Around 3 hours from Taipei and about 1.5 hours from Kaohsiung Airport, making it one of the easiest tropical escapes you can find.
I remember riding from the main town to Dafu, the beach that would later become my office, though I didn’t know it yet. There is a turn on that road, followed by a short straight stretch of maybe 50 meters. And right in the middle of it, the trees suddenly open. The ocean suddenly appears, wide, blue, endless. That day, it was as calm as a lake. Some moments in life feel strangely clear, like everything is quietly pointing in one direction. In that moment, I felt that one day we will call this island our home.
2020
We went back to Taipei and kept working hard for the next two years. Then COVID hit, and like for many people in the diving industry, everything got strange. The world seemed to stop, holding its breath behind a mask.
A friend whose business had shut down because of the pandemic called us and asked if we would be interested in renting the second floor of his place in Xiaoliuqiu.
We didn’t even visit it or ask for photos.
We just said yes. Instantly.
Looking back, it was probably reckless.
Or brilliant.
Maybe both.
When we arrived, the place was far from perfect. Actually, that’s being polite. It was an old house right in front of Dafu Harbor, with a living room that still had an ancestral altar, a traditional Taiwanese setup used to honor family ancestors. There was one locked room, two other small rooms, one covered with mirrors, and a tiny kitchen with nothing but a very old fridge. We also had access to the rooftop facing the harbor and the ocean.
I remember pushing open the door of one of the rooms. The floor was covered in old linoleum, cracked and dirty. It smelled of moisture and dust. And I remember that feeling in my head, that buzz, a strange mix of disappointment and a sudden rush of courage to turn that place into something better.
It was our chance.
The beginning of an adventure that would eventually grow into VD Freediving, one of the most active freediving schools in Taiwan.
We had no master plan, no secret formula, just a stubborn belief that we could build something special on this little rock in the middle of the sea.
So we started painting, nailing, drilling, cleaning, fixing, and repairing, slowly transforming that place into something we were proud of.
At that time, we were still teaching in Taipei on weekends and driving our old but trustworthy Nissan down to Xiaoliuqiu every week. It was much cheaper than taking the high-speed train, and it allowed us to bring equipment and gear to the island. I can tell you, I got to know every single service station along Highway No. 3. We kept doing that for a few months before finally letting go of our life in the north and officially becoming Xiaoliuqiu locals.
We stayed in this house for five years before we eventually upgraded and moved to our new location.
And honestly, what an adventure, and so many incredible memories. I have countless stories from that time, and saying yes to that opportunity was probably the best professional decision we have ever made. Sometimes you just feel it.
For the first time in my life, when something good happened, I didn’t immediately expect something bad to follow. I used to believe that good things couldn’t last, but I think that’s what Xiaoliuqiu changed for me. This island helped break that vicious cycle of negativity and, in many ways, healed me.
I cannot finish that paragraph without mentioning how a little stray cat decided to adopt us. Michelle Bonaparte, yes, that’s the name we gave her, and I have to admit, Bonaparte was my addition, appeared one day on the other side of the road in front of our place, then decided to cross over. She was very scared at first, but eventually started coming closer, and in time, she stayed with us. When we moved to our new location, of course, we brought her with us, and she is now part of the VD Freediving team.
Freediving in Xiaoliuqiu: The New VD Freediving School
2025
We weren’t really planning to move. The location of our school was ideal, just a few minutes from where we dive, and even though the house was old and leaked during typhoons, it worked. But life has its own plans, and the owner decided to sell the place. Jiayin then started actively searching for a new location, and we thought that if we had to move, we might as well try to find something better.
After months of searching, we finally found a house that caught our attention. We borrowed the key to take a look, and I still remember opening the door and thinking, “This is it. This is the one.” Of course, it needed quite a bit of work, but the structure was solid, and the layout was perfect for what we wanted to create.
So we started again: painting, drilling, fixing the electricity, and even building custom doors, something I’m quite proud of. After three months, the place was ready. I can tell you, I worked incredibly long hours to make it happen in such a short time. I still have memories of Jiayin carefully restoring the old wooden windows and choosing that beautiful marine blue color.
I can’t explain everything here, but I can share before-and-after photos, and of course, you’re always welcome to come visit us in our little paradise.
Why We Built VD Freediving Here
We didn’t build VD Freediving in Xiaoliuqiu because we had some clever business strategy. We came here because we had an opportunity, and we took it. At the beginning, it was pretty straightforward: we had a place, a few students, access to the ocean, and a lot of things to figure out.
It wasn’t pretty. There was paint on the floor, tools everywhere, things breaking all the time, humidity messing with everything, and salt getting into places you didn’t even know existed. We were fixing things as we went, learning as we went, and trying to make it work day by day.
Over time, the school began to take shape, not just physically, but in the way we teach. The environment influenced our approach, and in turn, our approach shaped the space. Being here means working with real conditions. Some days are easy, others are not. You can’t fake it, and you can’t rush it.
That’s probably what shaped VD Freediving the most. We focus on doing things properly, taking the time to build skills, and not chasing numbers just for the sake of it.
We teach people how to dive, but also how to approach diving in a practical way: how to prepare, how to stay calm when things don’t go as planned, how to pay attention to what’s happening around them, and how to understand that a good dive is not just about reaching depth, but about doing everything right from start to finish.
Xiaoliuqiu didn’t magically change anything. It just gave us the environment where we had to learn all of this the hard way. And that’s why it’s such a big part of what VD Freediving is today.
2026
After all these years, Xiaoliuqiu still does not feel ordinary to me.
Of course, daily life becomes familiar. You get used to the scooters, the harbor, the ferry, the boats, the turtles, the students, the gear drying outside, and the salt everywhere.
But sometimes, during a session, I pause and take it all in.
A student is breathing quietly on the buoy. The line hangs below us. The water stretches out in endless blue.
And I think to myself:
This is where we train, teach, and live.
How lucky we are to live this life.
May the adventure never stop.
Comments