About us
Two friends, one place
How The Gate Freediving came to be, and what we're trying to build.
We met through a dive school in the Netherlands, where Liam worked while finishing his sports education and Emilio was one of the students. We both became instructors. Emilio moved to Dahab to teach full time, Liam stayed and kept coming back.
Freediving came later, and differently for each of us. Liam wanted to know what the body can do, the same thing that leads to triathlons and marathons. Emilio missed the training: football at a high level, then Dahab, and no season to build towards. Freediving gave that back.
How it came together
Bassem, and the pool.
The third person is Bassem. We knew him from years of dive trips here, long before any of this. He had just opened The Gate Hotel in Mashraba, with a 25 metre pool, the best in town. We trained in it, and the center is built around it.
Liam runs the business side after years in the dive industry. Emilio runs the center: he lives here year-round and has taught and guided divers for years. Bassem has the building.
Today
Open since 2025.
We opened in 2025. Between us and our team we speak Dutch, English, Spanish and Arabic. The pool is 25 metres and used daily. The reef is a short drive away, and everything else is in one place: where you learn, where you stay, and where you train.
See you in the water.
Emilio & Liam
What we stand for
The things we won't trade away.
Feeling over numbers
We teach calm first. Depth is a by-product of relaxation, not the goal you chase.
Small on purpose
Two students per instructor, and we intend to keep it that way even as we grow.
One place, one standard
Our own classroom and pool, and the hotel we're based in, so we set the standard, not a rental shop.
We protect the reef
We dive here every day. Clean-ups, no single-use plastic, and care for the water we love.