FAQ

FAQ

GENERAL

INFORMATION

  • Deep End Weekend (DEWE) is an annual freediving festival hosted by Depth Wish Freediving.  This event was created to develop and support a safety-conscious community of water enthusiasts and freedivers, while offering attendees the chance to make lifelong connections and memories.  To learn more about DEWE, visit our detailed about page.

  • Depth Wish Freediving is a freediving school located in Gainesville, FL, and is the creator of the Deep End Weekend event.  To learn more about Depth Wish Freediving, visit our website.

  • Attendees must be at least 18 years old. 

  • March 6-9, 2025. 

    Our home base is at Ichetucknee Springs Campground, and we will be diving in several different springs within the North Central FL area.

  • Visit our tickets page (coming soon) to learn more about the cost of the festival and what is included with each ticket option.

  • We offer both daily access passes and full access passes.

    Daily passes allow access to the event from 8am - 8pm.

    Full passes allow 24 hour access to the event. 

    • General event access each day.

      • Thursday 3:00pm - 8pm.

      • Friday 8am - 8pm.

      • Saturday 8am - 8pm.

      • Sunday 8am - 5:00pm.

    • Attendance to all morning flow sessions, in-water activities / workshops and evening presentations.

    • Access to Sunday's market & gear swap.

    • Catered dinner Friday & Saturday.

    • 3 raffle tickets.

    • Limited edition event shirt.

    • A swag bag of goodies & sponsor promo codes.

    • Access to event photos & videos.

    • Full event access each day and night.

      • 24 hour event access.

      • Beginning Thursday at 3:00pm and ending Sunday at 5:00pm.

    • Camping site.

    • After hours shenanigans.

    • Attendance to all morning flow sessions, in-water activities / workshops and evening presentations.

    • Access to Sunday's market & gear swap.

    • Catered dinner Friday & Saturday.

    • 5 raffle tickets.

    • Mini-games entry.

      • A chance to win free DEWE for life!

    • Limited edition event shirt.

    • A swag bag of goodies & sponsor promo codes.

    • Access to event photos & videos.

  • Each day offers:

    • A “morning flow” which could be yoga, breathwork, or meditation.

    • Multiple group dive activities to choose from, each at a different location with different instructors.

    • Catered dinner Friday & Saturday.

    • 2-3 different presentations or workshops each evening.

    • After dark fun at the campground arcade.

    • A raffle.

    • A live band Saturday night.

    • A market and gear swap on Sunday.

    • A weekend long mini-games event.

  • This year, we are limiting tickets to 100 people.  There will also be 2 Depth Wish staff members on site, 5-10 different instructors, and event 5-10 volunteers.

  • Our day passes and overnight passes allow you entrance for as little or much of the event as you are able to attend.  You are not required to come all 4 days with any ticket purchase; just let us know what days you plan to be there in your check out form.

  • Contact us directly and let us know! 

  • Once purchased, DEWE tickets are non-refundable.  You may, however, transfer your ticket to another person.  If you decide to transfer your ticket, please contact us, and let us know so we can gather pertinent information on the new ticket holder. 

FREEDIVING

SPECIFIC

  • Freediving is the practice of holding your breath when diving underwater without the use of breathing equipment, such as a scuba tank.

  • We do suggest that attendees are confident swimmers and are comfortable in open-water environments.  However, no prior freediving certification is required.  If you want to learn more about freediving, check out Depth Wish's course schedule to see what classes are available before Deep End Weekend.

  • Yes, there are several!  We offer an “intro to freediving” workshop on the first full day of the festival, and many other intermediate and advanced in-water activities workshops throughout the entire event.  To join the in-water workshops, you can visit our schedule page (coming soon) to sign up ahead of time, or sign up on site at check in. 

  • Certified freediving instructor(s) will be on site and lead / oversee each dive activity. 

  • We suggest bringing a 3-5mm wetsuit, fins, mask, snorkel, weight belt, and weights.  Some rental equipment will be available (see next question). 

  • To rent equipment, please contact us at least one week before the event.  Rental equipment is available on a first come, first serve basis and will not be available to rent on-site at DEWE without prior communication. 

    Rental equipment is $25 per person, per day, and covers all equipment needed for that day.  A rental contract must be signed before picking up your rental gear.   

CAMPING

SPECIFIC

  • The main event area will be tent camping only. We suggest bringing tents with a footprint no larger than 10' x 10'. 

    The campground does have RV sites available to book directly through the campground, but DEWE will not have any reserved for use. RV sites are not included under any ticket options. 

    Car camping is also an option, but your vehicle must remain in the designated parking areas and cannot be driven inside the reserved tent camping area.

    ***To tent or car camp at DEWE, you must purchase a full access pass.***

  • Yes.  DEWE provides bathrooms near the main camping area, and the campground also has a large bathhouse on site with multiple restrooms and showers with hot water.

  • Yes, but there is only one water faucet available, so please plan accordingly to share with others. 

  • Yes, but only in the designated firepits at the edge of the tent camping area.  Firepits are not allowed within the tent camping area due to risk or injury.

  • The campground has a small store with snacks and basic hygiene needs.  Outside of the campground, there are small grocery stores and gas stations within a 10-15 minute drive. 

HEALTH &

SAFETY

  • All attendees must sign a code of conduct form and liability waiver when checking in.  The code of conduct form will allow staff members to address any issues or concerns and handle them in an urgent, respectful manner. 

  • Yes.  All volunteers are required to be CPR and First Aid certified.  Additionally, all freediving instructors are Emergency First Responder certified.  A first aid kit and emergency oxygen kit will be kept on site.

  • No, we do not require any proof of medical records or concerns to participate.  We expect attendees to know their bodies and their limits and participate accordingly.  If attendees have any medical concerns or requirements, they are welcome to share this information with DEWE staff (Tanner or Kenzie) as needed, but not required. 

LOGISTICS

&

AMENITIES

  • The following is a suggested packing list:
    - Freediving gear.
    - Towel and/or changing robe.
    - Quick dry clothes for the day.
    - Warm clothes for the evening.
    - Tent and basic camping equipment.
    - Headlamp.
    - Camp chair(s).
    - Food for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and Thursday’s dinner.
    - Yoga mat for morning flows. 

  • Check In:  3pm on 3/6/25.
    You must check in and receive your wrist band before setting up your tent.  We will not be able to check anyone in before 3pm, so please plan accordingly.
    Check Out: 5pm on 3/9/25.
    Anyone on site after 5pm on Sunday must check in with the campground office to pay for an additional night.

  • Yes, there is parking available beside the designated camping area.  You will not be able to park your vehicle near your tent.  The parking area is no more than 20-50 yards away at any given time within the main event area.

  • Well behaved and socialized pets are welcome at their owner’s discretion.  Owners must let us know of their plan to bring a pet in the ticket check out form and sign an additional form when checking in at DEWE.  Owners will remain solely responsible for their pet and must maintain control of their pet at all times.  DEWE staff will reserve the right to request an owner restrain or remove their pet if it causes any harm or disturbances.

  • There are no charging stations or electronic outlets that will be available to attendees at the camp site.  However, there are some in the arcade / lounge of the campground. 

  • Wi-Fi is available at the arcade / lounge but is limited.  We suggest that attendees plan for alternative options if Wi-Fi is needed during the event.

  • Camp sites are included with the purchase of an overnight pass only.

    We will not be able to provide any transportation to or from the event, nor to or from any dive sites.  Attendees are encouraged to car pool as much as possible. 

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Absolutely!  Each year, we accept 5-10 event volunteers.  To apply to be a volunteer, visit our volunteer page. Once we receive your application, we'll reach out to discuss what's covered, what's required, and confirm your role.

  • Alcohol is permitted but will not be provided by the event or event staff / volunteers in any capacity.  No illegal / illicit drug use will be permitted and, if found, will result in immediate expulsion from the event. 

  • You are welcome to check in with any staff or volunteers regarding any lost items, however, DEWE does not hold any responsibility to locate, repair, or refund any lost items.  Any items turned in to DEWE staff / volunteers will be held for the duration of the event.  If an item is not claimed by the end of the event, it will immediately be discarded or donated.

  • Let a DEWE volunteer or staff member know!  We want you to have the best experience possible and will do everything within our power to ensure that your time spent at DEWE is nothing short of spectacular. 

  • Yes!  We encourage anyone who takes photos or videos at the event to also share their media in a shared media drive that we will send out shortly after DEWE.  That way, everyone has a chance to save any special moments captured. 
    We will also have a professional photographer on site, and photos and videos will be made available to attendees one week after the event. 

  • Yes.  We will have a professional photographer on site for the duration of the event.  There will also be underwater photographers at some of the dive sites.  
    Photos and videos will be made available to attendees shortly after the event via a shared media drive sent out by Depth Wish. 

WORKSHOPS

&

PRESENTATIONS

  • Check out our schedule (coming soon) to learn more about what workshops and presentations will be offered.
    Some past examples of in-water workshops: intro to freediving, equalization training, a mini-competition, mermaiding 101, mindset training, and more.
    Some past examples of presentations: underwater photography and modeling, springs biology and ecology, spearfishing in FL, freediving first aide, endangered wildlife of FL, understanding equalization, competition training 101, and more.

  • For the workshops:  Yes, you must register in advanced.  Online registration will open two weeks prior to DEWE.  Registration will also be available on site at event check-in.  Spots for some workshops may be limited and will be honored on a first come, first served basis. 
    For the presentations:      No, no registration is required.  Simply check out the schedule and show up for any you’d like to attend!

  • No.  All workshops and presentations are included in your ticket cost.  

  • Visit our schedule page (coming soon) to learn who our instructors, speakers, and workshop leaders will be.

  • Absolutely!  DEWE caters its daily options of workshops and experiences to have something available for all skill levels.

  • In-water workshops will range from 2-4 hours.
    Evening presentations will range from 30 minutes to 1 hour.

  • If your workshop or presentation requires any materials or information to be retained, the instructor or presenter will provide this for you.

  • All in-water workshops will be very interactive and hands-on experiences.  Evening presentations will all be interactive, but hands-on components may be limited based upon the subject or presenter’s availability. 

  • Unfortunately, no. 

VENDOR

MARKET

  • Sunday morning, at the campground, from 10am – 2pm.

  • We have invited many different types of vendors to join us; artists, educational groups, diving clubs / schools, adventure guides, gear shops, and more.  Be sure to check out the market details on our schedule (coming soon) to learn more about what vendors will be on site. 

  • Absolutely.  Visit our vendor page to learn more or sign up.

  • This is based upon the vendor, so cash should be kept on hand as a precaution. 

GEAR

SWAP

  • Sunday morning, at the campground, from 10am – 2pm.

  • Bring in any of your old or gently used freediving equipment to sell and/or trade with other “swappers” or attendees!

  • Any freediving equipment or freediving related things you are ready to let go of.

  • Remain mindful and respectful of other swapper and attendees. 

    Be willing to discuss or explain what equipment or gear you have brought.

    We also suggest being prepared with cash in hand as using a card may not be an option for some. 

  • Yes.  We will have a sign-up sheet at check in for those who have brought gear to swap.  If you have not brought anything to swap, you may still participate but are not required to sign up.

  • No, there is no fee to participate in the gear swap.

  • All safety checks and/or inspections are the responsibility of the original gear owner to ensure before trade, and of the new owner before accepting any trade.