Everything began when I secretly returned the fish my father caught to where they truly belonged — the sea.

Born in Istanbul in 1979, Adnan Yanbay is a true man of the sea, whose deep connection with water was shaped along Istanbul’s coastal neighborhoods, the powerful currents of the Bosphorus, and the depths of the Princes’ Islands. Rooted in his Black Sea heritage, this innate bond with water drew him to the blue world from a very early age.

During his years as a competitive volleyball player with Arçelik Sports Club, where he earned multiple Turkish Championship titles, Yanbay developed elite-level athletic discipline, body awareness, and performance mindset. These foundations later became the cornerstones of his meticulous and scientific approach within the professional diving world.

A Journey Shaped by the World’s Oceans

Yanbay was introduced to scuba diving during his university years and quickly transformed this experience into a way of life. He set his course toward some of the world’s most prestigious diving destinations.
In Koh Tao, Thailand, he spent four years as a school director and instructor, where he discovered the powerful connection between yoga, meditation, and the mental depth required in freediving.

This journey continued across Indonesia and Egypt, forming an eight-year global expedition that refined his expertise not only in technique, but also in the physiological, mental, and organizational dimensions of freediving.

Architect of Competitive Freediving Performance

What truly sets Adnan Yanbay apart is his approach to freediving not as a hobby, but as a high-performance sport and scientific discipline. He has played a pivotal role in the professionalization of competitive freediving in Türkiye:

• Elite Athlete Preparation:
  Providing technical coaching and mental performance support during training camps in Kaş for numerous national athletes and world record holders, enabling them to safely and consistently exceed their limits.

• Depth Safety & Event Leadership:
  Recognized internationally for his leadership in safety diver coordination and event organization at world championships and record attempts, where maximum safety standards are non-negotiable.

• Training Science:
  With advanced expertise in physiology, high-level equalization techniques, and breath control, he delivers a structured, science-based roadmap for sustainable performance progression.

Life Aquatic: “Small Is Beautiful”

Bringing his global experience back to Türkiye, Yanbay founded Life Aquatic in Kaş. Guided by the philosophy “Small is always more beautiful,” he rejected mass training models in favor of a boutique, high-quality, athlete-centered academy.

Life Aquatic is not merely a school — it is a performance hub where professional athletes train, refine technique, and fully embody the philosophy of freediving.

Technical Excellence & Instructor Training

Today, Adnan Yanbay is among Türkiye’s select SSI Freediving Instructor Trainers, and also holds the titles of PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and Advanced Breathwork Techniques Specialist.

Based in Kaş, he continues to guide both beginners and elite athletes through highly personalized training programs, combining precision, safety, and depth awareness.

He does not simply teach a sport beneath the surface.
He teaches freedom rediscovered in every breath —
and the engineering of depth itself.

We are here to explore new experiences in the depths of the sea through freediving.