COLD WATER
Books and Workshops
FREEDIVING COURSES
Freediving Helsinki
BOOKS
JOHANNA NORDBLAD
I am Johanna Nordblad, a freediving world record holder. My work in the water is to teach people how to calm down, find their breath, and dare a little more. These are skills that connect the body and mind and help build awareness also outside the water. No previous experience is needed for my courses – only the curiosity to learn and try. I have also written a book on the subject that helps you get started easily and understand why everyone can hold their breath and how to practice it safely.
A documentary about my world record attempt, Hold Your Breath: The Ice Dive, is available on Netflix if you want to see what it’s like under the ice.
I am an animation artist, and alongside freediving my passion is drawing and painting. My special expertise is character design and developing concepts for children and families. I have designed and produced character concepts for some of Finland’s largest companies in banking, hospitality, tourism and sports education. My work includes long-term collaborations in developing well-known mascots and visual identities for children’s and family audiences, as well as numerous original character designs for brands and educational programs.
Train breath control and cold adaptation
with ice freediving world-record holder Johanna Nordblad.
Featured in the documentaries Big vs. Small and Hold Your Breath: The Ice Dive.
Experience calm in extreme conditions in a natural Finnish lake environment.
Message on WhatsApp to learn more or begin your journey with the books.
Experience the Cold With Me in Finland
If you found your way here after watching Big vs. Small or the Netflix documentary Hold Your Breath: The Ice Dive,
you may already have a sense of what this is about.
My name is Johanna Nordblad.
I am a freediver and breath-hold instructor, and for many years I have explored how the body and mind respond in cold water, under ice and in situations where fear feels immediate and very real.
For me, this has never been only about performance or records.
It is about learning how to stay calm when the body wants to escape.
How to recognise physical sensations instead of resisting them.
How to move through discomfort without losing presence.
In Finland, I teach at a quiet natural lake where people from different parts of the world come to experience this kind of training.
Some arrive because they want to feel more confident in demanding environments.
Some want to understand cold water and breath on a deeper level.
Others are simply looking for a meaningful personal experience that feels honest, grounding and real. It is beautiful under the ice.
You do not need to be extreme to come here.
Most people who train with me are not.
I am not.
They are simply curious and willing to explore their own reactions in a new way.
If you feel that you would like to come here and explore this yourself,
send me a message and tell a little about yourself and what you are looking for.
If you are interested in learning independently about breath-holding, freediving or cold exposure, you can explore my books.
Breath Holding and Freediving – Basics for Beginners
US, UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, PL, SE, BE, IE, JP, CA, AU
Calmly Into the Cold
US, UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, CA, MX, AU, IN
They are available on Amazon.
If cold water interests you, feel free to send a message. Dates for the 2027 season are already being booked.
You are warmly welcome here.
Johanna Nordblad
