AIDA LEVEL I

The AIDA Level 1 course is designed as an entry point for complete beginners with no prior freediving experience. Its purpose is to introduce fundamental skills, essential knowledge, and key safety principles, allowing students to enjoy freediving safely within their personal limits.

Throughout the course, participants will practice:

• Static Apnea: holding the breath while the face is immersed in water
• Constant Weight: descending and ascending using fins

To achieve these outcomes, the course includes:

• Knowledge Development: classroom-based theory sessions followed by a short assessment
• Confined Water Sessions: pool training focused on breathing techniques, relaxation, finning skills, and safety procedures

The knowledge development portion of the course is conducted in a classroom-style setting. It includes one theory session lasting at least 2 hours, with the exact duration depending on participant interaction and questions.

• Equipment for freediving – introduction to basic freediving equipment– mask, snorkel, fins...
• Breathing for freediving - before a dive and on recovery, correct breathing and avoidance of hyperventilation;
• Equalisation – the need to equalise and basic equalisation techniques;
• Safety for freediving - avoiding and reacting to blackout and loss of motor control;
• Freediving and Scuba Diving - combining the two safely;
• Key rules to remember for freediving safely.

This session will be conducted in a swimming pool or similar confined water.
After this session you should be able to:

• Demonstrate how to prepare and don equipment for pool training;
• Demonstrate appropriate breathing techniques in preparation for a breath hold dive;
• Demonstrate appropriate recovery and breathing techniques at the end of a breath hold dive;
• Demonstrate appropriate duck dives;
• Demonstrate appropriate finning style and technique with regard to body positioning, movement and position relative to depth and sides of a pool or bottom;
• Demonstrate how to train safely and effectively with a training buddy;
• Supervise a buddy from the surface as they perform a freedive;
• Demonstrate the appropriate rescue technique of a buddy experiencing a loss of motor control or blackout.

To enroll in the AIDA Level I Freediver Course, an individual must:

• Be 18 years of age or older (16 years with parent or guardian consent);
• Be able to swim at least 100m non stop;
• Have completed the AIDA Medical Form;
• Have completed the Liability Release.

Before commencing any in-water training, the following forms must be completed, (for students aged under 18 years, both must be co-signed by a parent or guardian):

• AIDA Medical Form – this must be completed in full with students marking YES or NO to each of the medical conditions listed. If the student answers YES to any condition, they must seek medical approval before taking part in any in-water activity. The physician must sign the form to indicate this approval. Whether or not the student then is then accepted onto the course is left at the discretion of the instructor.
• AIDA Liability Release Form or local equivalent.