AIDA Certifications
AIDA is the global governing body of freediving competitions, like FIFA is for soccer. They organize the World Championships, ratify world records, handle doping tests, and certify people in professional roles like judges, competition safety divers, and instructors.
AIDA also offers certifications to recreational freedivers, which demonstrate that you have learned to freedive safely, and allow you access to certain commercial freediving opportunities, like deep pools and trips.
These certifications come in four levels (1-4). You start at level 1 and can increase your level as your skills develop. Upgrading from level 1 to level 2, 3 or 4 may offer you a little bit more access during certain trips or at certain deep pools. You also need to get to the highest level (4) in order to be admitted to Freedive Instructor Training.
On this page you can find the complete list of tests for each AIDA certification level:
Beginner (AIDA 1)
Intermediate (AIDA 2)
Advanced (AIDA 3)
Master (AIDA 4)
Depth Competition Safety
Instructor
Plus:
Video submission of challenges
Comparison to other agencies
AIDA also offers certifications to recreational freedivers, which demonstrate that you have learned to freedive safely, and allow you access to certain commercial freediving opportunities, like deep pools and trips.
These certifications come in four levels (1-4). You start at level 1 and can increase your level as your skills develop. Upgrading from level 1 to level 2, 3 or 4 may offer you a little bit more access during certain trips or at certain deep pools. You also need to get to the highest level (4) in order to be admitted to Freedive Instructor Training.
On this page you can find the complete list of tests for each AIDA certification level:
Beginner (AIDA 1)
Intermediate (AIDA 2)
Advanced (AIDA 3)
Master (AIDA 4)
Depth Competition Safety
Instructor
Plus:
Video submission of challenges
Comparison to other agencies
Beginner (AIDA 1)
For AIDA's level 1 certification, you must demonstrate that you know how to freedive safely, and can look after yourself and others.
Intermediate (AIDA 2)
The challenges for AIDA's Intermediate level are as follows. Note that all depths listed are for Cold Water as per AIDA (<12°C below 10m).
AIDA 2
AIDA 2
- Pass the online AIDA 2 exam with a 75% score
- Dive to 10m
- Buddy from 7m
- Rescue from 5m
- Tow 50m
- Hold your breath for 2 minutes
- Swim underwater with fins for 40m
Advanced (AIDA 3)
The challenges for AIDA's Advanced level are as follows. Note that all depths listed are for Cold Water as per AIDA (<12°C below 10m).
AIDA 3
AIDA 3
- Pass the online AIDA 3 exam with a 75% score
- Dive to 20m
- Buddy from 15m
- Rescue from 10m
- Tow 50m
- Self rescue: loss of mask from 10m
- Self rescue: 1 fin ascent (simulated leg cramp) from 12m
- Self rescue: arms only ascent from 15m
- Hold your breath for 2:45
- Swim underwater with fins for 55m
Master (AIDA 4)
The challenges for AIDA's Master level (also sometimes referred to as Assistant Instructor) are as follows. Note that all depths listed are for Cold Water as per AIDA (<12°C below 10m):
- Pass the online AIDA 4 exam with a 75% score
- Dive to 30m
- Rescue from 15m then tow to shore
- Rescue with 1 fin (simulated leg cramp) from 10m
- Line rescue from 20m
- Self rescue: loss of mask from 20m
- Self rescue: 1 fin ascent (simulated leg cramp) from 20m
- Hold your breath for 3:30
- Swim underwater with fins for 70m
Depth Competition Safety
The challenges for AIDA's professional Depth Competition Safety role are as follows:
- Ability to assist and rescue from -25m with BOs at random depths (surface, 10m, 25m, in random order) covering all team roles (Safety 1, Safety 2 and Safety 3), including extraction (hand-off to the medical team)
- Team rescues from -25m with 30 second standby
- Solo rescues from -20m
- 30m dive + 30 second surface recovery + 20m dive
- 20m dives with 3-5 seconds notice, at fast pace (early turn simulation)
- Pass the online theory exam with a 75% score
Instructor
The challenges for AIDA's professional Instructor role are as follows:
Note that the depths for some challenges reflect the cold water (<12°C below 10m) modifications specified by AIDA Education Officer Andy Buhl.
- Pass the written Instructor exams parts 1, 2a and 2b
- CWT 35m
- FIM 35m
- Long CWT 30m 1:30
- Long FIM 30m 2:00
- 15m x 5 CWT dives with 1 minute surface interval in between
- Rescue from 20m then tow 50m
- Rescue from 15m after 30s hang
- Hold your breath for 4 minutes
- Swim underwater with fins for 90m
Note that the depths for some challenges reflect the cold water (<12°C below 10m) modifications specified by AIDA Education Officer Andy Buhl.
Guidelines to submit challenges by video
In special circumstances, challenges that don’t require depth may be submitted by video. If you are submitting a challenge by video, please follow these guidelines:
Breath holds
Breath holds (“statics”) should be done on land, lying down in a comfortable place like your bed. You can film yourself with a stationary camera and you don’t need to have a buddy.
Underwater swims
For underwater swims (“dynamics”) you must have a buddy. Your buddy should film you while swimming on the surface next to you. If you don’t have a waterproof camera, you can mount your camera at one end of the pool, as long it has a clear field of view of you and your buddy swimming next to you the whole time.
Breath holds
Breath holds (“statics”) should be done on land, lying down in a comfortable place like your bed. You can film yourself with a stationary camera and you don’t need to have a buddy.
Underwater swims
For underwater swims (“dynamics”) you must have a buddy. Your buddy should film you while swimming on the surface next to you. If you don’t have a waterproof camera, you can mount your camera at one end of the pool, as long it has a clear field of view of you and your buddy swimming next to you the whole time.
💡 Your buddy must swim alongside you, rather than standing on the side of the pool.
⛔ Never swim underwater alone. Filming yourself swimming alone will result in immediate disqualification.
Comparison to other agencies
Here are some tables showing how AIDA's certification requirements compare to those of other agencies. Some observations:
- In PFI and NAUI the dynamic is optional, which is a nice feature when pool access is difficult.
- Molchanovs and NAUI do not offer a Beginner certification. Their lowest level certification requires students to dive to 10-12m.
