AIDA 2 Freediving Fundamentals

The AIDA 2 course is the foundation course of AIDA. In this course we develop the fundamental skills to help you become a safe and competent freediver. This course is designed for people who already feel confident in the water however no prior freediving experience is required. The purpose of the course is to develop the students freediving skills, knowledge and safety procedures to help progress their underwater abilities and maximise enjoyment.

This course is a deeper dive into freediving and is run over 3 days. In this course we cover breath hold physiology, safe diving protocols and techniques to help you remain calm as you begin to dive deeper and longer. Throughout this course we run sessions in both confined water (in a pool) and in open water (in the ocean, lakes or sinkholes).

In the confined water sessions students develop their skills in static apnea (stationary breath hold) and dynamic apnea (horizontal distance swim underwater). In the open water sessions we introduce students to equalisation techniques that enable them to dive vertically down. Across all the freediving sessions there is a strong focus on safety, understanding the risks and knowing how to manage them. The number one rule in freediving is “never dive alone” and all students will learn correct buddying and rescue techniques to implement throughout their freediving journey.

By the end of the course the students will know everything they need to to dive comfortably to 12-20m and hold their breath for 2 minutes.

The three days of the course include:

Thursday Evening 5-9pm at MSAC

Saturday 1 - All Day - Port Phillip bay and MSAC

Saturday 2 - All Day - Lake Purrumbete, Camperdown.

WHAT YOU LEARN in AIDA 2

• Basic freediving physiology 

• Relaxation and mental techniques

• Equalisation techniques and problem solving

• Finning technique and correct body position

• Skills to hold your breath for 2 minutes

• Dynamic (distance) diving in the pool

• 2 x depth diving sessions

• Skills to dive down to 20 metres deep on one breath

• Rescue and buddying skills

WHAT TO BRING

• Fins, mask and snorkel

• Wetsuit appropriate for the conditions (We recommend 5mm open cell wetsuit).

• Weight and weight belt (can be provided if you do not own these)

• Sea sick tablets if you might be seasick

PREREQUISITES 

• Students should have basic swimming skills and be able to swim 200m without stopping.

• Students should be over 18 years of age, or have parent/guardian's approval if between 16 and 18 years of age.