AIDA 1 at Fidelity Fitness Club

AIDA Level I course is designed to be an introduction to freediving for the complete beginner. It aims to help the student to develop basic skills, knowledge and safety procedures necessary to enjoy freediving safely within the limits of their experience. This course is not aimed towards competitive freediving but for recreational freediving only. Therefore the main focus in the course is freediving without a dive line and without dividing the skills into different competitive disciplines. The dives can be combinations of horizontal and vertical swimming. To conduct an AIDA Level I Freediver course, the following knowledge development, breath hold exercise and water session are to be included:

• Static Apnea – breath hold with faced immersed in water;
• Constant Weight – the diver descends and ascends using fins.

This will be achieved through:

• Knowledge Development – this will involve theory sessions and an examination in the classroom;
• Confined Water Sessions – this will involve static sessions in a pool to teach breathing, relaxation, finning and safety techniques.

The knowledge development will take place in a classroom-like environment. It will consist of one theory sessions with a minimum duration of 2 hours depending on the number of questions you ask. The knowledge development will be conducted using the AIDA Level I Freediver Powerpoint slides.

• 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.

There is no exam for the AIDA Level I Freediver theory you just have to demonstrate and understanding of the points above.

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.

The price for the AIDA 1 Freediver Course with Freediving UAE is AED 750.

This includes pool access, all necessary equipment and instruction by a qualified AIDA instructor. The price also includes processing of the certification (refer to Post Course Certification section below). The price also includes insurance for the duration of the course.

Fidelity Fitness Club Members avail 20% Discount.

Freedivers who meet all the requirements outlined above will be certified as an AIDA Level I diver. Students will receive their full certification from AIDA within 2 months. This will be administrated by Freediving UAE.