Freediving Certifications: A Comparison Across Leading Organizations
When it comes to freediving certifications, several key organizations like PADI, AIDA, SSI, Molchanovs and CMAS offer programs designed to build your skills and confidence in the water.
While the certification levels across these organizations are quite similar, each offers its own unique path for freedivers to explore. The primary difference lies in the depth goals achieved in the constant weight (CWT) discipline.
Below, you'll find a comparison for the depths which is offered by these organizations.
| Organization Name | PADI | AIDA | SSI | CMAS | Molchanovs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certification level | Basic Freediver | AIDA 1 | Basic Freediver | 1* | Discover freediving |
| Static | 1:30 minutes | -- | -- | 1 minute | -- |
| Dynamic | 25 meters | -- | -- | 15 meters | 32 meters |
| Depth | 6 M max | 10 M max | 5 M max | 2 M | 14 M max |
| Certification level | Freeddiver | AIDA 2 | Freediver | 1* | Wave 1 |
| Static | 1:30 minutes | 2 minutes | 2 - 3 minutes | 1:30 minute | 1:30 minute |
| Dynamic | 25 meters | 40 meters | 30 - 40 meters | 25 meters | 33 meters |
| Depth | 10 - 16 M | 12 M | 15 - 20 M max | 10 M | 6 -10 M Bifins |
| Certification level | Advanced Freediver | AIDA 3 | Advanced Freediver | 2* | Wave 2 |
| Static | 2:30 minutes | 2:45 minutes | 2 - 3 minutes | 2:30 minute | 2:30 minute |
| Dynamic | 50 meters | 55 meters | 30 - 40 meters | 50 meters | 50 meters |
| Depth | 20 - 24 M | 24 M | 15 - 20 M | 20 M | 10 - 15 M |
| Certification level | Master Freeddiver | AIDA 4 | -- | 3* | Wave 3 |
| Static | 3:30 minutes | 3:30 minutes | -- | 3:30 minute | 3:30 minute |
| Dynamic | 70 meters | 70 meters | -- | 75 meters | 75 meters |
| Depth | 32 M | 32 M | -- | 30 M | 34 M |