Freediving Certifications: A Comparison Across Leading Organizations
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 Freeddiver | 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 |
Free Fall Training in the advanced freediving
You are leaving beginner freediving course behind, the beginners freedivers were diving above the point of neutral buoyancy or descending only slightly below it. Going considerably deeper than neutral buoyancy will cause the air in the lungs and the tiny bubbles in the neoprene of the wetsuit to further compress and you will continuously loose more and more buoyancy. This shifts the balance between the down-force of your weight and the upward directed force of buoyancy towards the downward force...:
weight > Buoyant force
Gradually, the freediver become negatively buoyant and feels like being “pulled” effortlessly to depth - starting to “free fall”.
On descent past (deeper than) NB
On the descent the freediver build up some speed by finning or pulling himself down along the line. As the freediver get close to depth of neutral buoyance will notice that ability to maintain that same speed with decreasing effort. A few more kicks (or pulls) getvthe freediver almost effortlessly past neutral buoyancy and soon will be able to keep the same speed without any further propulsion. the free fall has begun and will take the freediver to the target depth.
Streamlining & relaxation
Freefalling is a static breath hold plus streamlining and equalisation. the freediver want to maintain a maximal streamlined vertical body posture with the head in line with the body axis. This can be achieved with a minimal physical effort while the focus stays on complete relaxation. A free fall sometimes seems to be very slow and the rope in front of the eyes just does not seem to move. Freefalling needs patience and confidence. It is a good moment to resume the relaxation exercise and keep focusing on a good equalisation technique. Keep the head in body axis during free fall. If the freediver look down, will tilted head not only creates a lot of water resistance, but also changes the body posture into a “banana shape”. This will gradually lead the body away from the perfectly vertical dive line and turn it into a horizontal position. Eventually the freediver will end up in a parachute jump position with the belly pointing down. Just as a parachute jumper slows down his fall through air by assuming this position, it will also slow down or even stop the free fall in water.
What are the fitness benefits of freediving?
Freediving offers a wide range of fitness and health benefits due to its physical and mental conditioning requirements....
1. Improved lung capacity and breath control
Breath-hold training increases the capacity of the lungs, allowing the body to use oxygen more efficiently, and also enhances the strength of the diaphragm, making it stronger to handle more carbon dioxide and improves lung elasticity. Freedivers often practice deep, slow breathing, which helps strengthen the respiratory muscles and expand lung volume.
2. Cardiovascular endurance
Freediving increases cardiovascular endurance by training the heart to function on limited oxygen. The “mammalian dive response” helps the body adapt to low oxygen, slowing the heart rate and conserving oxygen, improving overall cardiovascular efficiency. Freediving also encourages peripheral vasoconstriction (the narrowing of blood vessels) to prioritize blood flow to vital organs, which may enhance overall circulatory function. The combination of breath-holding and underwater exertion improves oxygenation throughout the body, benefiting heart health.
3. Core Strength and Flexibility
Freediving engages the core muscles, which are essential for stabilizing the body during diving, especially while finning. The back and abdominal muscles become stronger through the dynamic movements required during diving. It also enhances flexibility, especially in the diaphragm, rib cage, and hip flexors, through breathing exercises and diving techniques. Freediving often requires maintaining fluid body positions and smooth movements, which enhances joint mobility and flexibility, especially in the shoulders, hips, and back.
4. Improved Mental Focus
Freediving is meditative in nature, helping to improve alertness and stress tolerance through relaxation and focus techniques. Learning to stay calm under pressure enhances mental clarity, focus, and emotional control.
5. Increased Oxygen Efficiency
The body becomes more efficient at using oxygen, and freedivers often develop a higher tolerance to carbon dioxide. Cells adapt to produce energy more efficiently with limited oxygen, improving overall endurance and reducing fatigue.
6. Improve muscle endurance and efficiency
Muscle fibers are adapted to work efficiently with limited oxygen, enhancing muscle endurance. This is done by engaging the leg muscles, especially the quadriceps, calves, and glutes, while swimming or fin-kicking. Learning to control the body’s reaction to low oxygen and the underwater environment also increases the ability to tolerate stress, which can be transferred to everyday life.