Beginner Course
Build your freediving foundation
AIDA2 / Wave 1 is a beginner certification course for students who want to move beyond a first introduction and learn freediving with proper structure, safety, and progression. Through theory, confined water, and open water sessions, you will build the core skills needed to freedive more confidently, safely, and start your journey as a freediving buddy to others.
12-20m
AIDA2 / Wave 1
Some water confidence needed, able to swim
Overview
This course is designed for students who are ready to learn freediving more fully. If Discovery is your first taste of freediving, Beginner is where you start building real foundations.
You will learn the essential theory, breathing and recovery principles, safety skills, pool techniques, and open water diving skills that support future progress.
Who This Course Is For
- You want a full beginner freediving course
- You are comfortable in the water and ready for more than a one-day introduction
- You want to build strong safety habits from the start
- You want a recognised beginner certification
- You may want to continue into advanced freediving later
What You Will Learn
- Basic freediving physics and physiology
- Breathing, relaxation, and recovery breathing
- Equalisation and duck dive fundamentals
- Pool skills including static and dynamic practice
- Open water skills including line diving and body position
- Basic buddying, safety, and rescue skills
Course Structure
1. Theory
Learn the fundamentals of freediving, including safety, physiology, breathing, and the principles behind efficient diving. Online exam. Practical dry skils just as breath-holding, relaxation techniques and stretching.
2. Confined Water
Two confined water sessions. Start by practicing your static breath-hold in the shallow water and apply what you learnt in the classroom. In a second session you will practice using fins under water covering a horizontal distance (dynamcis).
We also teach rescue, buddying and safety skills.
3. Open Water
Three open water sessions straight off the beach. We will snorkel out across our house reef together.
You will be guided step by step to dive for depth, practicing equalisation, duckdives, pulling down using our dive rope (Free Immersion ) and kicking down using fins (Constant Weight). The goal is to get comfortable and confident in the 12m – 20m range.
We will also practice rescue, buddying and safety skills.
Requirements
- You should be comfortable swimming and being in deeper water
- You should be able to swim and snorkel indepdently
- Minimum age is 16 years old with parental consent
- You should be medically fit to dive
Performance Standards
What beginner level works toward
At this level, the goal is not just to “try” freediving, but to complete a proper beginner training standard. You will be asked to complete an online exam and we guide you to reach minimum breath-hold, distance, depth and rescue goals.
If some requirements take more time to practice, you will be certified for the level you are at and you can continue your training.
There is no pass or fail in freediving! It is a sport, that we do to enjoy but that needs training. Everyone starts at different points and will improve.
Continue into advanced training
After completing Beginner, the next stage is usually more practice in the form of coaching sessions and pool training before embarking on the next leve course AIDA3 / Wave 2.
This is where training moves beyond foundations into stronger rescue ability, better technique, improved depth adaptation, and more independent freediving.
FAQ
Do I need previous freediving experience?
Is this different from Discovery / AIDA1?
Will I train in both pool and open water?
Yes. AIDA2 and Wave 1 both include theory plus pool/confined water and open water elements. Here in Tioman we practice the pool skills in confined water in the ocean.
What comes after this course?
We recommend to continue your training by doing open water coaching sessions with an accredited freediving instructor until you are comfortably diving to 18-20m before embarking on the AIDA3/WAVE2 course. We also encourage our students to join their local pool freediving communities for training.
What if I don't pass?
There is no pass or fail in freediving, because it is a sport you are learning. Everyone progresses at different speeds and starts at their own levels. You will be certified for the level you have reached for example:
AIDA2 Pool: Completed theory exam, all pool requirements but not yet all depth goals
AIDA2: Theory exam, pool and depth requirements have been reached
Both allow you to keep practicing with a coach, join fundives or training groups in the pool.
Start With Confidence
If you are ready to move beyond a first introduction and learn freediving properly, this is the course to begin with.
Build the skills, safety awareness, and confidence to progress with clarity.