  
freediving
July 2008 will see the beginning of our freediving courses.
Working with us will be Francois Gautier who has been on the freediving circuit for many years and competing for Portugal and France in numerous world chapionships. As well as running courses, Francois is also running a training camp for the world championships in Sharm El Sheikh later this year. For more infor on Francois and the training camp please check out his blog site: oceancolors.blogspot.com
    
Francois will be able to take you from a complete novice right through to instructor level and also able to take more experienced divers for some deeper training and fun diving to one of our best sites The Malakoff which at a maximum depth of 42 metres is an amazing place to be without a tank of air!!!
Course Outlines
AIDA 1 Star
This introductory course is for complete beginners wishing to discover the pleasures of freediving. You will wonder why you took so long to experience this different way of seeing life underwater!
By training your body and mind and learning the proper breathing techniques you will feel comfortable and safe in this calm and silent environment.
Prerequisites:
16 years of age or older
Able to swim at least 100m
Course Duration: 2 days
Program:
Each training day starts with a preparatory yoga session, with a focus on relaxation and breathing techniques.
Specifications:
The AIDA 1 star course can include optional sled dives, in both variable and no limits, to a maximum depth of 10m. After passing the course, sled dives can be made between 10 and 20m deep.
Price: 170 Euros
(includes: all tuition from Francois, certification and rental equipment) |
AIDA 2 Star
This is a basic freediving course, designed for students who are already confident and happy in the water. It aims at helping the student develop the skills and knowledge necessary to enjoy freediving safely.
Prerequisites:
16 years of age or older
Able to swim at least 200m without fins, and at least 300m non stop with mask, fins and snorkel
Course Duration: 3 days
Program:
Each training day starts with a preparatory yoga session, with a focus on relaxation and breathing techniques.
Specifications:
The AIDA 2 star course can include optional sled dives, in both variable and no limits, to a maximum depth of 20m. After passing the course, sled dives can be made between 20 and 30m deep.
Price: 270 Euros
(includes: all tuition from Francois, certification and rental equipment) |
AIDA 3 Star
This advanced course is designed to continue a freediver’s training beyond the level of AIDA 2 star. The aim of this course is to help the student develop the skills and knowledge necessary to independently plan and participate in freediving activities with similarly experienced freedive buddies.
Technical skills are honed and theoretical aspects of the sport are studied in depth, with an emphasis on breathing and swimming techniques as well as rescue skills.
Prerequisites:
16 years of age or older
AIDA 2 star Freediver course (or equivalent)
Duration: 3 days
Program:
Each training day starts with a preparatory yoga session, with a focus on relaxation and breathing techniques.
Specifications:
The AIDA 3 star course can include optional sled dives, in both variable and no limits, to a maximum depth of 25m. After passing the course, sled dives can be made between 25 and 35m deep.
Price: 270 Euros
(includes: all tuition from Francois, certification and rental equipment) |
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Recreational Freediving:
• Depths of 0-30 metres
• Many repetitive dives between 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Freedivers stay within their own limits
• Freedivers rely on themselves and their buddy for safety.
• Freedivers interact with marine life, explore wrecks and structures, and explore terrain.
Competitive Freediving:
• Competitive freedivers test themselves for time, depth and distance underwater.
• Performances are more than double recreational time, depth and distance.
• Extensive safety arrangements are made, including safety SCUBA and freedivers.
• Freedivers test their limits.
• Freedivers at a higher risk of samba or blackout.
For the purpose of competitive diving and record keeping, the disciplines of apnea are defined by A.I.D.A. as follows...
A. Static Apnea (STA)
This discipline consists of holding your breath for as long as possible while staying motionless. It sets high demands for the competitor's concentration ability.
B. Dynamic Apnea without Fins (DNF)
A variation of the above, where the longest possible distance is achieved without the use of fins.
C. Dynamic Apnea with Fins (DYF)
This consists of the athlete making use of fins to swim the longest possible distance under water.
D. Free Immersion Apnea (FIM)
This discipline allows the competitor to pull along the measuring rope to his/her depth and back again.
E. Constant Weight Apnea (CWA)
This discipline is considered by insiders to be the original freediving discipline. The athlete makes use of traditional ABC-equipment to reach his/her depth. The discipline sets the highest demands to the freediver's mental power, physique and technique.
F. Constant Weight Apnea without Fins (CWAF)
This discipline consists of swimming down and up along the rope as in classic constant weight, but without the use of fins and using breast strokes. This discipline has been called 'the true human aquatic potential'.
G. Variable Weight Apnea (VWT)
In this discipline the diver makes use of a specially designed sled running along the measuring rope to achieve his/her depth. Historically, the sled has evolved from a simple weight attached to a noose, till today's highly sophisticated, hydrodynamic sled leading the diver downward with high speed. The freediver traditionally makes use of the measuring rope to pull back to the surface.
H. No-Limits Apnea (NLT)
This has traditionally been the discipline to reach the deepest of all disciplines today. It is a further development of variable weight, where the athlete apart from the sled traditionally makes use of an inflatable balloon to return to the surface.
In each discipline, both men and women hold separate records. There are no official subdivisions of any of these categories (e.g. altitude, under ice, lake diving, etc…)
Don't hesitate to contact us via email for the latest information about all freediving activities.
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