This course is suitable for water-competent beginners as well as experienced freedivers who dont have a formal qualification. This course takes a full weekend with some home study and runs between April and October, when we have a group of 2 or more keen to go.  Running at the National Diving and Activity Centre (NDAC), Chepstow, the course includes:

• Home study through online materials
• A short classroom session to review your home study 
• Breathing and relaxation techniques for freediving
• A pool session to work on extending your breath hold in Static Apnea and developing your finning technique in Dynamic Apnea
• Dive sessions in the lake to work on equalising your ears, pulling down a line in Free Immersion, swimming down with fins in Constant Weight, Safety Diving and Buddy techniques.

Whatever your level at the start of your course, we are pretty sure you will be surprised at the improvements to your breath hold times and depths.

After the course, you should have enough knowledge and experience to train in similar conditions to around 20m with a qualified buddy. Divers who dont quite reach the requirements for AIDA 2 Star during the weekend can be certified as AIDA 1 Star Divers. If you want to upgrade, then you can sign up for one of our 2 Star Finisher Days to upgrade to 2 Star. After this course, if we think youre a safe freediver, youll be welcome at any Saltfree meet, to train in a more informal way and extend your performances.

Certification as an AIDA 2 Star Freediver is dependent on reaching the target performances required by AIDA.

As a certified AIDA 2 Star Freediver you will be able to demonstrate the following standards:

• 2:00+ min static breath hold
• 40+ m diving horizontally with fins
• 16-20 m depth in the open water
• Safety diving for your buddy

To enrol in the AIDA 2 Star Course, you must

• Be at least 18 old (16 years with parental or guardian’s consent)
• Be able to swim at least 200 m non-stop without fins and at least 300 m non-stop with mask, fins and snorkel

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