Choosing your Freediving Agency – Comparing the top 4 Freediving Agencies
Here we go, you were looking to objectively compare the best freediving agencies, but please understand that this is our personal way to explain this, collected from different documents and personal experiences and our own understanding, so under no circumstances should be taken as “the only answer”.
So you want to learn freediving, but in your research of where to do it and who to do it with, now you have to choose or include the variable of which agency to choose from.
Maybe you have already decided to sign in for a freediving course, and the school you have signed up with have gave you the options of agencies you can do your course from.
Here we are to help you make a wise optimal, which of course will vary between who is reading this document.
The first thing you need to know is what is an agency and what is the relationship with your freediving instructor or freediving agency.
No matter who you have book your freediving course, they will always register you under one of this agencies (systems) that are mostly world recognised. Every freediving school or freediving instructor, will ultimately certify you under an agency.
Therefore, the instructor / agency will have to stick to the educational and professional standards of the agency they will be teaching under. This is so the freediving student, can get the same knowledge and experience regardless of where of who is teaching the course.
Truth been told, as much as the agencies try their best to keep all the courses similar, the experience of your course will always end up ultimately to your instructor’s knowledge, experience, and attitude to teach the course.
Asking for references, reading their reviews on trusted webs (like google reviews) and seeing their instructors ranking would be a good place to start.
So, which are the most well-known freediving agencies then?
There are many agencies coming up and disappearing around the world, but probably the four most well-known and with more history are: SSI Freediving, Molchanovs, PADI Freediver and AIDA, If you want to know about each of them, here are the links to their webs:
Now that you know about these agencies, let’s compare the pre-requisites to enrol the entry level courses as described on their programs:
Agency | SSI Freediver | Molchanovs | PADI Freediver | AIDA |
Name of the Program | SSI Freediver | Molchanovs Wave 1 | PADI Freediver | AIDA 2* |
Minimum Age | 12 Y.O (with a parental/guardian’s signed consent.) | 16 Y.O. (with a parental/guardian’s signed consent.) | 12 Y.O (with a parental/guardian’s signed consent.) | 16 Y.O. (with a parental/guardian’s signed consent.) |
Swim ability | Swim 200m unassisted, non-stop in a pool setting. | Swim 200m unassisted, non-stop in a pool setting. | Swim 200m unassisted, non-stop in a pool setting. | Swim 200m unassisted, non-stop in a pool setting. |
Medical | Have no medical conditions related to this activity. | Have no medical conditions related to this activity. | Be in good physical health. | Have no medical conditions related to this activity. |
Now that you know, let’s see what are the performance requirements in order to pass and get your certification:
Besides completing your theory compound and passing your final exam, your instructor will teach you necessary skills and guide through the process to start and finish a dive, as a diver and as a buddy, so then can perform and so then complete the requirements in order to pass and get your certification.
You should remember though, it is not the “numbers” why you are doing a course, but the skills you are learning to become a safe freediver. Here are the main ones:
Agency | SSI Freediver | Molchanovs | PADI Freediver | AIDA |
Name of the Program | SSI Freediver | Molchanovs Wave 1 | PADI Freediver | AIDA 2* |
STA (Static) | No Minimum | 1:30 min | 1:30 min | 2:00 min |
DYN (Dynamic) | 30 meters | 30 meters | 25 meters | 40 meters |
Rescue Skills @Pool | ||||
STA Rescue DYN Rescue | At surface Underwater | At surface Underwater | At surface Underwater | At surface Underwater |
Pool Skills | ||||
Duck dive Finning technique: flutter Kick Weighting (Buoyancy check) Body & neck position (posture) UW Mask Removal Dynamic Turns Arm-stroke No-Fins Buddying | ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ – ✓ | ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ – ✓ – Intro ✓ | ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ – – – – ✓ | ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ – ✓ |
Once you have completed the pool skills and requirements, and guide through the process to start and finish a dive this time in open waters, but once again, not only as a diver but also as a buddy, so then can perform and so then complete the requirements in order to pass and get your certification.
Here are the main ones of arguably, the 4 best freediving agencies that are recognised worldwide:
Agency | SSI Freediver | Molchanovs | PADI Freediver | AIDA |
Name of the Program | SSI Freediver (ex- Level 1 FD) | Molchanovs Wave 1 | PADI Freediver | AIDA 2* |
| CWT (Constant weight) Depth Requirement | 10m to pass Max depth allowed: 20m | 12m to pass Max depth allowed: 20m | 10m to pass Max depth allowed: 16m | 12m to pass Max depth allowed: 20m |
| FIM (Free Immersion) Depth Requirement | Intro, as warm ups | 12m to pass | Intro, as a warm up | Intro, as a warm up |
| Rescue Skills | ||||
| Depth Rescue | From 10 meters | 6 to 10 meters | From 5 meters | From 5 meters |
| Self Rescue: Mask Off | From 10 meters | – | – | – |
| Self Rescue: Arms Only Ascend | From 10 meters | – | – | – |
| Depth Skills | ||||
Duck dive Flutter Kick Weighting Body position (posture) Mask Removal Dynamic Turns Arm-stroke No-Fins Buddying | ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ – ✓ | ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ – ✓ – Intro ✓ | ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ – – – – ✓ | ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ – ✓ |
Well, there you go, now you can make a decision for your Freediving Course and start your freediving journey and choose between the best freediving agencies based on facts.
Gonzalo
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