Before every water session, we include a dedicated dry preparation session.

Depending on the needs of the group, these sessions cover topics such as:

• Advanced freediving theory
• Equalization and deep-diving techniques
• Training methodology
• Safety and rescue procedures
• Breathing mechanics
• Warm-up and stretching
• FRC and mouthfill preparation
• Packing and reverse packing
• Session planning and analysis
• Assistant responsibilities

This means that every water session has a clear purpose — prepare, execute, analyse and learn.

Minimum 5 confined-water sessions:

4 Pool Sessions

You will experience the sessions from two perspectives:

2 sessions as a student

Developing and refining your own freediving performance.

2 sessions as an assistant

Working under instructor supervision and learning how to:

• Prepare and lead appropriate warm-ups
• Organise a training session
• Monitor other freedivers
• Recognise potential problems
• Support athletes during training
• Communicate effectively with students and instructors
• Maintain a safe and structured training environment

1 Lake-Based Confined-Water Session

You will also participate as an assistant during a lake-based confined-water session, gaining experience with the additional considerations of lake training — including equipment preparation, organisation and line setup.

Minimum 8 open-water sessions, including at least 2 sessions as an assistant.

The open-water part of the course is where your AIDA4 training becomes particularly practical.

You will work on advanced deep-diving skills while progressively taking greater responsibility within the training environment.

As an assistant, you will learn to independently prepare and manage elements such as:

• Dive-line setup
• Appropriate knots and line handling
• Setting and checking dive depth
• Bottom plate preparation
• Lanyard and torch handling
• Equipment organisation
• Warm-up and preparation of other divers
• Surface supervision
• Communication with the instructor and training group
• Maintaining a structured and safe training environment

All assistant activities are performed under the supervision of the AIDA Master Instructor.

The goal is to give you experience that goes beyond knowing the theory — you learn what it actually feels like to be responsible for the preparation and organisation of a real freediving session.

A major part of AIDA4 is learning how to prepare the body for freediving.

You will learn to design, perform and guide appropriate:

Full-body warm-ups

Including:

• Gentle movement
• General mobility
• Major muscle-group activation
• Freediving-specific preparation
• Preparation appropriate for the planned session

Freediving-specific stretching

Including flexibility work for the whole body and areas particularly relevant to freediving.

Breathing muscle preparation

You will also be introduced to techniques used to improve breathing mechanics and gradually work with reduced residual volume, including:

• Full-lung stretching
• Packing within vital capacity
• Reverse packing within safe limits
• Relaxed breathing exercises
• Techniques supporting deep-diving preparation

These techniques are taught progressively and with a strong emphasis on control, awareness and safety.

AIDA4 is not an instructor qualification — but it is an important step towards becoming someone who can effectively support an instructor and other freedivers.

Throughout our extended course, you will have opportunities to practice:

Observe → Assist → Perform → Analyse → Improve

You will learn how to contribute to a training session without losing sight of the most important principle:

Safety comes before performance.

By the end of the program, you should be able to independently prepare and lead an appropriate warm-up, support supervised training sessions, assist with open-water logistics and understand the responsibilities involved in creating a safe freediving environment.