AIDA 2 Freediving Course: What You'll Learn and How to Pass
AIDA 2 explained: the theory, pool and open water sessions, typical requirements at the time of writing, how the exam works and how to prepare on land in India.
AIDA 2 is the entry-level freediving certification from AIDA, the international freediving federation. Over two to four days you learn freediving theory, pool skills and open water diving on a line. To pass, you typically need a relaxed static breath-hold of about two minutes, a 40-metre dynamic swim, a constant weight dive to around 12 metres, rescue skills and a written exam. Those are the requirements at the time of writing, so check AIDA’s current standards before you book. Most healthy people who swim comfortably and can equalise get there with a little preparation.
Where AIDA 2 fits in the AIDA system
AIDA was founded in 1992 and is best known for setting competition rules and ratifying freediving records. Its education system has a clear ladder:
- AIDA 1: a short introductory course for people who want to try freediving.
- AIDA 2: the first full certification, covering pool and open water.
- AIDA 3: an advanced course with deeper dives and more training theory.
- AIDA 4: the master level, the step before instructor training.
AIDA 2 certifies you to freedive with a buddy of similar training within the depths covered by the course, typically up to about 20 metres. It’s also the level many schools ask for before you join their supervised training sessions. If you’re still weighing up agencies, our comparison of AIDA, Molchanovs, PADI and SSI shows how AIDA 2 lines up with the alternatives.
AIDA 2 prerequisites
At the time of writing, the typical prerequisites are:
- A minimum age set by AIDA, with parental consent for minors (check the current rule if you’re booking for a teenager)
- The ability to swim a set distance non-stop, with or without mask, fins and snorkel
- A completed medical statement, with a doctor’s sign-off if you answer yes to any of the health questions
- No previous freediving experience
You don’t need to be a fast swimmer, but you do need to be comfortable in water over your head. If you aren’t yet, spend a few weeks doing relaxed lengths at your local pool, and get to know the deep end.
What you learn in the theory sessions
Theory usually runs across two or three classroom sessions. Topics include:
- How the body responds to breath-holding, including the mammalian dive reflex
- Why the urge to breathe comes mostly from carbon dioxide, and why hyperventilating is dangerous
- Equalising the ears and mask, with an introduction to the Frenzel technique
- Blackout and loss of motor control: what causes them and how to rescue a diver
- The buddy system, surface protocol and recovery breathing
- Basic training principles and equipment
The course ends with a multiple-choice written exam. If you’ve paid attention and read the manual, it shouldn’t worry you.
Pool sessions: static, dynamic and rescue
The pool sessions build habits you’ll use for the rest of your diving life. You’ll learn a calm breathe-up, then do static breath-holds face-down at the surface with your buddy watching and talking you through it. The two-minute static usually comes more easily than people expect, because the instructor focuses on relaxation rather than pushing.
Next comes dynamic apnea with fins: swimming underwater along the pool on one breath, working on a streamlined body position and a slow, efficient kick. Then rescues: bringing a blacked-out buddy to the surface, keeping their airway clear, removing their mask and using blow-tap-talk to help them recover.
Open water: line diving, depth and rescue
In open water you dive on a line hanging from a buoy. The usual sequence is warm-up dives in the shallows, then free immersion (pulling yourself down and up the line hand over hand), then constant weight (finning down and up). Free immersion is a gentle way to work on equalisation because you control your speed exactly. Read our step-by-step Frenzel guide before this part of the course.
You’ll also practise the duck dive, the turn at the bottom and the final part of every dive: the recovery breaths and the surface protocol that tells your buddy you’re fine. Finally, you’ll rescue a buddy who simulates a blackout at depth, bring them up and recover them at the buoy.
AIDA 2 requirements at the time of writing
These are the typical AIDA 2 requirements at the time of writing. AIDA updates its standards, so check AIDA’s current standards or ask your instructor for the latest list.
| Requirement | Typical standard | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Static apnea (STA) | About 2 minutes | Relaxation and breath-hold comfort |
| Dynamic apnea with fins (DYN) | About 40 metres | Technique and efficiency |
| Constant weight (CWT) | About 12 metres, with course dives usually within 20 m | Duck dive, finning, equalisation |
| Rescue | Blackout rescue at the surface and from shallow depth | Your ability to keep a buddy safe |
| Theory | Written multiple-choice exam | Understanding of safety and physiology |
None of these targets require you to suffer. If you find yourself straining to reach one, that’s usually a sign to relax more, not to push harder.
How to prepare for AIDA 2 on land
A few weeks of preparation at home makes the course calmer and more enjoyable, even if you live nowhere near the sea:
- Get your equalisation working. Equalisation, not breath-hold, is the usual reason people miss the 12-metre dive. Practise the Frenzel on land with a nose clip until it’s automatic.
- Practise relaxed breathing and dry statics. Lie on a yoga mat, breathe slowly for two minutes and do a few gentle holds with a phone timer. Our dry static apnea programme gives a safe four-week structure.
- Swim regularly. Twice a week is enough. If your pool allows fins, practise a slow, straight-legged kick from the hips; our notes on freediving finning technique explain what to aim for.
- Stretch your ribs and shoulders. A more flexible chest makes the breathe-up and the duck dive feel easier.
- Read the theory early. Arriving with the basics in your head frees course time for the water.
Safety: Breath-hold practice at home is for land only, lying down, and never in a bath, pool or the sea without a trained buddy watching you. Don’t hyperventilate before a hold, and stop if you feel dizzy or tingly.
Common reasons people don’t finish first time
Most people pass AIDA 2. When someone doesn’t, it’s usually one of these:
- Equalisation stalls at a few metres. The fix is technique and patience, and sometimes a doctor’s check for congestion. Our guide to why you can’t equalise covers the usual causes.
- Nerves in the static. Treat it as a relaxation exercise rather than a test, and let your buddy’s voice guide you.
- Too much effort in the dynamic. A smaller, slower kick goes further than a frantic one.
- A cold or blocked sinuses. Don’t dive with one. Ask your instructor to reschedule instead.
Most instructors let you complete a missing requirement later, sometimes within a time limit, so ask about the policy before you book.
What to practise after you’re certified
The card means you’re trained to keep learning with a buddy. In the weeks after the course, aim for regular pool sessions, relaxed dives at a comfortable depth and continued land training. Wait until you have plenty of easy dives at your AIDA 2 depth before thinking about AIDA 3.
The freediving.in community is coming soon. Stay tuned.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the AIDA 2 course take?
Usually two to four days, depending on the instructor's schedule, the conditions and how quickly the group moves through the requirements. Some instructors split the course, with pool sessions in one place and open water days later. Leave a buffer day if you can, in case weather or a stubborn ear slows things down.
Can you fail AIDA 2?
You can finish the course without certifying if you don't meet a requirement, but most instructors give you a chance to complete it later, sometimes within a time limit. A missed target usually comes down to equalisation or nerves, and both improve with practice. Ask about the instructor's policy on incomplete courses before you book.
What comes after AIDA 2?
The next level is AIDA 3, an advanced course with deeper dives, more training theory and stronger rescue skills. Its requirements are higher, and you need AIDA 2 or an accepted equivalent to start. Most people spend months doing supervised dives, pool sessions and land training at their AIDA 2 level before taking it.
Do I need my own gear for AIDA 2?
No. Most instructors include or rent long fins, a low-volume mask, a snorkel, a wetsuit and weights. Many students bring their own mask and snorkel because fit matters most there. If you plan to buy fins, use rental pairs on the course first so you learn which stiffness and foot pocket suit you.
