Beginner
Custom Freedive 1 (AIDA*) This is a day introduction to basic Freediving, designed for the complete beginner. It aims to help an aspiring snorkeler develop the skills and knowledge necessary to enjoy freediving safely within the limits of his or her experience. The course specifically works on increasing confidence levels in the water and emphasizes that to be a good freediver does not necessarily mean you have to be a deep freediver! Correct breathing preparation , understanding breath-hold, and surface recovery breaths. Improves self control, and more confidence underwater resulting in longer breath hold dives Teaches understanding of working with a buddy and basic rescue procedures Safe breath-hold diving. 1-day – One person course price: $ 250usd 2 to 6 students: $150usd per person. AIDA 1 – Certification fee: $18USD, optional. Boat Fees not included
Beginner/Intermediate
Custom Freedive 2 (AIDA ** ) or Custom Freedive 1 & 2 (AIDA * & **) This course is designed to be an development of the skills acquired in the introduction to freediving but is also a perfect revision of technique for students who are already more confident and relaxed in the water or who have had some limited freediving experience but lack formal training in those skills. Maria Teresa is a master of scrutiny and will overhaul your technique, correct bad finning habits and equalisation, train appropriate preparation and recovery breathing to avoid surface stress, and will look at equipment use and misuse. This course will bring everyone entering at this level to a point where the set points of safety procedures, stress reduction, problems and hazards are all understood. The three-day course includes a minimum of 2 depth sessions determined by each freediver’s ability, where the freediver must be able to demonstrate regular comfortable descents to a minimum of 18m, several sessions of quiet relaxed Static breath-hold and Dynamic movement breath-holds, an introduction to pulling down the line, (Free Immersion), and finning (Constant Weight). Safety and buddy procedures are accentuated throughout. Course price for one person: $600US. For 2-4 people : $400US per person. Boat Fees not included. AIDA 2 Certification Fees $30USD, if required
Intermediate
Custom Freedive 3 (AIDA ***) This course continues a freediver’s training to a comfort level beyond the depths of simple snorkeling and to grow the confidence of an already adept freediver towards a new discovery of his or her potential. Under her close supervision and working closely in buddy pairs MT encourages you to experience every moment of breath-hold safely and with the confidence of your newly acquired skills. At this level freediving becomes a far more complete program suitable for the more skilled and curious freediver who recognizes the importance of the relationship between himself, his freedive partner and the environment he is playing in. The same skills as in courses 1 and 2 are reviewed but with ever increasing attention to detail from planning a freedive session and organizing equipment, to safety procedures, surface rescue and rescue at depth, competent buddying skills and the principles of training. The course covers freedive physics and physiology, the Mammalian Dive reflex, the effects of pressure and depth in training. There are both confined water skills for increasing static breath-hold, and dynamic apnea; the theory of improved hydrodynamics, i.e. 20% propulsion and 80% streamlining. 4 open water freedive skill development sessions deep water skills and rescue. As there are so many perfect opportunities to experience more about the underwater life of the Sea of Cortez this is the course where those skills can be perfectly balanced with the enjoyment of the deep water environment. Pre-requisites: Any freediver wishing to take this course must be certified as an AIDA ** freediver or certified freediver from any of the other certification bodies, and must be able to demonstrate regular comfortable descents to 25m with good equalizing skills. Course price for one student: $680US. 2 – 4 to students : $480US per person AIDA 3 Certification: $30 usd, if required Boat Fees not included.
Advanced
Custom FREEDIVE 4 (AIDA****) This 5 day course is really the beginning of the mind-game in freediving; and reflects the saying, “a true freediver dives into himself”. The skill levels already achieved in previous courses will enable you to be able to relax more during the dive. By this stage you will be less dependent on mechanical skills and much more sensitive to being aware of your body and breath in the water. Techniques to be refined: a comfort level in breath-hold that focuses on relaxation the “GLIDE” as the easy phase”, advanced equalsation techniques and the “mouthfill” for deep diving dive safety with deep rescue & safety partner work. Over the days of the course you will be encouraged to stretch daily, and do light breath-hold practice using specific yogic breath-work techniques. You will be able to feel your breath-hold capability and in-water movement better, and you will be more attuned to releasing the effects of pressure on your body through relaxation techniques and mental controls. Individual training sessions will be devised for each student according to their needs and potential so that before you leave you will have a professional program for effective freedive progression. The open water freedive sessions use a fixed line and counterweight with its lanyard safety system and a maximum depth of 35m , to be demonstrated in with relative ease and consistency. Course price for one student: $980usd. 2 – 4 students : $750US per person. Boat Fees not included. AIDA 4 Certification : $30usd optional
Instructor Courses
There are only a few dedicated AIDA Instructor Trainers in the world who are responsible for training new instructors and by remaining only as one or two in each AIDA national country the intention is to maintain a rigorous selection criteria to keep those high standards. Other subsidiary freedive organisations or SCUBA schools that have developed a system of cross-over adapated courses will not meet those criteria, or will have established different instructor levels determined by the level of the course being taught. In the AIDA system there is only ONE passing level of first level Instructor who will have had to meet all the pre-requisites of depth and teaching skills. Maria Teresa is the ONLY Instructor Trainer in Mexico and one only of two or three on the American continent. She is able to qualify all levels of AIDA courses as well as Instructors, as well as being one of the more experienced deep Freedive Safety Team members during the SUUNTO 2012, Vertical Blue World Championships as well as acting safety team trainer for the Caribbean Cup, Roatan, 2013. She is also a qualified AIDA International Judge. Instructor Courses CARIBBEAN CUP, ROATAN – MAY/ JUNE 2013, (AIDA combined Advanced course and Instructor course information and dates to be announced shortly)
