[trux]

What I find the most sad when speaking to some FFESSM officials and instructors (FFESSM is the French branch of CMAS), is that they are spreading disinformation about AIDA.

They claim AIDA freedivers are irresponsible, hazardeurs, and diving on drugs. They are persuaded that the level of AIDA performances is better than at CMAS only because AIDA freedivers take doping and because they are allowed to have sambas and BO (unlike at AIDA, in FFESSM competitions you are disqualified if you have a samba even if you complete the protocol properly. And you are disqualified for two months after a samba, and for four after a BO - virtually eliminating you so for the entire season).

Personally, I am fan of AIDA, but unfortunately the FFESSM people are more prevalent here (almost all freedivers in France are organized under FFESSM). They use "AIDA freediver" as a pejorative term for describing someone disrespecting safety. By using it in this way, FFESSM instructors brain-wash newbies for whom then AIDA is equal to doping, LMC, BO, acidents, and death. It is very sad, not deserved, and based mostly on the jealousy not being able to reach similar performances (because the best one simply ignore CMAS and better stick with the more tolerant AIDA), but it is a fact.

So I am afraid, unless CMAS officials start respecting AIDA freedivers, and unless they accept they are simply better, there is very little chance they stop banning them from their competitions - it looks like they afraid demonstrating how retarded their education and training programs are in comparison to those of AIDA.