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Does it really matter what organization's courses are you being taught?
- Thread starterhezibuba
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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hezi cant say about ssi but yes a definite difference netween AA and Aida not saying one is better than the other but different. AA is a bit more into the feelings sensations and hippy meditation stuff that i love but will again depend on the instrcutor I guess
Im doing a course on Koh Tao in Thailand in September with Blue Immersion and they offer SSI and AIDA, when I asked what the differences are via email I was told the course content is the same its just the certification thats different, does anyone have any opinions on which I should go for, they are both the same price?
thanks
thanks
Sam, if you have not paid anything yet - I'd rather just go to Koh Tao and check out all the freedive schools there, talk with their staff, find out who I like best and then choose who to go with.
There is another freediving school on the same beach called Apnea Total, they have been established successfully for over 8 years, and there is at least one more school on the south side of the island but I do not know the name.
There is another freediving school on the same beach called Apnea Total, they have been established successfully for over 8 years, and there is at least one more school on the south side of the island but I do not know the name.
I couldn't dive today (AIDA ** course) for more than 10m, but I managed to hold my breath for 4:13 and my form was good (problem was probably sinuses), is it normal for the instructor to qualify me only as * and to ask me to come again and do a deeper dive (having to pay for this) in order to qualify as **?
In one hand it seems logical that he has to spend the time and do dives with me and a private training session seems like a good thing that is worth my money, on the other hand I did pay a nice sum for the course already, and I know that in scuba for example if you can't continue with the program you can complete it with no additional payment.
In one hand it seems logical that he has to spend the time and do dives with me and a private training session seems like a good thing that is worth my money, on the other hand I did pay a nice sum for the course already, and I know that in scuba for example if you can't continue with the program you can complete it with no additional payment.
Hi Hezibuba,
sorry to hear your sinuses played up - with AIDA, you have to reach 16m in constant weight to be eligible for a 2** certificate.
As fas as I know there is no official rule for repetition fees in AIDA courses, but you could ask your instructor whether you can join in on the next available course. That would be less work for your instructor and he might waive the extra fees. This is how it is done at the (non AIDA) school I teach at. Get well soon!
sorry to hear your sinuses played up - with AIDA, you have to reach 16m in constant weight to be eligible for a 2** certificate.
As fas as I know there is no official rule for repetition fees in AIDA courses, but you could ask your instructor whether you can join in on the next available course. That would be less work for your instructor and he might waive the extra fees. This is how it is done at the (non AIDA) school I teach at. Get well soon!
I don't know what's normal - in my case I couldn't do 16m during the course (in fact far from it as I couldn't equalise at all) so I went along to a club dive day a few months after and did my 16m dive. I didn't have to pay anything extra but then again I was a club member and you have to pay a yearly fee for that.
I guess it depends on the instructor/club but I don't think it's hugely unreasonable having to pay more if you needed extra tuition etc. Maybe if all you had to do was turn up on another course day and do the qualification dive it could have been free like scuba. It' a tricky one...
Hi hezibuba,
Following AIDA Guidelines to be certified 2* you have to show the following skills: 16m CWT with effective Duck Dive, Finning and Line Orientation, also a Rescue from 5m, Surface rescue and Buddying.
As you were only able to dive to 10m you would not been certified to level 2*.
Every time you are certified the Instructor has to pay a fee to AIDA, as you were certified 1* then a fee has already been paid. If then at a later date you are then certified to AIDA 2* then another fee is paid to AIDA.
In AIDA you also have the option of taking the rest of your course with another Instructor, this then would seem unfair to assume that your new Instructor has to train you for free and also pay money to AIDA for your 2* cert fee.
There can never be any comparison between Scuba and freediving, especially the teaching of the two. You do not need a licence to freedive...you do to Scuba. Why did you take the freediving course, to learn freediving or for the certification?
Pay for the extra session and take all that you can from that session, that way you hopefully will not only achieve your AIDA 2 cert but also learn a lot from the Freediving Instructor.
Have fun in the Big Blue
Following AIDA Guidelines to be certified 2* you have to show the following skills: 16m CWT with effective Duck Dive, Finning and Line Orientation, also a Rescue from 5m, Surface rescue and Buddying.
As you were only able to dive to 10m you would not been certified to level 2*.
Every time you are certified the Instructor has to pay a fee to AIDA, as you were certified 1* then a fee has already been paid. If then at a later date you are then certified to AIDA 2* then another fee is paid to AIDA.
In AIDA you also have the option of taking the rest of your course with another Instructor, this then would seem unfair to assume that your new Instructor has to train you for free and also pay money to AIDA for your 2* cert fee.
There can never be any comparison between Scuba and freediving, especially the teaching of the two. You do not need a licence to freedive...you do to Scuba. Why did you take the freediving course, to learn freediving or for the certification?
Pay for the extra session and take all that you can from that session, that way you hopefully will not only achieve your AIDA 2 cert but also learn a lot from the Freediving Instructor.
Have fun in the Big Blue
Thank you all.
silkyshark, I of course took the course so I could learn, I just felt a bit ripped off but your post really cleared that up for me and make me feel better about it.
But for the meanwhile I'll have to stick to the boundries of the "small blue" that is the pool because of what I believe is barotrauma.
silkyshark, I of course took the course so I could learn, I just felt a bit ripped off but your post really cleared that up for me and make me feel better about it.
But for the meanwhile I'll have to stick to the boundries of the "small blue" that is the pool because of what I believe is barotrauma.
Oh dear, take care of your ears. Barotrauma is not so good :-(
Has a Dr checked you out?
When I first started out freediving I had a terrible time trying to equalise my ears. A perforated ear drum finally made serious about learning the Frenzel equalisation practise.
Wait for the all clear from your Dr then practise practise practise all the time, driving, walking, watching TV, writing in freediving forums ;-) equalise (Frenzel) often and exercise your ear drum like any other muscle on your body.
All the best.