Certification guide

Courses

Our instructors teach across the major freediving certification systems, plus a dedicated spearfishing & hunting track for certified freedivers. No agency outranks the others — the right one usually comes down to which system your instructor teaches locally and which curriculum style fits how you learn.

How the systems compare

The three agencies aren't just different names for the same ladder — they disagree on what a level actually requires. Molchanovs makes a no-fins performance a mandatory part of every level from Wave 2 on; AIDA and SSI treat it as optional specialty training. And neither AIDA nor SSI has a numbered "Level 4" — both cap their recreational ladder and send you into an instructor course next, while Molchanovs' Wave 4 is itself a competitive performance level. Each column below is one agency's own progression, top to bottom.

Molchanovs

Every level bakes in a no-fins requirement — technique work, not just depth.

Wave 1 — Fundamentals
Static
1:30
Dynamic
30 m
Depth
12 m (CWT)
No-fins
Introduced (no pass minimum yet)
Theory exam covering physics, physiology, and safety, plus a simulated rescue from 5 m. No certification prerequisite.
Wave 2 — Advanced
Static
2:30
Dynamic
50 m
Depth
24–30 m (CWT/FIM)
No-fins
35 m DNF + 15 m CNF — mandatory
Buddy and rescue skills practiced at 10–15 m depth. Requires Wave 1 or an equivalent crossover evaluation.
Wave 3 — Master
Static
3:30
Dynamic
75 m
Depth
34–40 m (CWT/FIM)
No-fins
50 m DNF + 25–30 m CNF — mandatory
Requires a current CPR/First Aid certificate. Qualifies you to buddy freedivers at depth and assist with intro-level instruction.
Wave 4 — Competitive
Static
5:00
Dynamic
100 m
Depth
50–55 m (CWT, monofin/bifins)
No-fins
75 m DNF + 35 m CNF — mandatory
An athlete track for competition, not an instructor course — includes training to rescue a blacked-out diver from 25 m.

Best for: Divers who want structured, biomechanics-first technique training and don't mind that no-fins work is mandatory from Wave 2 on.

AIDA

No-fins stays optional — the core ladder is built around fins, depth, and rescue drills.

AIDA 2 — Freediver
Static
2:00
Dynamic
40 m
Depth
12 m (CWT)
No-fins
Not required
Written exam (75% pass mark) plus a critical surface rescue demonstration. A 200 m swim test is required to enroll — no prior certification needed.
AIDA 3 — Advanced Freediver
Static
2:45
Dynamic
55 m
Depth
24 m (CWT)
No-fins
Introduced, not required to pass
Requires AIDA 2 (or equivalent) plus a current CPR/first-aid certificate.
AIDA 4 — Master Freediver
Static
3:30
Dynamic
70 m
Depth
32 m (CWT)
No-fins
Still optional
Requires AIDA 3 plus a current CPR/first-aid certificate. Focused on deep-diving technique and advanced equalization.
Instructor course
Teaching qualification, not a numeric level
AIDA's ladder doesn't go past AIDA 4 with a numbered depth level — the next step is a teaching qualification built on AIDA 4, covering methodology and safety supervision rather than a deeper target.

Best for: Divers who want the most internationally recognized card, especially if they plan to dive or compete abroad.

SSI

Freediving sits inside SSI's wider dive-training ecosystem — the recreational ladder tops out at Level 3.

Level 1 — Freediver
Static
1:30
Dynamic
25 m
Depth
10 m, progressing toward 20 m (CWT)
No-fins
Not required
No certification prerequisite.
Level 2 — Advanced Freediver
Static
2:30
Dynamic
50 m
Depth
20–30 m (CWT)
No-fins
Not required
Requires Level 1 plus at least 6 logged freediving sessions.
Level 3 — Performance Freediver
Static
Builds on Level 2
Dynamic
Builds on Level 2
Depth
30–40 m (CWT)
No-fins
Unlocked as an optional specialty after this level — not a pass requirement
Requires Level 2 plus 30 logged freediving sessions. SSI's highest non-professional freediving course.
Instructor track
Teaching qualification, not a numeric level
SSI's recreational ladder stops at Level 3 — the next step is Basic Freediving Instructor, a teaching qualification rather than a deeper numbered level.

Best for: Divers who already hold, or plan to get, SSI scuba certifications and want everything under one account.

Figures above are each agency's own stated minimums and can be revised by the agency over time — confirm the current standard with your instructor before booking.

Crossing over between agencies

The core skills — equalization, breath-hold technique, buddy rescue — don't change between systems, so most schools will accept a same-tier card from another agency as your prerequisite for their next level. Expect a short skills-verification dive with the instructor, not a full repeat of the course — though if your card is from a no-fins-light system like AIDA or SSI, expect that check to include a no-fins skills test before a Molchanovs school lets you continue past Wave 1.

Spearfishing & hunting

Unlike the three systems above, there's no single global standardizing body for spearfishing certification. Our track is specialty instruction covering species identification, BC hunting regulations and seasons, gun/pole-spear handling, and the blackout-awareness skills specific to hunting while actively swimming rather than holding static.

Prerequisite: any Entry-level freediving card (Wave 1 / AIDA 2 / SSI Level 1). Deeper, current-swept sites — see the trips page — expect Level 2 or higher.

Not sure which to pick?

Tell us your goals — recreational diving, spearfishing, or working toward competition — and how much time you have, and we'll point you at the agency and course level that fits. Get in touch to talk it through or check upcoming course dates.