Assistant Instructor
Prerequisites
To enrol in this course a student must:
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Have completed the AIDA 3 Advanced Freediver Course Or have completed the AIDA 3 Crossover Evaluation if crossing over from another freedive organisation.
- Have completed the AIDA Medical Form.
- Have completed the Liability Release form.
- Have completed a course in First Aid with CPR within the last 2 years.
Purpose
The Assistant Instructor course is the highest level of training attainable within the AIDA recreational freediving education system with students being able to achieve the AIDA 4 Master Freediver certification and be able to work in the capacity of Assistant Instructor. This course has two primary purposes.
Firstly, the purpose of this course is to familiarise students with the techniques of deeper freediving including FRC diving, mouth-fill equalisation and the associated safety procedures. Students will also continue their development in static apnea, dynamic apnea, constant weight, free immersion, and introduced to variable weight. Besides the in-water skills the students will be introduced to full body warm-ups and stretching, specific stretching of breathing muscles, training concepts and diet that will benefit their freediving development. By the end of this course the student will be able to dive comfortably in the constant weight discipline in depths from 32 to 40 metres. More importantly, the skills learnt in this course are fundamental to freediving beyond 40 metres depth.
The second purpose of this course is to prepare successful students for the role of Assistant Instructors. Students will learn to lead an appropriate warm-up session for confined and open water freediving. They will learn to supervise students of all course levels during confined or open water sessions. Students will learn how to set up freediving buoys and ropes with the appropriate knots and braiding techniques, setting the depth of the dive line, and safe handling of other freediving equipment such as bottom plates, and lanyards.
As with all AIDA courses, the student will be required to undertake three components: Knowledge Development (including exam), Pool (or Confined Water) and Ocean. The student has two options with regard to Knowledge Development. The student may undertake the Knowledge Development using the typical classroom format face to face with the Instructor for a minimum of three sessions (about 6 hours). Alternatively, the motivated student can study from the AIDA 4 Manual and complete the Knowledge Reviews which will be checked and discussed with the Instructor in a 90 minute session. Concepts not clearly understood by the student will be explained and clarified during this session. Assessment will include a written exam and the student teaching a full body warm-up and stretching routine. The Pool/Confined Water component will consist of a minimum of 2 sessions (about 4 hours) performing statics, dynamics and safety procedures. The Ocean component will consist of a minimum of 4 sessions (typically 8 hours of freediving) over two days practicing the skills of mouth-fill, FRC dives, rescuing a blacked out diver from 20 metres, and simulating equipment failures and emergencies such ascending from 20 metres with only one fin or no mask and towing an inert freediver for a minimum of 50 metres. The student will also learn to prepare freediving buoys, lines and setting appropriate depths. The student will also have the opportunity to perform a variable weight dive to a maximum depth of 40 metres.
If you would like to immerse yourself more fully in your course check out one of our Crater Lakes Freediving Retreats where it is possible to do all the AIDA 3, or AIDA 4 or part of the Instructor course.
Certification
On successful completion of this course the student is awarded the AIDA 4 Master Freediver certification and is registered on the AIDA website Education Online System (EOS).
Medical Conditions
If you tick “Yes” to any medical conditions on the medical form you must see your General Practitioner prior to attending your course. Download Medical Form Here. Please complete the Medical Form and present to your Instructor at the beginning of your course.
Cancellation Policy: The full details of our cancellation policy can be found under FAQ. Please read prior to booking any courses.