Association Internationale pour le Développement de l'Apnée (AIDA) (English: International Association for the Development of Apnea) is a worldwide rule- and record-keeping body for competitive breath holding events, also known as freediving. It sets standards for safety, comparability of Official World Record attempts and freedive education. AIDA International is the parent organization for national clubs of the same name.
History
AIDA was founded November 2, 1992, in Nice, France, by Frenchmen Roland Specker, Loïc Leferme and Claude Chapuis, with Specker as its first President. The AIDA Competitions started to take form in 1993. National clubs begin to form over all Europe in 1994–1995. AIDA became AIDA International in 1999. In 1999 Sébastien Nagel, of Switzerland, replaced Roland Specker as the President. Bill Strömberg, of Sweden, replaced Sébastien Nagel as President in 2005. Kimmo Lahtinen, of Finland, replaced Bill Strömberg as President in December 2009. Carla Sue Hanson, of USA, replaced Kimmo Lahtinen as President in 2016. Alexandru Russu, of Romania, replaced Carla Sue Hanson as President in 2020.
AIDA World Championships
History of AIDA World Championships:
Team
1996: First AIDA Team World Championship in Nice, France, for national teams
1998: Second AIDA Team World Championship, Sardinia, Italy
2001: Third AIDA Team World Championship, Ibiza, Spain
2004: Fourth AIDA Team World Championship, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2006: Fifth AIDA Team World Championship, Hurghada, Egypt
2008: Sixth AIDA Team World Championship, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
2010: Seventh AIDA Team World Championship, Okinawa, Japan
2012: Eighth AIDA Team World Championship, Nice, France
2014: Ninth AIDA Team World Championship, Cagliari, Italy
2016: Tenth AIDA Team World Championship, Kalamata, Greece
Individual
2005: AIDA Individual World Championship, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
2007: AIDA Individual World Championship, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
2009: AIDA Individual World Championship, Dean's Blue Hole, Bahamas
2011: AIDA Individual World Championship, Kalamata, Greece
2013: AIDA Depth World Championship, Kalamata, Greece
2015: AIDA Depth World Championship, Limassol, Cyprus
2016: AIDA Pool World Championship, Turku, Finland
2017: AIDA Depth World Championship, Roatan, Honduras
2018: AIDA Pool World Championship, Belgrade, Serbia
2019: AIDA Depth World Championship, Villefranche sur Mer, France
2021: AIDA Depth World Championship, Limassol, Cyprus
Qualifications and certifications
AIDA has a star system for grading its freediving certifications:
Freedive certifications
AIDA 1 Star Freediver, 8m CWT, 1'15" STA, 25m DYN. AIDA 2 Star Freediver, 12m CWT, 2' STA, 40m DYN. AIDA 3 Star Freediver, 24m CWT, 2'45" STA, 55m DYN. AIDA 4 Star Freediver, 32m CWT, 3'30" STA, 70m DYN.
Speciality certifications
Competition Safety Freediver. Competition Freediver. Deep Tank Freediver. Monofin Freediver.
AIDA has 3 levels of Instructor qualifications and certifications:
Instructor certifications
AIDA Instructor, can teach up to 3 Star Freediver. AIDA Master Instructor, can teach up to 4 Star Freediver. AIDA Instructor Trainer, can teach all levels, and instructors.
Records
AIDA recognized world records as of March 28, 2022.
Pool Disciplines
The AIDA recognized pool disciplines are static apnea (STA) and three separate dynamic apnea disciplines. Dynamic With Fins which is done with monofins usually but bifins are also allowed, Dynamic With Bifins which uses bifins, and Dynamic Without Fins does not allow fins to be used and divers usually use breast strokes and wall-kicks for propulsions.