Probably the most popular freediving certification agency is AIDA International. It’s an organization made up of world-class freedivers and instructors and sets the standards for international competitions.
It’s also one of the oldest freediving training agencies in the world. Founded by Jacques Yves Cousteau in 1959, it’s a non-profit organization. It’s responsible for regulating diving in over 130 countries and works directly with national federations.
It’s also one of the more affordable freediving certification agencies. SSI offers a variety of recreational and technical freediving courses. They also have a strong dealer network. This means they have a larger number of dive shops and dive instructors than most other freediving agencies.
CMAS is another reputable freediving certification agency. It was founded by Jacques Yves Cousteau and is responsible for regulating diving in over 130 countries. It’s also at the forefront of underwater scientific and technical research. It’s also the world’s most active freediving organization. It also works directly with national federations and has expanded operations around the world.
It’s not the most reputable freediving certification agency, but it’s one of the most popular. It’s one of the few scuba training agencies on the list that’s part of both the RSTC and CMAS. It’s a great marketing organization. It offers fantastic support for instructors and students.
The only downside is that SSI’s courses are usually longer than other diving courses. However, this is not a bad thing. They also offer a free app called MySSI that lets freedivers read material on the go. It’s also got an extensive online course library.