Freediving Offerings
Jana Strain Freediving
Taking one of the courses below will result in a certification, if all the course requirements are met. All open courses available for enrollment can be found on AIDA International. Please create a student profile and send me an email to either enroll in an existing course or to set up a private course. If there is a course that you are interested in taking and don't see it listed, email me and we might be able to set it up. The tables below summarize the courses costs, time required and student to instructor ratios.
AIDA International has the lowest open water student to instructor ratio than any other agency, meaning you will have more time with your instructor and much less chance of getting cold waiting for other students to dive. Additional course descriptions follow. It is possible to take AIDA 2 & AIDA 3 Pool course and then later complete the Open Water Dives to complete the full course. Additional course information can be found on the AIDA Education page. Please remember that the Course Performance Outcomes are the skills you will learn in the course. It is not required that you are at this level at the start of the course. During the course you will learn how to safely complete these exercises and the proper technique.
| Course | Cost (USD) | Time (Days) | Student to Instructor Ratio Open Water | Student to Instructor Ratio Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIDA1 | $450 | 2 | 4:1 | 6:1 |
| AIDA2 | $600 | 3 | 4:1 | 6:1 |
| AIDA3 | $800 | 4 | 4:1 | 8:1 |
| AIDA4 | $1000 | 7 | 4:1 | 8:1 |
| MONOFIN | $400 | 1-2 | 4:1 | 8:1 |
| PRIVATE AIDA2 | $1600 | 3 | 2:1 | Cost for 2 people |
| PRIVATE AIDA3 | $2400 | 4 | 2:1 | Cost for 2 people |
| PRIVATE AIDA4 | $3200 | 7 | 2:1 | Cost for 2 people |
Technically the pool ratio for AIDA instructors is 8:1, but I find that with people new to freediving that is too high, so I limit my AIDA1 and AIDA2 courses to 6:1. Ratios can be increased if I use an assistant instructor, or teach in conjunction with another instructor. If either will be the course in your course, I will let you know in advance.
| Course | Cost (USD) | Time (Days) | Student to Instructor Ratio Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIDA1 Pool | $325 | 1 | 6:1 |
| AIDA2 Pool | $400 | 2 | 6:1 |
| AIDA3 Pool | $500 | 3 | 8:1 |
| PRIVATE AIDA2 Pool | $1100 | 2 | Cost for 2 people |
| PRIVATE AIDA3 Pool | $1500 | 3 | Cost for 2 people |
| Course | Cost (USD) | Time (Days) | Student to Instructor Ratio Open Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIDA2 Open Water Dives | $300 | 2 | 4:1 |
| AIDA3 Open Water Dives | $400 | 2-3 | 4:1 |
For people new to freediving or looking to refresh buddying skills. You can use scuba gear in this course or rent freediving gear. After taking this course you will be able to decide if you want to commit to purchasing gear and furthering your freediving education. This course includes pool sessions and lectures and an optional open water line dive. This course offers a basic knowledge of freediving and introductory skills such as relaxation of body and mind, finning techniques, duck dives and equalisation.
This course focuses on learning how to keep yourself and buddy safe and introduces you to proper freediving technique. For all open water dives, participants must be wearing freediving specific gear only. Other gear can be worn for the Pool Only course, although it is not recommended. Due to the intensity of freediving in cold dark water, this course is for people who are extremely comfortable in water, have previous freediving experience, or actively participant in other cold-water sports. Otherwise, please enroll in AIDA 1 initially.
Course Performance Outcomes: 10m deep safety rescue simulation, open water deep dive to 12m minimum to a maximum of 20m, 2:00 minimum static breath hold, and 40m minimum distance swim in the pool. The Pool Only certification still includes the theory required for open water diving, but not the actual open water dives.
For people looking to advance depth, time, distance, scientific understanding, safety skills and technique. New skills will include Freefall, FRC and advanced planning and training techniques. This is an advanced course for freedivers who are experienced and comfortable in the water and own their own gear. To achieve the targets of this course it is important that your gear feels like an extension of your body. Most other agencies do not teach pool training that you will learn in this course. You will leave the course understanding how to safely train in pools and open water, how to set up training programs, and the risks and benefits associated with each training session. You will leave empowered with your own skills and how to be a great and safe buddy.
Course Performance Outcomes: 15m deep safety rescue simulation, open water deep dive to 24m minimum to a maximum of 30m, 2:45 minimum static breath hold, and 55m minimum distance swim in the pool. The Pool Only certification still includes the theory required for open water diving, but not the actual open water dives.
For deep freediving that goes beyond recreational freediving. The new techniques include FRC diving, mouth-fill equalization and packing.In addition to the in-water skills this course introduces full body warm-ups and stretching, specific stretching of breathing muscles, training concepts and diet that benefits the freediver and help shape their development. Successful completion will qualify you for the role of Assistant Instructor, allowing you to increase the student ratios of an instructor by 2.
Course Performance Outcomes: 15m deep safety rescue simulation, open water deep dive to 32m minimum to a maximum of 39m, 3:30 minimum static breath hold, and 70m minimum distance swim in the pool.
For freedivers looking to learn monofin skills, techniques and knowledge. Students will be acquainted with different approaches to freediving with a Monofin, exercises designed to work on this swimming style and ways of planning a training program.
These courses are designed for two people, but can be taken solo if perferred. We can set up a flexible schedule that will work for you and design the course based on your personal goals.
To participate in any course or coaching session you will need to complete the Liability and Medical forms Page 1 and Page 2 forms and email them to jana@janastrain.com. All students must be 18 or 16+ with guardian consent, be able to swim 200m non stop on the surface of a pool, using any stroke and while breathing.
The gear required for freediving are a wetsuit, low volume mask, simple snorkel, rubber weight belt with weights in small increments (3lbs max, but preferably smaller) and fins. If diving in the open water then recommend neoprene socks and gloves and 7mm wetsuit (5mm in the summer, and a minimum of a 3mm for static pool training. To determine the weights required for your course you can start with 0.8 lb per 10 lbs of body weight. This assumes freediving in salt water and wearing a 7mm freediving wetsuit. For fresh water, divers wear 2-4 lbs less weight. If using a surf or scuba suit, the weight you need will be less and your body will get colder sooner than if you were wearing an opencell freediving suit.
Rental gear can be rented from Lighthouse Dive Center in Lynnwood. Limited quantities are available, so please book early. Students enrolled in a course with me receive 25% off all rentals for the class, costing about $70/d. Lighthouse does not rent neoprene socks. Students enrolled in a course also receive 10% discount on most purchases, some products will not apply. Such as carbon fiber blades, Garmin and shearwater watches, custom wetsuits and lead.
For freedivers who already completed some training with another freedive agency and wish to enroll in a course at the next level in the AIDA Education system. This includes passing the written exams with a minimum 75%, and demonstrating all confined and open water technical and safety skills. To participate in an AIDA3, the crossover will be evaluated on all skills of AIDA2. To participate in an AIDA4, the candidate will be evaluated on all skills of AIDA3.