From AIDA-2 to AIDA-Instructor — your Raja Ampat certification path.

The four certification systems

Four organisations issue freediving certifications recognised globally. AIDA (Association Internationale pour le Développement de l’Apnée) is the original federation and the de facto sport reference — see AIDA International. PADI Freediver is the most widespread because of PADI’s recreational-dive infrastructure. Molchanovs is rapidly growing and seen as the most pedagogically modern, founded by world-record holder Alexey Molchanov. SSI Freediving runs parallel to PADI within the SSI ecosystem. The four systems are roughly cross-recognised: AIDA-2 = PADI Freediver = Molchanovs Wave 2 = SSI Freediver. We work primarily with AIDA-certified instructors but accept all four systems for guest qualification.

AIDA level breakdown

AIDA-1 is the introductory level — pool training, basic safety, surface and shallow open-water exposure. Static apnea 1:30, 16m dynamic, 10m constant weight. Three-day course typical. AIDA-2 is the recreational confidence level — the minimum we require for our 7-day voyage. Static 2:00, 25m dynamic, 16m constant weight, basic rescue. Three-day course typical. AIDA-3 is the advanced recreational level — required for serious depth training. Static 2:30, 50m dynamic, 24m constant weight. Five-day course. AIDA-4 is the pre-instructor level. Static 3:30, 70m dynamic, 32m constant weight. AIDA-Instructor requires AIDA-4 plus the instructor candidate course (10 days minimum) plus 100 logged dives.

Sorong Foundation Course — for first-time apneists

Guests with no prior freediving certification should book our 3-day Sorong Foundation Course as a separate booking before the 7-day voyage. The course is shore-based at our Sorong training pool and the adjacent house reef. Day 1 — pool training, breath-up, static technique, equalisation drill. Day 2 — open-water 6m descent, buddy safety, rescue protocol. Day 3 — open-water 12-16m descent, full AIDA-2 assessment. Successful candidates leave Sorong with AIDA-2 certification. The course price is $580 per person, separate from the voyage. Total time commitment: arrive Sorong Wednesday, certified Saturday, board the voyage Saturday afternoon.

Voyage as continuing-education

For AIDA-2 holders the voyage itself functions as continuing-education time-in-water. Our instructors run optional skill modules during deep-line training — line orientation, mouthfill equalisation, free immersion, no-fins technique. Guests on a six-month progression toward AIDA-3 typically complete the depth requirements (24m constant weight) by mid-voyage and finalize with the formal AIDA-3 assessment in Sorong post-voyage. We run a 2-day post-voyage AIDA-3 assessment week ($420 per person) for serious continuing students.

The instructor pathway

Becoming an AIDA Instructor is a multi-year commitment. The standard route: AIDA-1 to AIDA-4 over 12-18 months with consistent training (typically 50-100 logged dives in that period). AIDA-Instructor candidate course (10 days, $1,800-2,400 depending on instructor and location). 50 supervised teaching sessions. Instructor-trainer evaluation. Most candidates take 18-30 months from first AIDA-1 to instructor certification. We don’t run the AIDA-Instructor course directly — we partner with AIDA Indonesia in Bali for the candidate course. We do run the supervised teaching session pathway: instructor candidates assist on our voyages and Sorong courses for the 50 supervised hours requirement.

Why Raja Ampat is excellent training water

For depth training, Raja Ampat offers warm water (3mm wetsuit, no thermal stress), excellent visibility (25m+ at best sites, important for safety observation), abundant marine life (motivating for visualization), and protected anchorages (allow controlled deep-line setup). The negative: no dedicated AIDA depth-discipline competition pool exists; serious competitive freedivers train in Bali (Tulamben) or Dahab. For recreational-progression freedivers, however, Raja Ampat is the dream training environment.

Realistic timelines

If you arrive Sorong with no certification: Foundation Course (3 days) + voyage (7 days) + AIDA-3 post-voyage week (2 days) = 12 days, AIDA-3 certified, 24m constant weight. If you arrive AIDA-2 certified: voyage (7 days) + post-voyage AIDA-3 (2 days) = 9 days, AIDA-3 certified. If you arrive AIDA-3 certified: voyage (7 days) is your time-in-water and skill refinement; AIDA-4 typically requires deeper-water destination (Tulamben Bali) for the 32m requirement. We help guests plan a 2-3 week Indonesia certification trip combining Raja Ampat with Bali-Tulamben.

More reading

For specific Misool freedive site progression, see our Misool spots briefing. For decision context on apnea vs SCUBA, our freediving vs SCUBA comparison. For full voyage details, the 7-day private voyage briefing.