The Different Freedive Instructor Courses

The Differences between Agencies, the Levels, and how to Cross-Over

I had no idea what was out there…

I signed up for an SSI Zero to Hero course in 2012. Not because it was an SSI Instructor Course but because the course seemed fun and educational at a great location and excellent center – I still like the center a lot! But when I arrived in Dahab, Egypt, and I had just finished my SSI Beginner Freediving Course, I learned from some people in Dahab that SSI was the ‘big bad evil commercial’ agency and that AIDA was the holy grail of freediving. Naturally, I crossed over to AIDA after taking my SSI Instructor Course. Briefly, after this, I had to do the RAID World Series of Freediving Instructor Course because they were more digital and would focus on competitions. Well… SSI is not a big bad agency, AIDA isn’t the holy grail of freediving, and RAID doesn’t organize competitions anymore and isn’t the only ‘digital’ agency…

Now, after all these years, with the experience of teaching for these agencies, training all over the world, and running my own dive center in Panglao, I’m an SSI Freediving Instructor Trainer, Molchanovs Instructor Trainer, and AIDA Instructor Trainer, and I couldn’t be happier and more proud representing each of these agencies.

Here on this page, I’d like to explain why I believe you should choose SSI or perhaps are better off with AIDA or Molchanovs. Becoming a freediving instructor, whether simply for the knowledge or changing your lifestyle and moving to a tropical island, is a fantastic thing to do. And although, for recreational freediving courses, the most important decision would be who to pick as your teacher, with instructor courses, the agency really really matters. We will explain what to consider and how to choose the right agency for you.

Everything you should know about the different Freedive Instructor Courses!

We run the recreational freediving courses of the three globally leading freediving certification organizations. We teach SSI, Molchanovs, and AIDA Freediving Courses.

The organizations SSI and AIDA are the most known and oldest international training agencies for recreational freediving. Molchanovs is relatively new, focuses more on pure and technical freediving, and is building a large global community of freedivers.

At the same time, for the professional levels, we teach SSI Instructor Courses, AIDA Freediving Instructor courses, Molchanovs Instructor Courses, and regularly run remote Instructor Courses. We are ‘romantic’ about AIDA International since they brought freediving to the public with properly structured courses and a complete education system. Still, we tend to focus more on SSI and Molchanovs since they offer more value to their instructors and dive centers.

Before we look into the differences between the organizations SSI, AIDA, and Molchanovs for the professional courses, here is a summary of their history.

The 3 Leading Freediving Agencies we work with;

Molchanovs Freediving

The Molchanovs Education System was first developed by Natalia Molchanova, the queen of freediving, the most decorated and best freediver who ever lived, and the freediving mother of so many top athletes. She developed this education system to take a new freediver joining a beginner freediving course, step-by-step, week-by-week, from absolute beginner to elite freediver.

Then, in 2018, a group of the world’s best freedivers, freediving trainers, and entrepreneurs, including World Champion and multiple World Record holder Alexey Molchanov, World Record holder Goran Colak, and Australian National Record holder Adam Stern, and others, took that system, added their expertise and revamped it to create something new.

Now, the Molchanovs Education System is a fast-growing freediving agency. It’s an online community of freedivers who all took a Molchanovs Freediving Course and are now further developing their skills, techniques, and performance via base training programs, training benchmarks, and reward badges. The Molchanovs training programs contain pool, dry, and depth training. They aim at pure and technical freediving and make the freedivers stronger and better regardless of whether they are -10 or -80 meter freedivers.

They aim to add value to their fast-growing community of freedivers and instructors. Some of their training programs are free to freedivers.

SSI Freediving

SSI is a globally recognized scuba diving association that began training freedivers almost 20 years ago. SSI is the global leader in recreational freediving with the largest dealer network of freediving centers – but Molchanovs is getting traction and is about to take over their top position in the market. Scuba Schools International’s training agency became successful in the scuba diving industry by creating quality course materials and implementing progressive educational systems and has now done the same with freediving. All SSI scuba and freediving courses provide students with digital training manuals and student videos designed to be safe and fun. SSI offers four progressive freediving courses and many additional freediving specialty courses.

The SSI Freediving Courses are professional development programs of a very high level – of a much greater level and more in-depth than any other freediving agency. SSI’s support for dive centers and instructors and the SSI dealer network make SSI a serious option for instructors and dive centers.

Because of this, we also offer the incredible swim teacher programs via Swim Schools International and can you now combine your freediving instructor course with a swim teacher course. Another SSI professional option we now offer is the mermaid instructor courses.

AIDA International

AIDA International, founded in 1992, is the global authority on competitive freediving. This association organizes the most important international freediving competitions and tracks and verifies all set freediving records.

AIDA’s goals include further research, developing freediving techniques and science, and the safe and effective training of recreational and competitive freedivers. AIDA International organizes freediving courses into four levels. With each AIDA Freediving Course, AIDA teaches the diver progressively more advanced skills and has specific requirements to achieve certification.

More than anything else… We are an Instructor Training Center!

We start Zero to Hero, Beginner to Freediving Instructor Hero programs any day of the week.

Because we are a large dive center based in Panglao with a fully equipped facility, ideal year-round diving conditions, and an incredible team, we can be very flexible and organize different long-term Instructor Development Programs regularly. We start Freediving Internships every quarter and run at least one or two different Instructor Courses every month. Since COVID-19 started, we’ve begun running remote Instructor Cross Overs and Upgrade Courses, which, now that tourism is back to normal, we continue to run regularly!

You can visit the Freedive Academy in Panglao for the regular recreational courses and to train in one of the best, if not the best, dive location in Asia. Still, first and foremost, we are an Instructor Training and Professional Development Center.

The Motivation to Join an Instructor Course is Different for Everyone!

Maybe you want to take an Instructor Course to gain new knowledge. Perhaps you want to do a course to teach your friends how to freedive. Or perhaps you are done with your life back home, and are you looking for opportunities to change your lifestyle. There are many, many, many reasons why you could take an instructor course. Regardless of your motivation, you will want to take your course in a proper instructor training and development center. We’ll promise when you decide to do a course with us, you will travel to Panglao, train with the other guests, incredible Master freedivers, skilled professionals and very experienced instructors, you will find that special place you are looking for.

Being located on Panglao Island offers excellent opportunities for instructor training and development programs. First of all, Panglao is a luscious green island covered by palm, coconut, and banana trees. Driving around the island on your scooter with shorts and flip-flops almost immediately makes you experience the flip-flop freediver lifestyle. The island has excellent facilities and restaurants and offers cheap but high-quality, long-term-stay housing.

The Filipino people are the nicest people you will ever meet in your life. The Pinoy are friendly, caring, and very welcoming to everyone visiting their beautiful country! Furthermore, the groceries are cheap but very nice, and arranging and extending a Visa is super easy in the Philippines—much easier than in any other Asian country.

The Freedive Academy is located on the North Side of the island—the beautiful, quiet, green, and non-tourist side with year-round near-perfect diving conditions!

The Dive Center and Facilities are Brand-New and Top-Notch – Designed by Freedivers for Freedivers!

Right in the middle of the academy ground, we have a two-lane 25-meter pool with a shallow water static area and sitting area, making the pool perfect for your instructor course. The pool perfectly suits the instructor course pool presentations and dynamic and static training. We’ve built you a lovely shaded outside chill-out area with a beautiful canopy. This pool-side terrace has wall ventilators, nice tropical tunes playing on the speakers, and a big couch where we regularly have people sleeping on – this is how you know you are at a good freediving center – we have people sleeping everywhere :). We use the same area for our stretching sessions and our gym equipment. Although it’s not too much gym equipment, the rowing and cycling machines, the dumbles, the TRX setup, battle ropes, and gym balls make it the perfect environment for your apnea training. Inside the academy, we have the reception with a living room with a seating area, a retail shop, the kitchen and upstairs, a large and dedicated instructor course classroom specifically designed for the long and intense instructor courses. Each of our classrooms is fully equipped with all the possible presentation tools you might need for your classes and presentations.

We are located about 300 meters from the shore. When we go to the ocean entry via shuttle or scooter, it’s only with a 15-meter swim – we’re literally crossing the famous Napaling shoal of Panglao sardines every day before we reach our first fixed dive lines. We have lines ready for you with depths of -50, -80, and -130 meters for those belonging to the world top. With year-round near-perfect diving conditions, freediving doesn’t get better than this. The water temperature ranges from 26 – 31C, and the visibility is usually around 30 meters and goes up to an easy 40 meters – we even had a few 50-meter days! With excellent year-round diving conditions, we can be very flexible and plan our course schedules wisely. With us, you will get the most out of your course.

This is what it will be like to do a freediving course with us.

Please note that this video was shot at our first location. We still dive at the same incredible Napaling Reef with the sardines but moved about 300 meters down the road to a brand-new and fully equipped dive center with bungalows and a two-lane 25-meter pool.

Change your Lifestyle! Move to a Tropical Island!

At the Freedive Academy Panglao, we offer a wide range of programs and packages to become a well-trained and highly-skilled professional freediver throughout the year.

We run different freedive instructor courses from various agencies. We can provide these courses separately or as an excellent tailored-for-your-needs package with, for example, training and housing included. You can join us for a Zero to Hero program or start coming to us for a Freediving Instructor Internship, where you immediately gain experience working as a Freediving Instructor.

Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor Certificate

Molchanovs Wave 3 Instructor Certificate

Regardless of which package you choose, you’ll love what Panglao has to offer! Contact us now – without any strings attached – and we’ll explain all the different possibilities.

Name*

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How to Choose the Right Freedive Instructor Course for You!

At the Freedive Academy Panglao, we teach SSI Freediving Instructor Courses, Molchanovs Freediving Instructor courses., AIDA Instructor Courses, and we’re regularly teaching Remote Molchanovs Instructor Courses.

To see which instructor course suits your needs, we will first look at the different levels of teaching and how long it takes to become a freediving instructor.

Starting from zero, it takes about 2 to 3 months to become a Freediving Instructor – we recommend doing it in 3 to 4 months minimum – becoming an instructor is fun, but not always easy – it’s hard work. The fastest way to become a Freediving Instructor is with SSI, and this instructor rating is called the Basic Freediving Instructor. Becoming a Basic Instructor is only possible via a one or two-day cross-over from SSI Scuba Instructor. Being an SSI Basic Freediving Instructor is nice when you have your own center and want to introduce people to freediving. Still, as a Basic Instructor, you can only teach SSI Try Freediving and SSI Basic Freediving.

The next fastest option would be SSI Freediving Assistant Instructor. You need an Advanced Freediver certification, 50 logged dive sessions, and join and pass the extensive 10-day instructor course. This instructor level is an excellent option for those with EQ problems or those who are not very experienced freedivers. As a Freediving Assistant Instructor, you can teach Try Freediving, Basic Freediver, and Pool Freediver.

If you also want to teach the full beginner course with open water sessions, you can join the same instructor course and become an SSI Freediving Instructor or Advanced Freediving Instructor, which is the same level as an AIDA Freediving Instructor or Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor.

We’re based only 300 meters away from the famous Napaling Reef with the massive drop-off and sardines, so we rarely run pool and pool instructor courses like the Freediving Assistant Instructor, but it happens sometimes.

The recreational course you’ll be teaching the most is the beginner freediving course, the Molchanovs Wave 1, AIDA 2, or the SSI Freediver course, and this will also immediately be the most important course you’ll be teaching. This is the student’s first introduction to you, your teaching skills, and your dive center. Only SSI offers the option to become a Level 1 or beginner course Instructor – this is called the SSI Freediving Instructor, which is done via 100 logged sessions and the extensive SSI Instructor Course. We only advise this course when you have difficulty reaching the performance requirements of the SSI Advanced Freediving Instructor, the AIDA Freediving Instructor, and the Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor course.

Please note: this page is best viewed on a tablet or desktop because of the below table.

SSI
Instructor

Basic Freediving Instructor
Freediving Assistant Instructor
Freediving Instructor
Advanced Freediving Instructor
Performance Freediving Instructor
Instructor Assistant Trainer
Freediving Instructor Trainer
---
---

Molchanovs
Instructor

---
---
---
Wave 2 Instructor & Lap 2/3/4 Instructor
Wave 3 Instructor
---
Wave 3 Instructor
Trainer
Wave 4 Instructor
Wave 4 Instructor
Trainer

AIDA
Instructor

---
Pool Instructor
---
Instructor
Master Instructor
---
Instructor Trainer
---
---

We’ve reached the final but most common entry-level instructor course: the SSI Advanced Instructor Course, the Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor Course, and the AIDA Freediving Instructor Course. The depth requirements are up to -40 meters. The distance disciplines are up to 100 meters dynamic, and all agencies’ breath-hold times are 4 minutes. Overall, the performance requirements will be more challenging, and to reach this performance level, you need to put in the time and energy and do you need to be dedicated. When you start your instructor course via a Zero to Hero Freediving program, we believe that with the proper focus and commitment, we can achieve this level in 3 to 4 months minimum.

We now know that it takes between 1 and 3 months to become a freediving instructor, depending on your actual diving experience. Now that you’re an SSI Advanced Freediving Instructor, AIDA Freediving Instructor, or Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor, what’s next?

If you are an SSI Advanced Instructor ready to upgrade to Performance Freediving Instructor, you must have 45 specific certifications. From AIDA Instructor to AIDA Master Instructor, you must have at least 50 particular certifications under your name. Molchanovs Instructors need 50 specific certifications to upgrade to Master Instructor. Special rules may apply, but certifications in your name certified under a different agency might count towards your instructor upgrade requirements, too.

Now that you’re an SSI Performance Instructor, you can apply to join an SSI Instructor Trainer Seminar – the final step with SSI. With AIDA, you can apply for Instructor Trainer status with AIDA International, and with Molchanovs, there are quite a few more options. Once you’ve reached the right experience and certification levels, you can become a Molchanovs Wave 3 Instructor Trainer. Another option is Wave 4 Instructor and Wave 4 Instructor Trainer, which are the competitive Molchanovs levels.

The sum up the career roadmaps of each agency. SSI is more about dive professional development. AIDA is more accessible, whereas Molchanovs is more performance-driven and technical.

The Skills Requirements for the AIDA, SSI, and Molchanovs Instructor Courses!

Each Instructor Course has an academic part containing theory sessions, presentations, and exams and a pool and ocean part with different teaching presentations, skills, and performance requirements. The actual course content and structure are different for each agency. For example, with SSI, you get quite a few presentations and classroom sessions. The SSI courses are developed to prepare you to work as a full-time and high-level professional in the dive industry. The instructor courses from AIDA and Molchanovs are quite similar. AIDA focuses more on the science of freediving, and Molchanovs focuses more on teaching the skills properly since Molchanovs aims to develop more all-around technical freedivers.

Please note: This page is best viewed on a tablet or desktop because of the tables below.

Skills Requirements

Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB)
Long CWTB Dive
Free Immersion (FIM)
Long FIM Dive
Constant No Fins (CNF)
FRC Dive (Mouthfill at 5mtr.)
Dynamic Bi Fins (DYNB)
Dynamic No Fins (DNF)
Static Breath-Hold
Standby Rescue (1min. Rescue Hang)
BO Rescue (50mtr. tow incl. Rescue Breaths)
Dive Line Pull Rescue
CO2 Dive
5x (1min. surface interval)
400mtr. Swim
800mtr. Swim with Equipment

SSI Freediving Instructor (L1)

30m (or 5x20 with 1-minute rests)
---
---
---
---
---
60mtr.
---
3:00min.
15mtr.
15mtr.
---
---
5 x 15mtr.
In less than 15min.
In less than 15min.

SSI Advanced Freediving Instructor

40m (or 30m CWT and 3x25 with 1-minute rests)
---
---
---
---
---
85mtr.
---
4:00min.
20mtr.
20mtr.
---
---
5 x 20mtr.
In less than 15min.
In less than 15min.

AIDA Freediving Instructor

40mtr.
30mtr. at least 1:30
40mtr.
30mtr. at least 2:00
20mtr.
---
90mtr.
50mtr.
4:00min.
15mtr.
25mtr.
---
---
5 x 20mtr.
---
---

Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor

40mtr. (dive time 80-90s)
---
40mtr.
---
30mtr.
---
100mtr.
60mtr.
4:00min.
15mtr.
25mtr.
---
60sec. then 20m CWT dive
---
---
---

SSI Performance Freediving Instructor

40m (monofin or free immersion allowed)
---
---
---
---
25mtr.
100mtr.
---
---
---
25mtr.
25mtr.
---
---
---
---

Molchanovs Wave 3 Instructor

50mtr. (dive time 100-110s)
---
---
---
35mtr.
---
110mtr.
75mtr.
4:00min.
20mtr.
30mtr.
---
60sec. then 25m CWT dive
---
---
---

When Should You Choose a Certain Instructor Agency?

Suppose you want to become a freediving instructor to gain additional technical knowledge of freediving. In that case, doing the SSI Instructor course should not be your first option, but are you better off with AIDA or Molchanovs. If you want to change your lifestyle, move to a tropical island, and work for a dive center, SSI, AIDA, and Molchanovs are all great options. SSI will turn you into the best dive professional possible. With AIDA and Molchanovs, you don’t need to be affiliated with a dive center, meaning you can teach and travel more independently. Let’s look at the differences between the different freediving agencies when you would work as a freediving instructor.

Being an SSI Freediving Instructor vs. an AIDA or Molchanovs

The SSI Instructor Course is the most difficult and challenging of the three agencies. You will have a lot of homework and exams during the course, and you will need to present quite a few presentations. With well over 50 years of scuba experience, SSI knows how to prepare someone to work as a full-time dive instructor in the industry, and they do this better than any other agency.

Pros

Excellent student course materials

Great job opportunities

Fantastic support for instructors and dive centers

Lots of (paid) freediving specialties

High-level students, Instructors, and Instructor Trainers

Cons

High registration and study kit fees to become an instructor

High student certification fees

To be able to teach, you need to be affiliated with a dive center.

Conclusion: Although starting the SSI instructor course is expensive, SSI has the largest global dealer network of dive centers. Almost all countries have an SSI office to support their instructors and dive centers quickly and effectively. All of this makes SSI the perfect choice for starting dive centers or instructors looking to work for a dive center. With the SSI Instructor Course, you become a freediving instructor of the highest level.

With SSI, there are much more quality checks in place than with the other agencies. This means that the level of teaching is ‘always’ guaranteed and that the skill level of students, Instructors, and Instructor Trainers is usually very high.

Being an AIDA Freediving Instructor vs. an SSI or Molchanovs Instructor

AIDA is the most traditional of the three freediving agencies we discuss here. Of these three agencies, AIDA is the most experienced in competitions, which is immediately what they have going for them. With a rich history in freediving, run by mostly volunteers, the students, instructors, and people involved are always very loyal to this non-profit organization. AIDA has the ‘name,’ conducts a lot of research related to freediving, and is often directly associated with freediving as a whole.

AIDA is an organization run by volunteers, which is nice, but it also makes its support slow and ineffective – although now the first paid customer support jobs are fulfilled, and this helps a lot already. Their study materials are still offered via a somewhat boring and outdated PDF file without a mobile app or other modern media. And despite all their experience and history, there hasn’t been much development in their courses, materials, and organization.

Pros

Great history

Active Facebook community

Great (paid) competition freediving specialties

Most recognizable freediving brand globally

Most loyal group of freedivers, instructors, and people involved

Low student certification cost and annual instructor membership fees

Can work anywhere as an independent instructor without being affiliated or registered with a business.

Cons

Difficult to get proper support

Study materials haven’t been updated in years

Their network exists primarily out of independent instructors and not dive centers, and thus finding a job at a dive center is difficult.

Conclusion: AIDA and SSI have been competing in the market for a long time. One of the most significant advantages of AIDA was that you could teach anywhere as an independent instructor, but this is now possible with Molchanovs, too, so this might not be an argument to choose AIDA anymore.

Teaching AIDA courses is much cheaper than teaching for other agencies like SSI and Molchanovs, making it an excellent option for the budget-conscious instructor. The lack of No Fins in the course curriculum also motivates many people to opt for an AIDA course.

AIDA is the global leader in freediving competitions while also offering great competition specialties like competitor, judge, competition safety, and deep safety. This makes AIDA always the go-to party for competitive freedivers.

You might get more value from the other agencies, but being an AIDA instructor is nice. They are the symbol of modern freediving, and as an AIDA Instructor, you join a group of people who love pure freediving.

Being a Molchanovs Instructor vs. an SSI or AIDA Instructor

What Molchanovs has accomplished since 2018, when the updated training system was launched, is truly incredible. Molchanovs teaches all-around and technical freediving in all disciplines. Add to that a great online community with lots of free training drills offered by some of the best freedivers in the world, and then you have a recipe for success for (independent) instructors and dive centers.

With the Molchanovs instructor course, you learn how to teach technical freediving – not so much about what it takes to become a skilled dive professional as where SSI readies you for the industry and makes you a top-level dive professional. The instructor course is fun and informative from beginning to end.

Pros

They teach all-round and technical freediving.

Excellent instructor (moderated) Facebook group for quick questions and support.

Free and paid training programs for your students to follow between course

You can work as an independent instructor without the need to be affiliated with a dive center.

As the only agency, Molchanovs offers online teaching and certification of the theory parts of each course level.

Cons

High registration and study kit fees to become an instructor

High student certification fees

Support via email can take one or two days.

Young organization and, therefore, rules, regulations, and pricing change regularly.

Some limitations in the booking system, like changing courses and student information.

Conclusion: Molchanovs is the new kid on the block. Email support can be slow, and their online booking and registration system is somewhat unreliable.

Just like AIDA, you can work anywhere in the world as an independent instructor, but unlike AIDA, the Molchanovs organization is a for-profit organization, and since it’s a new commercial agency, rules, regulations, and pricing changes regularly.

Certification fees for SSI and Molchanovs are higher than AIDA, but it’s slightly cheaper to become a Molchanovs instructor than an SSI Instructor.

Molchanovs focuses on improving student skills and high technical levels via skills review and training. The materials are presented by some of the best freedivers in the world. We believe that Molchanovs is changing the industry with its most in-depth education system, having more pool levels, and the possibility of online teaching, and we are very excited about this development!

Let’s get introduced! We’ll schedule a video call. We’ll answer all your questions and show you around the center!

You can join our freediving instructor and development programs in many different ways and packages. With many of our customers, especially those who join the Zero to Hero freediving programs or the Freediving Internships and those who come for training and an Instructor Course, we often schedule an FB, WhatsApp, Zoom, or Skype call to discuss the different options. We understand that all the information about the various agencies, levels, and course options can be confusing. During this call – which is, of course, free of charge and without any further obligations, we discuss all the possibilities. We will make a plan together and immediately show you around the freediving school and resort so you have a good idea of what kind of dive center we are!

We believe this is a great way to get introduced, have your questions answered, and get an inside look into daily life at the academy. Fill out the form below, and we’ll send you all the needed information and schedule a call. We look forward to talking to you soon!

It’s Clear Why We Choose SSI, AIDA, and Molchanovs

With SSI, you get true professionalism, AIDA history, and academic research; with Molchanovs, you get a complete overhaul of the education system. All three agencies offer technical and high-level skills—you can not go wrong with any of them!

We at the Freedive Academy want to teach, train, and develop highly skilled instructors with a high level of skills in all freediving disciplines. SSI Freediving and Molchanovs or AIDA are the perfect combination for this.

Here is a quick overview of all the SSI Freediving Instructor Courses, the Molchanovs Instructor Courses, and the AIDA Instructor Courses we can teach.

SSI Basic Freediving Instructor (FITC 1)
SSI Assistant Freediving Instructor (FITC)
SSI Freediving Instructor
SSI Advanced Freediving Instructor
SSI Performance Freediving Instructor

SSI Freediving Instructor Cross Over (FITC)
SSI Speciality Instructor Monofin
SSI Speciality Instructor No-Fins Freediving
SSI Speciality Instructor Variable Weight
SSI Speciality Instructor Training Techniques
SSI Speciality Instructor FIM

AIDA Freediving Instructor (FITC)
AIDA Freediving Instructor Cross Over (FITC)
AIDA Pool Instructor (FITC)
Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor (FITC)
Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor Cross Over (Remote Option)
Molchanovs Lap 2 Instructor (FITC)

Molchanovs Lap 2 Instructor Cross Over (Remote Option)
Molchanovs Wave 3 Instructor Upgrade (Remote Option)
Molchanovs Wave 3 Instructor Cross Over (Remote Option)
Molchanovs Lap 3 Instructor Upgrade (Remote Option)

Please note that almost all of the above options can be packaged into a combo package like the Beginner to Instructor Freediving programs (Zero to Hero) and the Freediving Internships or combined with a freedive training package. If you are interested in doing an instructor course, instructor crossover, or remote instructor course, please get in touch with us so we can package your courses.

The Most Important SSI, AIDA, and Molchanovs Instructor Courses!

You now know you want to become an SSI, AIDA, or Molchanovs freediving instructor, but how or where do you start?

When you are not an instructor, you must start with the regular Freedive Instructor Training Course (FITC) from either Molchanovs, AIDA, or SSI. The SSI FITC has different options. In the same course, you can become an SSI Freediving Instructor (Level 1) or SSI Advanced Freediving Instructor (Level 2) – the entire course is the same but with different performance requirements and presentations.

Crossing over as a freediving instructor from another agency is possible with AIDA, Molchanovs, and the SSI Advanced Freediving Instructor course. With some agencies like PADI, it’s also possible to cross over to SSI, AIDA, and Molchanovs Pool Instructor, but this is not recommended since you won’t have many teaching possibilities. In the case of the Pool Instructor, we highly recommend completing the normal recreational levels and proceeding with the standard and full instructor course.

After the regular instructor courses, you can upgrade to the Master Instructor level via an upgrade course, usually in only a few days. With Molchanovs, you can even do this online. As a Master Instructor for any other agency, you can cross over to the Molchanovs Wave 3, AIDA Master Instructor, and SSI Performance Instructor levels.

SSI has 3 Main Instructor Levels.

Below is an overview of the different levels, prerequisites, and what you must do to qualify for a certain level.

SSI Freediving Instructor

The SSI Freediving Instructor (SSI Level 1 Freediving Instructor) can teach Try Freediving, Basic Freediving, Pool Freediving, and the Freediver beginner course.

Prerequisites: The candidate must have 100 logged dives, have completed the Advanced Freediving program, have a First Aid Certificate (no older than two years), and hold the specialty certification for Training Techniques.

Duration: 10 days

Performance & Course Completion Requirements:

Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 30m (or 5x20 with 1-minute rests)
Dynamic Bi Fins (DYNB): 60mtr.
Static Breath-Hold: 3:00min.
Standby Rescue (1min. Rescue Hang): 15mtr.

BO Rescue (50mtr. tow incl. Rescue Breaths): 15mtr.
5x 15mtr. (1min. surface interval)
400mtr. Swim: In less than 15min.
800mtr. Swim with Equipment: In less than 15min.
Tread Water 15 minutes

* All skills need to be demonstrated at an instructor-level quality.

Price without package discount per person: $1350

Please note that before starting the SSI FITC, you will need to pay the SSI annual and registration fee for the first year. The Freedive Instructor Kit is an additional one-time fee with SSI.

The additional fee to pay SSI directly for the Freediving Instructor level will be around $300. In the following years, your annual cost to stay active will be about $100.

SSI Advanced Freediving Instructor

The SSI Advanced Freediving Instructor (SSI Level 2 Freediving Instructor) can teach Try Freediving, Basic Freediving, Pool Freediving, and the Freediver and Advanced Freediver courses.

Prerequisites: The candidate must have 100 logged dives, have completed the Performance Freediving program, have a First Aid Certificate (no older than 2 years), and hold the specialty certification for Training Technique.

Duration: 10 days

Performance & Course Completion Requirements:

Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 40mtr. or 3 x 25mtr. with 1-minute rest
Dynamic Bi Fins (DYNB): 85mtr.
Static Breath-Hold: 4:00min.
20mtr. Standby Rescue (1min. Rescue Hang)

20mtr. BO Rescue (50mtr. tow incl. Rescue Breaths)
5x 20mtr. (1min. surface interval)
400mtr. Swim: In less than 15min.
800mtr. Swim with Equipment: In less than 15min.
Tread Water for 15 minutes.

* All skills need to be demonstrated at an instructor-level quality.

Price without package discount per person: $1350

Please note that before starting the SSI FITC, you will need to pay the SSI annual and registration fee for the first year. Additional one-time fees with SSI are the Freedive Instructor Kit and the SSI Advanced Freediving Instructor Upgrade Kit.

The additional fee to pay SSI directly for the Advanced Freediving Instructor level will be around $350. In the following years, your annual cost to stay active will be about $100.

SSI Performance (Level 3) Freediving Instructor

The SSI Performance Freediving Instructor can teach all recreational freediving levels.

Prerequisites: The upgrade candidate must be an Advanced Freediving Instructor with at least 30 Basic, Pool or Freediver certifications and issued at least 10 Advanced Freediving certifications.

Duration: 3 days

Performance & Course Completion Requirements:

Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 40mtr. (monofin or free immersion allowed)
Dynamic Bi Fins (DYNB): 100mtr.
FRC Dive (Mouthfill at 5mtr.): 25mtr.

Dive Line Pull Rescue: 25mtr.
BO Rescue (50mtr. tow incl. Rescue Breaths): 20mtr

* All skills need to be demonstrated at an instructor-level quality.

Price per person: $650

Be sure to contact us; Package Discounts may apply.

The above price includes taxes, snorkeling fees, freediving gear rental, and facility use.

We run the SSI Freediving Instructor courses pretty much every two months. We usually teach them in English, but Dutch is also possible. If you prefer another language, please contact us since we also regularly work with translators.

If you want a quick reply, please use the short form on this page.

For more detailed information about Courses, Accommodation, Prices, etc. Please follow the below links.

For more detailed information, please fill in this form.

Change your Lifestyle! Move to a Tropical Island!

At the Freedive Academy Panglao, we offer a wide range of programs and packages throughout the year to become a well-trained and highly-skilled professional freediver.

We run various freedive instructor courses from various agencies. We can provide these courses separately or as a nice tailored-for-your-needs package with, for example, training and housing included. You can join us for a Zero to Hero program or start with a Freediving Instructor Internship—with both; you immediately gain experience working as a Freediving Instructor.

You’ll surely love what Panglao offers regardless of which package you choose! Contact us now – without any strings – and we’ll explain all the different possibilities.

Name*

Email*

Phone / WhatsApp

Interested in:*

Estimated Arrival Date*

The Ins and Outs of the Molchanovs Instructor Courses!

You can become a Molchanovs Instructor via a full course, cross-over, or remote instructor course!

The Molchanovs freediving courses are about pure freediving, high-level skills and performance freediving. Molchanovs is changing the industry by teaching all freediving disciplines, offering their freedivers free and paid training programs and a completely new and updated education system.

Open water teaching with Molchanovs starts with the Molchanovs Wave 2 course – pool teaching begins with the Lap 2 Instructor Course. Molchanovs doesn’t train Wave 1 or Lap 1 Instructors since Molchanovs believes their Instructors need to have a high level of skills and experience and have to pass at least the Wave 2 or Lap 2 requirements to be able to teach freediving.

After being a Molchanovs instructor for a year, have 50 specific certifications you can become a Wave 3 instructor via an (online) upgrade or via cross-over from another agency’s master-level instructor level.

You can become a Molchanovs Freediving Instructor by joining the FITC (Freediving Instructor Training Course). You can also become a Molchanovs Instructor via cross-over from another agency. On this page, you can find a complete overview of all freediving organisations and their levels.

Open Water Teaching Starts with the Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor Level

You can either do the full course, the combo package or a cross-over! The Molchanovs Wave 2 course is the first open water freediving course available via a full course or a cross-over package. To cross over towards Molchanovs, ensure you have the right certification level.

Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor Training Course

The Molchanovs Wave 2 Instructor can teach Molchanovs Wave 1 and 2, the Lap 1 and 2 courses, Theory 1 and 2, and the Discover Freediving program and guide the Base Training Level 1 to 4 programs.

Prerequisites: The candidate must have a Wave 3 Certification or pass the Wave 3 Crossover Evaluation and have a First Aid Certificate (no older than two years).

Duration: 9 days

Performance & Course Completion Requirements:

Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 40mtr. (dive time 80-90s)
Free Immersion (FIM): 40mtr.
Constant No Fins (CNF): 30mtr.
Dynamic Bi Fins (DYNB): 100mtr.
Dynamic No Fins (DNF): 60mtr.

Static Breath-Hold: 4:00min.
Standby Rescue (1min. Rescue Hang): 15mtr.
BO Rescue (50mtr. tow incl. Rescue Breaths): 25mtr.
CO2 Dive: 60sec. Surface Kicking followed by 20m CWT dive

* All skills need to be demonstrated at an instructor-level quality.

Price without package discount per person: $1350

Please note that before starting the Molchanovs FITC, you will have to pay an additional $100 for the Molchanovs professional registration - we will put this on your invoice since we need to pay this to Molchanovs before the course starts. Then, once we certify you as a Molchanovs Wave 2 or Lap 2 Instructor, to become an active instructor, you must pay Molchanovs the first-year annual fee directly, which will also be $100 annually.

Molchanovs Wave 3 Instructor Upgrade Course

The Wave 3 Instructor can teach Wave 3 Courses, teach Lap 3 Courses, guide base 1-4 Levels, assist in a Wave Instructor Course, and apply for Instructor Trainer Course (ITC) after one year of active status and a minimum amount of certifications.

Prerequisites: The candidate must be an active Wave 2 Instructor or show proof of Master Instructor Certification from another agency. Have at least one year of teaching experience as a Wave 2 Instructor (or equivalent in other agencies). Minimum of 50 Certifications (min. 10 W1, min. 10 W2). Certifications from other agencies account for 50% (e.g., 60 certificates from another agency are worth 30 Wave certifications), and the record of leading min. 20 Base Sessions

Duration: 3 days (remote options are available)

Performance & Course Completion Requirements:

Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 50mtr. (dive time 100-110s)
Constant No Fins (CNF): 35mtr.
Dynamic Bi Fins (DYNB): 110mtr.
Dynamic No Fins (DNF): 75mtr.

Static Breath-Hold: 4:00min.
Standby Rescue (1min. Rescue Hang): 20mtr.
BO Rescue (50mtr. tow incl. Rescue Breaths): 30mtr.
CO2 Dive: 60sec. then 25m CWT dive

* All skills need to be demonstrated at an instructor-level quality.

Price per person: $600, plus $50 for the Molchanovs professional registration

Be sure to contact us; Package Discounts may apply.

We run the Molchanovs Freediving Instructor courses pretty much every month. We usually teach them in English, but Dutch is also possible. If you prefer another language, please contact us since we also regularly work with translators.

If you want a quick reply, please use the short form on this page.

For more detailed information about Courses, Accommodation, Prices, etc. Please follow the below links.

For more detailed information, please fill in this form.

Change your Lifestyle! Move to a Tropical Island!

At the Freedive Academy Panglao, we offer a wide range of programs and packages throughout the year to become a well-trained and highly-skilled professional Freediving Instructor.

Regardless of which package you choose, you’ll surely love what Panglao offers! Contact us now – without any strings – and we’ll explain all the different possibilities.

Name*

Email*

Phone / WhatsApp

Interested in:*

Estimated Arrival Date*

What you need to know about the AIDA Freediving Instructor Course!

You can Become an AIDA Instructor via a Full Course or Instructor Cross Over!

AIDA has an incredibly rich history in freediving, is the leader in competitive freediving, and is the most academic and research-based agency of all. You will also experience this in the Freediving Instructor Training Course (FITC) via more extensive and educational presentations.

Join the AIDA FITC to become an AIDA Freediving Instructor or pool Instructor. We always suggest aiming for the open water instructor level instead of becoming a Pool Instructor. Crossing over from another agency for open water and pool freediving instructors is also possible.

To upgrade from AIDA Freediving Instructor to Master Instructor, you have to apply.

If you have issued 50 certifications, of which at least 20 are AIDA 2 and 10 are AIDA 3, you can apply for the Master Instructor status by messaging the AIDA Education Committee.

AIDA Instructor Training Course

The AIDA Freediving Instructor can teach the courses AIDA 1 Introduction to Freediving, the AIDA 2 Open Water and Pool Freediving courses, the AIDA 3 Advanced Freediver Course, and the AIDA Monofin Course. If the candidate is also an AIDA judge, they can teach some of the competition courses.

Prerequisites: The candidate must have an AIDA 4 Certification or pass the AIDA 4 Crossover Evaluation and have a First Aid Certificate (no older than two years).

Duration: 9 days

Performance & Course Completion Requirements:

Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 40mtr.
Free Immersion (FIM): 40mtr.
Constant Weight Bi Fins (CWTB): 30mtr. (dive time 1:30 min.)
Free Immersion (FIM): 30mtr. (dive time 2 min.)
Dynamic Bi Fins (DYNB): 90mtr.
Dynamic No Fins (DNF): 50mtr.

Constant No Fins (CNF): 20mtr.
Static Breath-Hold: 4:00min.
Standby Rescue (1min. Rescue Hang): 15mtr.
25mtr. BO Rescue (50mtr. tow incl. Rescue Breaths)
5x 20mtr. (1min. surface interval)

* All skills need to be demonstrated at an instructor-level quality.

Price without package discount per person: $1350

Please note: After you pass the AIDA FITC, we will certify you as an AIDA Freediving Instructor. To become an active instructor, you must pay the first-year annual fee directly to AIDA International. The yearly fee for an AIDA Freediving Instructor to remain active is currently set at €50 a year.

We run AIDA Freediving Instructor courses every couple of months. We usually teach them in English, but Dutch is also possible. If you prefer another language, please get in touch with us since we also regularly work with translators.

If you want a quick reply, please use the short form on this page.

For more detailed information about Courses, Accommodation, Prices, etc. Please follow the below links.

For more detailed information, please fill in this form.

Change your Lifestyle! Move to a Tropical Island!

At the Freedive Academy Panglao, we offer a wide range of programs and packages throughout the year to become well-trained and highly-skilled professional Freediving Instructors.

You’ll surely love what Panglao offers regardless of which package you choose! Contact us now – without any strings – and we’ll explain all the different possibilities.

Name*

Email*

Phone / WhatsApp

Interested in:*

Estimated Arrival Date*

Doing More than ‘Just’ a Freedive Instructor Course.

An Instructor Course can be much more than just 10 or 13 days of Studying!

You now know about our freediving center in the Philippines, our facilities, the fully equipped classrooms, and our own private two-lane 25-meter pool. You now know about the freedive instructor courses we teach here in Panglao. That we run them every other month, dive from shore without a boat, and you might even have read about all the things you can do in Panglao. We offer so much more than ‘just’ a Freediving Instructor Course.

Panglao Island is a beautiful green island in the heart of the Philippines. And thanks to the geographical location and the unique location of the academy, we can offer fantastic, near-perfect freediving conditions year-round. Add to that the life on the island, great restaurants and bars, cheap but very lovely grocery shopping, lots of activities for your days off, and excellent and affordable long-term housing, and then you realize that Panglao is perfect for a long-term stay. And because the Freedive Academy Panglao can offer so much more than ‘just’ an instructor course, many of our visitors decide to stay here for a more extended period and combine their Instructor Course with training or one of our other programs. Have a look, and see what fits you!

Join us with one of the following Freedive Instructor Development programs.

Molchanovs, SSI or AIDA Instructor Combo

The Molchanovs, SSI, or AIDA Freediving Instructor Combo

It doesn't matter if you do a Zero to Hero, a freediving internship, or a single instructor course with training; with the Freedive Academy Freediving Instructor Combo, you get the best of two worlds!

First, please note that this is not a 2-in-1 course - you won't get two certifications with one course! The Freedive Instructor Combo is an entire Instructor course followed by an Instructor crossover course.

Some guests want to take the SSI Instructor course because it, like no other, prepares them to become proper dive professionals. Some want to become AIDA or Molchanovs instructors because of the agencies' flexibility.

The Freedive Academy runs SSI & Molchanovs, SSI & AIDA, and Molchanovs & AIDA combo courses.

We are saving time with performance requirements that are often the same between the different agencies. We're saving time discussing and demonstrating the skills. An excellent example is also, with the SSI and AIDA Instructor Course, we add instructor candidate skills video review, which is usually only done with the Molchanovs FITC. We are adding more value to the different courses, running both courses more efficiently, and thus can do the crossover in a shorter time frame and, therefore, cheaper. The combo package is one fantastic and compact package for both certificates! It's truly the best of both worlds.

Price without package discount per person: $1850

Please note that the above price does not include the mandatory ~$350 SSI fee for the registration and annual membership fee, the SSI Freediving Instructor kit, and the Advanced Freediving Instructor kit.

Also, the first-year annual membership and professional registration of Molchanovs are not included, which is $200.

The additional fee to become an active AIDA Instructor is the least expensive of all agencies and is set at €50 a year.

Zero to Hero Freediving Program

You love the water, you love to swim, and you want to do something incredible for 3 to 6 months! You’ve seen the freedivers in videos or when you were doing scuba, and you know that this freediving ‘thingy’ is something for you. You are meant to be a freediver! The beginner to instructor freediving program lets you start with the Freediver Level 1 or Level 2 course and will end with you becoming a Freediving Instructor.

Swim and Freediving Instructor Combo

A first in the industry! We are very proud to be the world’s first freediving center to offer all SSI Swim Teacher Courses. Whether you want to teach kids, baby swimming, adult swimming, or competitive swimming, getting a swim teacher certificate is a great way to increase earnings and gain more business opportunities. When you do your Freedive Instructor Course with us, you can get up to a 35% discount on all Swim Teacher Programs.

Freedive Instructor Internship

You are sure you want to make freediving your profession – and why not. Who wouldn’t enjoy the flip-flop lifestyle on a tropical island like Panglao? The Freedive Academy Panglao offers the possibility of training and gaining proper experience working at a freedive center. After your training, in the afternoons, you’ll help out around the academy or retail shop, and in exchange for your work, you get a significant discount on the course prices. We provide our interns with basic free housing and lunch, too. You’ll be a skilled and experienced instructor at the end of your Freediving Internship!

Instructor Course Cross-Over’s

You might be an SSI Scuba Instructor or a Freediving Instructor with PFI, CMAS, PADI, or any of the other agencies. In most cases, a cross-over to SSI, AIDA, or Molchanovs should not be a problem. Here is the Freediving Courses Equivalency Chart.

The Freedive Academy Panglao Instructor Course Schedule

We run Freedive Instructor courses every month now!

You must schedule your trip to Panglao wisely. The start of your Zero to Hero freediving program should be planned around your instructor course, just like we do with the freediving internships. If you do ‘only’ an instructor course with us, arriving in Panglao the day before your course starts is possible, but it makes the instructor course very challenging.

Please feel free to contact us anytime with any scheduling questions you may have.

Our guests are finding us for professional development programs and instructor courses! The beginner-to-freeding instructor programs with the new bonuses are especially popular. Every month, we run at least one, mostly two FITCs, mostly Molchanovs and AIDA, and every couple of months, an SSI Instructor Course. We are also continuing to run Wave 3 Instructor upgrades online.

The courses below are confirmed and happening, but some might still have somewhat flexible dates. If the below dates don't work with your particular schedule, please don't hesitate to contact us! We have the team in place, and since most of our guests are here long-term, we can often move courses around. Message us!

~Feb 26 - Mar 7, 2025

SSI FITC Level 2