The mission of Apnea Academy courses is to help every interested person to discover step by step beauty of freediving. The Apnea Discovery course is the first tasting of freediving ever including relaxation and breathing techniques. Apnea Academy helps its students on all levels discover their frontiers, dive safely and enjoy compelling experiences during freediving by means of other courses up to the highest level - the Instructor course. Apnea Academy chooses only the most motivated and the best people, who pass on as instructors the best knowledge and their gained experience to the beginners.
Apnea Academy created a special multimedia system, so as to make development of individual diving techniques as entertaining, safe and easy as possible. A part of this multimedia system is recording of swimming technique both in the swimming pool and on open water. This recording serves for correction of eventual mistakes and further improvement of technique. The next parts of this multimedia system are a freediving manual, a presentation, instructional and training videos, final tests and evaluation. Everything was created to improve quality and efficiency of teaching and also to facilitate gaining of knowledge by students themselves.
Each course includes theoretical lessons, practice in the swimming pool and on open water, training of relaxation and breathing techniques and in the end examinations on open water. Students get an Apnea Academy qualification card after successful completion of the course.
Stage
Apnea Academy Stage is an intensive training program with various length and contents. Stage can be focused for instance on diving in the sea both in constant and in variable weight, on training of static and dynamic apnea in the swimming pool, on breathing and relaxation techniques, on swimming with a monofin, pressurization, theoretical and practical training ... Anybody can participate in stage.
Apnea Discovery
Apnea Discovery is intended for anyone who wants to try freediving with minimum equipment, learn relaxation and breathing techniques, get to know himself, get to know beauty that freediving offers and discover amazing underwater world full of lights, colours and life.
Indoor Freediver
"Indoor Freediver" is the first course that Apnea Academy developed only for a swimming pool. The goal is to let students discover all positive sides and feelings freediving can give them. They will learn correct and controlled breathing, relaxation, but also development of their feelings in the water, how to listen to their body, discover the pleasure of merging with water surrounding them and the feelings that they may become its part.
Outdoor Freediver
"Outdoor Freediver" is a course developed for diving in open waters, where it is possible to perceive feelings from the depth. The goal of the course is to let students discover pleasant feelings only freediving can bring them with correct breathing and relaxation. The course also develops self-perception, how to listen to our own body, how to discover the pleasure of merging with water surrounding us and the feelings that we may become its part.
First Level
Apnea Academy Level I is the first qualification level of freediving and it includes also training on open water. The goal of the course is to master basic relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, movement techniques in water environment while using basic equipment and last but not least safety. To be granted the certification it is necessary to achieve the following performances: 1'15" in static apnea, 25 m in dynamic apnea and 8 m in depths.
Second Level
Goal of the Apnea Academy Level II course is to further develop and improve movement technique, relaxation technique and breathing technique while using experience gained in the Level I course and achieving the following performances: 2'30" in static apnea, 50 m in dynamic apnea and 15 m in depths.
Third Level
Apnea Academy Level III is the highest freediver qualification. Emphasis is put on mastering perfect movement technique, pressurization, relaxation, breathing and safety. Minimum required performances for granting the Third Level certification are: 3' in static apnea, 70 m in dynamic apnea and 25 m in depths.
Assistant instructor
The last level before the AA instructor. You will learn to work with a group of course participants. An assistant helps certified instructors during their lessons. Certified assistants are allowed to teach within the AA courses according to the AA specification.
Instruktor
The Apnea Academy instructor course is intended for experienced freedivers, who already cooperate during training with an Apnea Academy instructor as assistants, passed an examination and obtained a certificate in first aid. This international course held in a two-year period is very intensive and includes everything a freediving instructor needs for training: training of freediving technique in the swimming pool and in the sea, training of relaxation and breathing techniques, pressurization techniques, mental training, safety, public speaking ...
Specialization
Basic monofin freediver
Learn technique and theory how to start using a monofin in the swimming pool. Intended for students with basic level at least. Based on the theory Swim-like-a-dolphin.
Advanced monofin freediver
Training of an advanced technique with a monofin in swimming pools and depths. Intended for students with higher level of swimming with a monofin. Based on the theory Swim-like-a-dolphin.
Variable weight and No Limits
Experience dives into depths with a discipline called variable weight, diving without limitation with using sequence. You will gain experience and learn detente, your levelling will improve and you will enjoy depth in a different way. Intended for students with the Second Level at least.
Mental Training
80% of our activity during freediving consists of the mental part. In this course you will learn to train mental skills (motivation, excitement, concentration, emotion management, your own pressure, mental visualisation...) and you will get into "zones" as well. Intended for students with the First Level at least.
Rescue and Safety freediver
The course is focused on practicing rescue techniques. You will learn to manage crisis situations in this course and you will try everything in practice as well. The basic Life Support is based on the DAN certification system. We strongly recommend this course for everybody to increase safety level during freediving. Intended for students with the First Level at least.
Advanced Equalization
In the Advanced Equalization course you will learn depth levelling techniques (mouth fill) and how to train these techniques. It is often connected with the Variable weight and No Limits course. Intended for students with the Second Level at least.
