AIDA 1 — Discover Freediving
A one-day introduction to freediving the AIDA way. Learn how to breathe, relax and hold your breath, then take your first gentle dives down the line to around 10 metres — all under the eye of an AIDA instructor in the calm, warm Red Sea. The perfect taster before committing to the full Freediver course.
Group size: 2
- Duration
- 1 Days
- Total dives
- —
- Group size
- 2
Hurghada, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh, El Gouna and Soma Bay. Pickup and return included.
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Included
Included
- AIDA 1 certification and digital e-materials
- Full freediving equipment (long fins, mask, wetsuit)
- Certified AIDA instructor (max 1:2 ratio)
- Theory session and confined / shallow water practice
- Open water line dives to ~10 m
- Hotel pickup & drop-off
- Water and soft drinks
Additional costs
- Tips (optional)
- Photo/video of your dives (€20)
Min age: 12+
- Comfortable in the water
- Reasonable health (medical questionnaire)
Comfortable swimming — no distance test for AIDA 1
Your day, made simple
- 1 Day 1 — Morning
Breathe & relax
Theory over coffee: how the body responds to breath-hold, the mammalian dive reflex, relaxation and breathing technique, and the golden safety rules of freediving. Then into shallow water to practise relaxed breath-holds and your first finning.
- Relaxation breathing
- Mammalian dive reflex
- Safety rules
- First breath-holds
- 2 Day 1 — Afternoon
Into the blue
Out to a calm, sheltered site for your first guided line dives. Equalisation, duck-dive technique and gentle descents to around 10 metres — always with your instructor and a buddy beside you.
- Equalisation basics
- Duck dive
- Line dives to ~10 m
- Buddy safety
What you'll be able to do
- Relaxation and breathe-up technique
- Basic equalisation (Valsalva / early Frenzel)
- The duck dive and efficient finning
- Buddying and one-up-one-down safety
- Understanding the dive reflex
View details
Why try freediving in the Red Sea?
Warm, clear, calm water and almost no current make Hurghada one of the gentlest places on earth to take your first breath-hold dives. There is no scuba gear, no bubbles and no noise — just you, a long pair of fins and the quiet. AIDA 1 is a relaxed, one-day taster with no performance requirements: the only goal is to leave the water smiling and wanting more.
FAQ
Do I need to be a strong swimmer?
No. For AIDA 1 you only need to be comfortable in the water. There's no swim test — that comes later, at AIDA 2.
Is freediving dangerous?
Freediving is very safe when you follow the rules — and the rules are exactly what this course teaches. You always dive with a trained buddy, one person down and one watching, never alone.
How is this different from snorkelling?
Snorkelling stays at the surface. Freediving teaches you to relax, equalise and descend on a single breath — calmly and efficiently — so you can spend real time below the surface.
What's the next step?
The AIDA 2 Freediver course, where you'll learn proper static and dynamic breath-hold and certify to dive to 20 metres.
Read guest reviews
"We had an amazing experience with Azure Diving Club! Aladdin and Mohamed were incredibly kind, knowledgeable and patient with first-time divers. They made us feel completely safe and comfortable, while keeping the atmosphere relaxed and enjoyable. Thank you both for a fantastic experience — we're coming back many times!"
"Very good, happy diving instructors, and true gentlemen. Totally worth it!"
"I did my Open Water Course with Aladdin and really enjoyed the experience. Every day was different. The coral reefs were beautiful and I really enjoyed my experience! Will be coming back!"