AIDA LEVEL 2

Question 1

What is the primary directive in freediving?

Answer 1

Always freedive with a qualified buddy.

Question 2

How to make contact with your local freedive community?

Answer 2

You may volunteer in AIDA events like meetings and competitions to meet your
local freedive community.

Question 3

When you start a course with one instructor, you have to complete it with the same instructor? True or False. Explain.

Answer 3

False. You can start any AIDA Course with one instructor and finish it later with another. The only constraint is that you have to continue your education within one year.

Question 4

The preparation for holding your breath has nothing to do with “oxygenating
the body” True or False. Explain.

Answer 4

true. At any given time of resting our blood is fully saturated with Oxygen (between 96% and 99%). The last phase before a breath hold is about physical and mental relaxation and focus.

Question 5

What are the goals of the relaxation phase?

Answer 5

The goals of this phase are to be physically and mentally relaxed, avoiding any unneeded muscle tension as well as being focused on the task at hand. Thinking uses Oxygen, so being focused also means to keep the mind from wandering

Question 6

What should be the points of attention when performing one full breath. Explain.

Answer 6

The main focus is relaxation as you should avoid the built-up of tension when willing to take too much air. Second, you should take your time to fill the lungs completely.
Third, perform a two stage breath, meaning belly breathing followed by chest breathing

Question 7

Why is escaping air considered a sign for a freediver in trouble? Explain

Answer 7

While holding your breath in water you will always keep your air in your lungs
until surfacing. This is true for every form of freediving

Question 8

What are “contractions”?

Answer 8

Contraction comes from involuntary movements of the breathing muscles. This is your body trying to resume to breathe to exhale the accumulated CO2. It does not mean
that you are low on Oxygen

Question 9

Holding your breath is a mind game. Explain.

Answer 9

Holding your breath is less of a physical and more of a mental challenge because
you are not used to “not to breathe”. Whatever reasons your mind comes up with in order
to stop that breath hold right now; convince yourself that you can deal with it despite all
your thoughts or opinions about the current situation

Question 10

Describe the safety concept of recovery breathing

Answer 10

It is the technique how to breathe in order to properly finish a breath hold. Every breath hold ends with recovery breathing. Technique: Relaxed passive half exhalation followed by quick full inhalations

Question 11

Describe the journey of the air from outside into the lungs

Answer 11

The first stage of the airflow into our body is the nose and the mouth. After
passing the mouth the inhaled air travels through the windpipe or the trachea. At its lower end, the trachea divides into two main bronchi. Through several stages the bronchi branch off into tiny bronchioles. At the end of the branches lie the alveoli where the gas
exchange in the lungs takes place

Question 12

What are the main muscles involved in breathing?

Answer 12

the diaphragm and the (external) intercostal muscles

Question 13

Our breathing is regulated mainly by CO2. Explain

Answer 13

All physical and mental activity creates CO2. While being dissolved in the blood plasma, CO2 raises the acidity of the blood. This change of acidity is then registered by the body. Once registered it automatically initiates an increase of breathing volume and
frequency to offload the surplus of CO2

Question 14

Hyperventilation is increasing oxygen saturation of your blood. True or false. Explain

Answer 14

False. At any given time your blood is saturated with Oxygen levels at around
96-99%. Hyperventilation does not store more Oxygen, it actually lowers the level of CO2
.

Question 15

What is wrong with decreasing CO2 level in your blood.

Answer 15

By hyperventilating before a breath-hold, it is possible that you pass out from
low Oxygen levels without even feeling the first signal of rising CO2

Question 16

How can you safely prolong your dives?

Answer 16

Breath holds can safely last longer by getting more tolerant to CO2 and by
improving relaxation and generally all techniques involved in freediving (such as body posture, duck dive, finning, etc.)

Question 17

How is Boyle’s law defined?

Answer 17

If the temperature remains constant, the volume of a gas is inversely proportional
to the absolute pressure

Question 18

What is equalising?

Answer 18

As you descend, the increasing pressure compresses your body air spaces
according to Boyle’s law. Equalising means to move more air into these air spaces (ears, sinuses and mask) to balance the effect of the rising water pressure

Question 19

What should be your focal point when practicing equalization techniques

Answer 19

Practicing either Valsalva or Frenzel techniques, use only the muscles that should be active in your chosen technique. All other muscles need to stay relaxed during the
whole equalisation manoeuvre.

Question 20

Cite three ways to facilitate equalization

Answer 20

Clean technique,
Outer ear filled with water,
Equalize gently and frequently
enough,
Slow down the descent,
Dive healthy,
Avoid decongestant medication,
Stretch before diving

Question 21

Why should you equalise once before you do your duck dive?

Answer 21

A strong duck dive can get your head as deep as five meters, before you even
start using your fins. This is a depth where you would usually have to equalise your ears
to not experience pain in your eardrums

Question 22

How could you develop strength and flexibility for your finning technique?

Answer 22

You can improve these skills by training in the pool discipline of dynamic apnea

Question 23

On which three parameters should you focus during the descent phase?

Answer 23

Streamlining, equalization and relaxation

Question 24

Why should you preferably perform a forward tumble turn when turning in depth?

Answer 24

To protect your lungs at depth. The “skydiver turn” should be avoid as arching your back at depth can lead to injuries.

Question 25

Comment the following sentence: “Once you have started to ascend you should
go all the way back to the surface.”

Answer 25

That is correct. If you had to turn early, it is important that you stay focused on
finishing the dive in a controlled manner.

Question 26

What is the “OK-sign”?

Answer 26

The OK-sign is the thumb and index finger forming a circle, while the other three fingers are kept straight. It indicates to your buddy that everything is all right with you

Question 27

Communication is important within a buddy team. Please comment

Answer 27

Both members of the buddy team have to attune their plans for the session. They have to keep continuous contact to inform each other over every single dive’s objectives and possible troubles

Question 28

Why make the distinction between verbal and non-verbal communication in
static apnea (STA)?

Answer 28

Tell each other what you like, what you do not like and what you expect from
your buddy. Some freedivers do not like to be touched and other freedivers do not like to be talked to during a breath-hold.

Question 29

As a safety diver meeting your buddy at depth, how do you detect that your
buddy is in trouble?

Answer 29

As a safety diver you will stay face to face with the freediver in such a way that you can always see his/her eyes. Pretty quickly you will develop a feeling for what looks like a normal dive and what is a sign of trouble.
You will also identify oncoming trouble by:
Change of finning style,
uncontrolled grabbing of the rope, speeding up towards the
end of the dive, escaping air,
unable to keep the airways above the surface,
anything abnormal.

Question 30

What is LMC?

Answer 30

Loss of Motor Control, or LMC, is a hypoxic fit that occurs after surfacing if Oxygen levels are too low. A light LMC will just last a few seconds and will mainly induce light
uncontrolled eye and/or head movements, while severe LMC can affect your whole body and leads to an inability to maintain your airways out of the water.

Question 31

What is a Black Out (BO)? Why is it so dangerous?

Answer 31

A black out (or BO) is the loss of consciousness caused by lack of Oxygen (O2) towards the end of a breath hold or immediately after. It can happen everywhere and this is why you must always have a trained buddy supervising you when holding your breath
in water. Repeatedly experienced black outs will certainly have negative consequences including brain damage and should thus be avoided

Question 32

What is the SAFE principle. Explain.

Answer 32

If your buddy suffers from a black out (BO), you will act SAFE.
Surface: Get the freediver to the surface;
Airways: Hold him so the airways are out of the water;
FE: Remove all Facial Equipment (mask, goggles, nose clip).

Then follow up with Blow – Tap – Talk (cycle until regaining consciousness for max 10-15s)

Question 33

How do you reduce the risks of a LMC or BO? Give at least 5 examples

Answer 33

Relaxation;
Never push your limits;
Apply good technique;
Perform recovery breathing;
Stay well hydrated;
Always freedive with a trained buddy;
Weight yourself correctly (neutral at min -10m);
Take the snorkel out of your mouth before you descend;
Practice rescue technique;
Use a floating device.

Question 34

How much time should you when willing to combine scuba diving and freediving?

Answer 34

No Fly Sign on your dive computer must be off after scuba diving before freediving.
Rule of thumb: At least 12 hours after one scuba dive before freediving; At least 24 hours after multiple scuba dives before freediving; At least 12h if you want to scuba dive after
freediving.

Question 35

What are the main characteristics of a freedive mask?

Answer 35

Enclose the nose;
Should perfectly fit you;
Low volume;
Clear lenses;
The skirt Flexible (soft skirt)

Question 36

How should you start training bi-fins technique?

Answer 36

It is recommended to start with a pair of short fins to learn proper finning
technique first. When your finning technique, your muscular strength and flexibility are ready, you will be able to handle the greater resistance of long fins

Question 37

Why do you need a snorkel when practicing freediving?

Answer 37

The snorkel is a basic safety tool. It allows you to breathe while watching your buddy from the surface in the pool or in open water

Question 38

How should you wear your weight belt?

Answer 38

Freedivers wear their belt on the hips rather than the waist to not interfere with belly breathing and duck dive movements

Question 39

One of the main features of a freediving suit is flexibility. Please comment.

Answer 39

A freedive suit should be made of high quality neoprene. A good stretch ability of the material will make your movements easier and therefore less oxygen demanding

Question 40

Define static apnea

Answer 40

A breath hold performed face down in a pool or confined water is called static apnea (STA).

Question 41

Dynamic apnea is an important training discipline. Please comment

Answer 41

Dynamic apnea is an important general training discipline in order to work on body posture, finning technique and CO2
tolerance.

Question 42

Free immersion is the most common way to start your depth session. Please comment.

Answer 42

By slowly pulling yourself down to a comfortable depth, you can spend time
under water without exerting yourself while giving your body and mind time to switch into “freedive mode”

Question 43

FREEDIVER CODE OF CONDUCT

Answer 43

Mind your surroundings
Mind your long fins
Mind marine life
Do not remove anything from the sea / Do not leave anything in the sea
Mind the dive site
Be a role model