AIDA International

What AIDA International does

AIDA International (International Association for the Development of Apnea) is a Geneva, Switzerland-based non-profit founded in 1992 that serves as the global governing body for competitive freediving. The organization establishes and enforces the rules, regulations, and safety standards for the sport, manages the official world record database and athlete ranking system across ten disciplines (STA, DYN, DYNB, DNF, CWT, CWTB, CNF, FIM, VWT, NLT), sanctions national and international competitions including annual World Championships, and runs a multi-tiered certification program (AIDA1-AIDA4 plus instructor and judge levels A-E). Its operations are coordinated through the EOS 2.0 digital platform, developed with technology partner WEBFLAVORS, which handles member registration, athlete profiles, event management, and organizational administration.

The organization serves four primary customer segments: competitive freediving athletes, certified instructors and students, competition judges, and competition safety personnel. It operates globally with active participation from 32+ nations across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa, and runs a calendar that includes World Championships, regional events, and local sanctioned competitions (e.g., AIDA Panglao Pool Championship in the Philippines, Vertical Blue, national championships). The core technology assets are the canonical rankings and records databases, the EOS 2.0 platform, and the codified rules and certification framework.

AIDA's revenue model combines transaction fees from competition registrations (e.g., €400 per athlete for World Championships before deadline), recurring membership and certification fees via the EOS 2.0 platform, professional services revenue from instructor/judge/safety courses, and event-level sponsorship contributions (e.g., Hotel Park Beach, EDT Offshore). The organization is volunteer-based with 107 listed personnel, operates without external equity investment or parent company, and does not publicly disclose financial figures.

Name

AIDA International

Legal name

AIDA International

Website

https://aidainternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AIDA International is a Geneva-based non-profit founded in 1992 that governs competitive freediving worldwide, setting rules and safety standards, validating world records, hosting World Championships, and certifying athletes, instructors, judges, and safety personnel through its EOS 2.0 platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Federation and Freediving Governance

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAFAB

International Sport Federations (IFs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

SECONDARYMPAKACAD

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

Keywords

• Freediving governance
• Freediving certification
• Competitive freediving
• Freediving education
• Underwater sports federation

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Competition Registration Fees: Athletes pay registration fees to participate in AIDA-sanctioned competitions. World Championship registration fees noted at €400 before specified deadlines.
2. Certification and Course Fees: Revenue from instructor certifications, judge courses, safety courses, and educational programs for freediving instructors and candidates.
3. Membership Fees: EOS 2.0 platform suggests membership-based structure with accounts and organizational coordination for athletes, instructors, judges, and safeties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AIDA International functions as the international governing body for competitive freediving, developing and enforcing competition rules and safety standards. It sanctions World Championships and regional competitions across ten freediving disciplines, maintains an official rankings system and world records database, and delivers a structured freediving education program (AIDA1 through AIDA4, plus Pool Instructor and Instructor levels) through its certified instructor network. The organization operates the EOS 2.0 platform to manage athlete registrations, event coordination, member profiles, and certification records.

Product overview

AIDA International is a volunteer-based organization governing competitive freediving worldwide. Its core offering consists of the EOS 2.0 competition management platform, structured freediving education (AIDA1-AIDA4 courses), official competition events (pool, depth, and world championships), and comprehensive athlete databases including rankings and world records. The organization serves as the primary international authority for freediving rules, safety standards, and competitive regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EOS 2.0: AIDA's online membership and event management platform

Products and services

• EOS 2.0 Platform
• AIDA Freediving Courses
• AIDA Competition Events
• Official Rankings System
• World Records Database
• Judge Certification Program

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Hotel Park Beach (Limassol, Cyprus)minorOthersOfficial hotel partner for the 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship 2025 in Limassol, Cyprus. Offers discounted accommodation rates for participants.
• EDT OffshoreminorOthersProvides vessel and offshore support for depth competitions. Mentioned as dive conditions provider for the 35th AIDA World Championship with one vessel for the competition site.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors): PADI is the world's largest recreational diving certification body. While primarily scuba-focused, it offers freediving specialty courses and has a vastly larger global instructor and student base, making it a broad incumbent operating in an adjacent category that occasionally overlaps with AIDA's education mission.
• World Aquatics (formerly FINA): World Aquatics is the IOC-recognized international federation for aquatic sports. Although freediving is not its primary focus, it represents the broader sports-governance model AIDA operates under and is a relevant comparable for federation operations, anti-doping frameworks, and Olympic/recognition strategy.
• SSI (Scuba Schools International / SSI International): SSI is a major global diving and freediving certification agency with active competition circuits. Comparable to AIDA as a diving-education franchise and competition organizer, but operating at significantly larger scale and broader category scope.

Direct peers

• CMAS (World Underwater Federation / Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques): CMAS is the principal rival international federation sanctioning freediving and underwater sports. Like AIDA, it organizes world championships, maintains world records, and certifies athletes and instructors — making it the closest direct competitor for the same governing-body role AIDA occupies.
• Molchanovs Movement: Molchanovs runs a competing freediving education and competition ecosystem (the Molchanovs Wave competition series and LAP/CMP instructor certifications) and is named after elite athlete Alexey Molchanov. It is directly comparable to AIDA as a competitor federation/education brand in competitive freediving.
• Apnea Academy: Apnea Academy is another international freediving education organization offering structured certification courses (Apnea Academy Open Water, Advanced, Instructor levels) with a global instructor network. It competes with AIDA on the same freediving-education category.
• Performance Freediving International (PFI): PFI is an established freediving instructor-certification agency and competition organizer with parallel curriculum (beginner through instructor levels) and a global instructor base. It competes head-to-head with AIDA for freediving students and instructor affiliations.

Regional players

• British Freediving Association (BFA): The BFA is the UK's national governing body for recreational and competitive freediving, sanctioning national records and championships. It operates at a national rather than international level but mirrors AIDA's federation model (rankings, records, instructor certification) at smaller geographic scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aidaint
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/aidafreediving
• Facebookfacebook.com/aidafreediving
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aida-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/aidafreediving

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AIDA International