AIDA 4 Freediving Course Phuket — Level 4 Master Certification
Build on your AIDA 3 skills and reach true depth mastery — 5 days at Kata Beach with SSS Phuket, training to 32-38m depth and 70m dynamic apnea with the island's original freediving school.
- — Max 3 students per instructor
- — Full freediving equipment included
- — Free SSS Phuket t-shirt included
What You Need to Know Before Booking AIDA 4
Who Is AIDA 4 For?
AIDA 4 is our master-level certification — here's how to know if it's the right level for you.
Already Hold Your AIDA 3?
This is the natural next step — build on your AIDA 3 skills and reach true depth mastery: 32-38m constant weight and 70m dynamic apnea. Most AIDA 3 graduates take this within a few months of certifying.
See Program in Depth →Certified with SSI, PADI or Molchanovs?
AIDA 4 requires an AIDA 3 certification (or an equivalent from another agency) plus an active First Aid/CPR certification. If you're certified at an advanced level elsewhere, we can run a crossover evaluation before you join — just make sure your CPR certification is current.
See Pricing & Requirements →Want to Keep Diving After AIDA 4?
AIDA 4 is our deepest recreational certification — from here, most divers focus on refining technique and building experience rather than chasing a new number. Ask us about ongoing guided open water coaching at Racha Yai to keep progressing safely.
See What Comes Next →Already Certified Elsewhere?
Hold a certification with SSI, PADI or Molchanovs already? Compare all four systems and find the right level to cross over into before booking AIDA 4.
Compare Certifications →AIDA 4 Course — Program in Depth
Every AIDA 4 course is led by our in-house AIDA Master Instructors, at a maximum ratio of 3 students per instructor, so you get hands-on, personal attention in the pool and on the boat.
AIDA 4 is our deepest recreational certification — true depth mastery beyond everyday freediving. Over 5 days you'll cover the physics and physiology of deep diving, learn FRC (functional residual capacity) diving and mouthfill equalization, and refine your technique across two full pool days, an open water day at Kata Reef, and two boat days at Racha Yai Island, descending on a weighted line to at least 32 meters (the program builds toward 38m). An AIDA 3 certification (or equivalent crossover evaluation) plus a current First Aid/CPR certification is required to book this course.
Theory covering the physics of deep freediving (Boyle's, Dalton's and Henry's Laws), decompression sickness, nitrogen narcosis, and failure depth; static apnea building toward 3 minutes 30 seconds; dynamic apnea technique work toward 70 meters with fins; introduction to packing technique.
FRC (functional residual capacity) diving theory and shallow pool practice; mouthfill equalization introduction, both dry and in the pool; advanced rescue refresher covering blackout rescue simulation, self-rescue with a flooded mask, and self-rescue with a simulated leg cramp.
First open-water application of FRC diving and mouthfill equalization at moderate depth; buoy line and free immersion technique refinement; depth-specific rescue drills — blackout rescue and surface tow — before heading out to Racha Yai for your certification days.
- 7:30 AMHotel pickup and transfer to Chalong Pier
- 9:00 AMWelcome aboard! Breakfast served on the way to Racha Yai
- 10:00 AMFirst dive — constant weight descent applying mouthfill equalization, building progressive depth
- 12:00 PMHot buffet lunch on board, then free time for snorkeling and sunbathing
- 1:00 PMSecond dive — depth progression and FRC technique refinement
- 3:00 PMRest and relax — fresh tropical fruit and soft drinks on the way back to Chalong Pier
- 3:30 PMArrive back at Chalong Pier
- 4:00 PMDrop-off at your hotel
- 7:30 AMHotel pickup and transfer to Chalong Pier
- 9:00 AMWelcome aboard! Breakfast served on the way to Racha Yai
- 10:00 AMFirst dive — final depth build toward 38m
- 12:00 PMHot buffet lunch on board, then free time for snorkeling and sunbathing
- 1:00 PMSecond dive — certification depth attempt, constant weight to at least 32m, plus 50m surface tow and rescue skill assessment
- 3:00 PMRest and relax — fresh tropical fruit and soft drinks on the way back to Chalong Pier
- 3:30 PMArrive back at Chalong Pier
- 4:00 PMDrop-off at your hotel
- Static apnea: hold your breath face-down in the pool for at least 3 minutes 30 seconds
- Dynamic apnea: swim 70 meters underwater with fins on a single breath
- Constant weight (CWT): descend and ascend along a weighted line to at least 32 meters depth, with the program progressing to 38 meters
- FRC diving: learn functional residual capacity diving technique for deeper, more efficient descents
- Mouthfill equalization: master the mouthfill technique needed to equalize safely beyond recreational depths
- Packing technique: introduction to lung packing for increased vital capacity
- Advanced rescue & safety: 20m blackout rescue, 50m surface tow, 15m blackout rescue with simulated leg cramp, 20m self-rescue with a flooded mask, and 20m self-rescue with a simulated leg cramp
- Open water application: complete at least 4 open water freediving sessions across Kata Reef and two Racha Yai boat days
All AIDA 4 equipment is included in your course price — nothing extra to rent or buy.
- Low-volume freediving mask
- Long free-diving fins
- Snorkel
- Wetsuit (tropical-weight, for pool and boat days)
- Weight belt, sized to you
- Lanyard for depth line safety
- Nose clip
- AIDA digital course manual
- Minimum age: 18 years old — AIDA 4 has no under-18 exception, unlike earlier levels
- Prerequisite: AIDA 3 certification is required to book AIDA 4, plus an active First Aid certification with CPR completed within the last two years. Certified with another agency at an equivalent level? We can run a crossover evaluation instead — confirm eligibility before booking
- Avoid scuba diving in the 24 hours before your course (residual nitrogen risk)
- Eat a light meal 2–3 hours before pool or boat sessions — don't dive on a full or empty stomach
- Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a reusable water bottle, and proof of your current First Aid/CPR certification
- Hotel pickup is included for both Racha Yai boat days (Kata, Karon, Chalong, Rawai, Kamala areas)
Your Open Water Days: Racha Yai Island
About an hour by boat from Chalong Pier, Racha Yai's calm, clear bays are exactly why we use it for your AIDA 4 open water sessions — sheltered conditions with a fixed dive line, ideal for building real depth without fighting current.
Racha Yai's bays are naturally sheltered from currents and swell, with visibility regularly reaching 15–20 metres — ideal conditions for building certified depth without fighting the elements.
Across two full boat days, your instructor sets the line, spots every dive, and coaches your mouthfill equalization and FRC technique as you build toward your certification depth of at least 32 metres, with the program progressing to 38 metres safely and gradually.
Expect vibrant hard and soft corals, clownfish, and parrotfish — and with a bit of luck, a turtle gliding past while you're on the line.
See the full hour-by-hour boat day schedules in the Program in Depth section above.
AIDA 4 Pricing & What's Included
One straightforward course: 5 days combining two pool training days, open water practice at Kata Reef, and two full boat days at Racha Yai Island.
- ✔ Day 1: Pool training — deep-diving physics, decompression theory, static & dynamic apnea
- ✔ Day 2: Pool training — FRC diving theory, mouthfill equalization, advanced rescue
- ✔ Day 3: Kata Reef open water — FRC & mouthfill application, rescue drills
- ✔ Day 4: Full-day Racha Yai boat trip — depth build dives
- ✔ Day 5: Full-day Racha Yai boat trip — certification dives to 32-38m
- ✔ Official AIDA 4 Master Freediver Certification
- ✔ AIDA digital course manual
- ✔ Complete equipment rental
- ✔ Hotel transfer (Patong, Karon, Kata, Rawai, Chalong)
- ✔ Breakfast & lunch on both boat days
- 🎁 Free SSS Phuket T-shirt included
- 📋 Requires AIDA 3 certification and a current First Aid/CPR certification
Meet the Team Behind Your AIDA 4 Certification
Every AIDA 4 course is led by a real, named freediving instructor — not a rotating cast of seasonal hires.
Constantin
AIDA Instructor & AIDA Judge
Freediving
Leonie
AIDA Freediving Instructor
English · German · Spanish
Florian
Molchanovs/SSI Dive & Freedive Instructor
English · French
Val
Molchanovs Freediving Instructor
English · Russian
See Our Pool & Racha Yai Training in Action
Real photos from our Chalong pool and Racha Yai boat days — the same facilities used across every AIDA level.
What Our AIDA 4 Freedivers Say
"We saw a huge variety of beautiful fish, moray eels, and the absolute highlight was spotting a turtle. It truly was one of the best days of our lives."
"My instructor Pomme was amazing and highly recommended. The water was clear and we saw a lot of coral and marine life. If and when I come back to Phuket, I will be doing this trip again."
"Quality of instructors was superb. There was one instructor for every two or three students. Convenient hotel pickup, well-planned logistics."
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need AIDA 3 before taking AIDA 4?
What's the difference between AIDA 3 and AIDA 4?
Is there a minimum age for AIDA 4?
What is the best time of year for freediving in Phuket?
How many students per instructor?
What depth will I reach during the course?
How is the AIDA 4 course structured?
Can I do the course if I struggle to equalise at depth?
What should I bring to the course?
Is freediving safe at AIDA 4 depths?
Can I do the course alone, or do I need a buddy?
What happens if I don't pass a skill on the first attempt?
Do you offer private courses?
What's the water temperature like in Phuket?
Find Us at Kata Beach
- Address: 184/1 Koktanod Road, Kata Beach, Phuket 83100
- Hours: Open 8am–8pm, daily
- WhatsApp: +66 895 869 920
- Email: info@sssphuket.com
- WeChat: sssphuketjean · Telegram: +66 90 176 673
- ✔ Free cancellation up to 48 hours before your course starts — course fee refunded in full. Online certification materials are non-refundable once issued
- ✔ TripAdvisor Hall of Fame since 2014 · 2025 Viator Experience Award
- ✔ Questions before booking? WhatsApp us — replies within a few hours, 8am–8pm daily
Reserve Your AIDA 4 Course
