The International Association of Nitrox & Technical Divers (IANTD), a training agency now devoted to free (breath-hold) diving, is the first agency to bring standards, consistency, recognition and safety, through education, to the sport of free diving. Divetech, authors of the student and training materials, has licensed the free diving curriculum to IANTD. Our goals are to promote the sport of free diving by bringing new awareness to it through the continuing education programs that have been created.

One theory that exists is that we all came from the water, from simple proteins, to single celled animals, to plankton, fish with gills, and eventually terrestrial based mammals. Whether you subscribe to this theory or not, it is fact that we all came from a liquid environment when we were born. Our bodies have a remarkable ability to tap into this aquatic background and bring our mammalian diving reflexes to the forefront. From thousands of years ago, history has recorded free divers in pearl diving, military operations, fishermen, and eventually into the sport of free diving, as it exists today. Through Free Dive courses offered by IANTD, divers can expand their capabilities, comfort and safety in the water! 

There are literally millions of snorkelers today that are searching the oceans and seas from the surface. Many of the pelagic marine interaction environments such as diving with whales, dolphins, manatees and the like are most enjoyable while free diving. Photography and video opportunities are expanded with breath-hold diving versus being on scuba. Many locations have avid spear fishing, conch, lobster, and abalone fishing that is all done without tanks, simply by breath-hold diving.

Free diving not only supports the livelihoods and recreation of many people, but also offers a competitive element to the sport, through tournaments, local competitions, and world record events.

Brett LeMasters (L) with Nancy Romanica of DiveTech, during a Free Diving Training Demonstration at Cobalt Coast Resort in Grand Cayman.

By becoming an IANTD Free Diving Instructor, new business opportunities abound. Free diving is an ideal winter and summer sport, and many courses and local events can be conducted in swimming pools. As the snorkel market continues to expand, courses through student and achievement recognition bring new training and educational opportunities to the stores. School programs for children and underwater hockey are just two of the programs that can attract new business to the store.

The certification programs offered through IANTD's Free Dive Programs are designed to increase a diver’s breath-hold range and comfort in the water. From Snorkel Diver and Open Water Free Diver through the Master Free Diver course, students are taught constant ballast diving techniques. The courses develop a detailed understanding of all aspects of deep breath-hold diving, including history, physics, physiology, psychological factors, breathing techniques and emergency procedures, along with skills and free diving experience. Courses run 1 to 3 days, with minimum age restrictions and prerequisites applicable.

RECREATIONAL COURSES 

For Scuba Instructors, Assistant Instructors, Divemasters or Master Free Divers wishing to pursue the exciting option of teaching free diving, IANTD offers a number of programs to start you on your way to a professional career in instructional free diving through accredited Instructor Development Courses.

PROFESSIONAL COURSES Days  Course 1 Open Water AI  1 Open Water Instructor 2 Master Free Diver Assistant Instructor 3 Master Free Diver Instructor 3 Master Free Diver Instructor Trainer 3 Senior Instructor Trainer     (At left) Heading towards the surface after a deep free dive...

Beyond the recreational limits of free diving, IANTD also offers programs to help divers develop the skills to enter the competition free diving arena. Programs are offered in constant ballast, variable ballast and variable absolute (no-limits sled diving), in addition to both static and dynamic training programs. These courses include not only academic and diving time, but also setup programs for continued exercises in apnea training following the course. Divetech of Grand Cayman offers a wide range of support for competition free divers, from training to support on dives, event coordination, commissioner validation of records, personal best record support, video documentation and media coverage.

                     COMPETITION COURSES

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