Is AIDA better than Molchanovs or PFI?

Is AIDA better than Molchanovs or PFI?

Short answer: No agency is objectively “better.”
Long answer: The instructor matters far more than the logo on the certification card.

AIDA & Molchanovs are all internationally respected freediving organizations. Whilst PFI is mostly known in North America. They share the same foundations—breath-hold physiology, safety protocols, equalization, and performance disciplines—while differing mainly in structure, progression, and teaching style.

What often gets mistaken for “better” is simply different:

• Different performance benchmarks

• Different course layouts

• Different emphasis on competition, technique, or accessibility

But none of that guarantees a better learning experience.

What does make a real difference is:

• The instructor’s experience and judgment

• Their ability to adapt the training to you

• A strong, uncompromising safety culture

• Clear communication and feedback

• Trust—especially when depth is involved

A great instructor within any agency will consistently outperform a mediocre instructor in the “best” agency. Freediving is a skill-based sport, and skills are passed from person to person—not from organization to diver.

If you’re choosing where to train, ask less about which agency and more about:

• Who will be teaching you

• How they teach

• How they handle safety, progression, and individual limits

In freediving, the card is a credential.
The instructor is the education.

If You Are Certified As

Molchanovs

PFI

PADI

Extra Notes

AIDA 1

AIDA 2

AIDA 3

AIDA 4

LAP 1

WAVE 1

WAVE 2

WAVE 3

PFI BASIC

PFI 1

PFI 2

PFI 3

PADI Freediver (partial)

PADI Freediver

PADI Advanced Freediver

Beyond recreational PADI levels