I just finished my AIDA 4 Star Master Freediver course with World Champion Constant Weight No Fins diver William Trubridge this weekend.
It was four full days of sun, learning, diving and fun. Now that the course is over, I'm digesting all the new things I learned and working on putting them into practice.
This post is a little different than my usual, as it's sharing the report I created based on my learnings in the AIDA 4 course. This course introduces some advanced freediving techniques, such as mouthfill equalization, that can dramatically increase your maximum depth when diving (if that's you're goal).
The Report
You can view the Freediving Deeper Techniques report and interact with it in Power BI. It's pre-populated with some common depths and reasonable achievements to give you an idea of the leap freedivers can make after mastering the techniques covered in the AIDA 4 course.
If you're a freediver, play with the values and see what you can achieve. If you're not a freediver, enjoy learning about the physics behind this crazy sport.
DAX Parameters
This report uses lots of DAX parameters which enable the viewer to change the values in order to see their impact.
Navigator Button
I'm very excited to finally show you the Navigator Button. Last year I wrote a blog about how to design custom navigation in Power BI using buttons. At the end of last year, Microsoft introduced the Page Navigator button to Power BI, making this process so much easier. Now you just need to add a single button to your page and all page names are automatically populated in the navigation pane. You can even change the orientation in case you want your buttons going down the left hand side instead of the top/bottom.
The Course
In order to become an AIDA 4 star certified freediver, you must prove a minimum level of performance:
- Dive to at least 32m depth and back using only the aid of fins (no pulling on the rope)
- Dive at least 70m distance in the pool using only the aid of fins
- Complete a static breath hold greater than 3 minutes 30 seconds in the pool
Additionally, you must also demonstrate that you are capable of assisting fellow divers and yourself in adverse conditions:
- Rescue a diver from 20m depth and tow them at least 50m to the boat/shore
- Rescue a diver from 15m depth while you're wearing only 1 fin
- Return from 20m depth without a mask or nose clip and with only 1 fin
Finally, you must also pass a written exam that tests your knowledge of theory in various areas including nutrition, equalization, environment, safety, training, performance and more.
You can read my summary of the weekend on the Auckland Freediving site: AIDA 4 Star with William Trubridge
