Freediving operates internationally across two primary competition frameworks, AIDA and CMAS, alongside a number of independent educational agencies. These include AIDA Education, Molchanovs, PADI Freediving, RAID and SSI, among others.
In the UK, this structure is reflected nationally. The British Freediving Association (BFA) is the national representative of AIDA. UKCMAS Freediving processes competitive licences, fields teams for CMAS World Championships and maintains CMAS national records. Clubs, schools and instructors operate under a range of educational agencies and public liability arrangements. Recreational freedivers often participate outside any central organisational framework.
Each of these organisations serves an important role within its defined remit. However, no single body spans the full breadth of UK freediving activity.
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