“Freedivers” Training System Instructors
Apnea Academy Instructors
AIDA International Instructor Trainers
IAFD Master Instructor Trainers

Aharon was involved in military, research, commercial and sports diving education for more than 35 years prior to adopting freediving as his passion. At 78, he is not only one of the most experienced freedive instructors in the world, but is also the oldest continuing ‘masters’ level freediver.

His freedive accomplishments began in the mid 70’s.

Achievements (Personal bests):

72m Fixed Weights, 63m Free Immersion

Maria-Teresa began freediving in Crete , in September 1996.

After watching the demonstration dives she joined one of Aharon’s clinics, and discovered a natural ability for the sport. She continued later that year and began to train and work uniquely in apnea in February of 1997.

After only 5 months, she became one of only a handful of women to have passed 50 in the Fixed Weights discipline. She was then 6 weeks pregnant.

Achievements:

66m Fixed Weights; 42m Fixed Weight No Fins; 68m Free Immersion; 100m Dynamic; 72m Variable Weights; 65m ‘No Limits’; 5:42 Static

Alina began freediving in Israel, in 2008. She came to freediving from scuba, and began serious freedive training when she came to train with Aharon in Mexico in 2009. She showed immediately an unusual ability to master the monofin style. After 3 months training she broke, in competition, 3 Israeli female records 68 mts DYN, 30 mts FIM and 38 mts CWT.

Achievements:

40m Fixed Weights, 30m Free Immersion, 73m Dynamic

THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF ‘FREEDIVERS’

1992-Meetings with Champions. Aharon first meets Pipin and Umberto Pelizzari, during a joint film shoot, where he joins the dive team, and just after Umberto’s first World Record in Constant weights (65m). This was his first exposure to the professional world of Freediving.

1993-Freedive Training Cuba with Pipin. Serious freedive training begins, being initially taught by the first modern icons of freediving, Umberto Pelizzari , the then Fixed Weights, and Variable Weights and and then Pipin, Francisco Ferreras , “No Limits” world champion, who invited him to train in Cuba.

1994 AIDA- the first concept (The International Association for the Development of APNEA). Aharon begins corresponding with Claude Chapuis concerning the idea of developing a formal education system for Freediving outside CMAS.

Monofin Training – Through contact with Russian trainer he first trains with the monofin.

1995 – Meeting Bob Croft (USA) Variable Weights World Record Holder He meets Bob Croft the american challenger to Jaques Mayol and through recorded interviews and conversations, begin to learn ‘Air Packing’ from him.

The Search into Freediving – Aharon travels to Canada to train with one of the top triathlete running coaches, and to India to delve into the relationship between Yoga and the mind, and body-breath-control and its essential place in freediving.

1996- MT joins the picture – and begins training with Aharon.
They assist with the production of a documentary on Freediving by the German TV company , Pro-7 , which later contributes to the Pipin/Umberto Freediving IMAX production

“FREEDIVERS” is established MT and Aharon Solomons officially begin to instruct as a team.

“FREEDIVERS” assists the 1st. Swedish Freedive Team As one of the first freedive instructors concerned with education, more than records, Aharon is approached by two Swedish students for training. They had been involved in apnea research and experiments at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden , with Erika Shagatay , and later go on to become Swedish team members.

IAFD MASTER INSTRUCTOR TRAINERS In her first 5 months of training MT sets a 5.34 Static record and a month later dives to 51m in Constant Weights. This sets the scene for the first, ‘NO LIMITS’ course with Pipin and Audrey Mestre, where Aharon and MT Solomons, organize the first deep course. They train 7 students to qualify to dive to 65m on the sled.

1997-India and Breath-work ‘Time Out’! MT prepares for the birth of their son and they both travel to Mysore , to practice yoga under the guidance of one of India ‘s most prestigious yoga masters , For the next 7 months, between pranayama and the Tibetan traditions, they explore the more esoteric connections of breath and breath control.

1998-APNEA ACADEMY INSTRUCTORS They qualify with Umberto Pelizzari, in Sardinia in October 1998, on one of his first elite courses.

“FREEDIVERS” set up freedive education in the UK MT and Aharon Solomons are the first qualified instructors to promote British Freediving. Using the FREEDIVERS Static Apnea course methodology as a stepping-stone, the British Freediving Association ‘BFA’ is soon established by some of their first course students and later joins AIDA.

MT and Aharon JOIN Dr Paul Gabbot of Oxford University – in Project Dolphin, research into the relationship between the medio-orbital prefronatal cortex and the medula and pons, (voluntary controls of autonomic functions )

1999-2001 AIDA ***INSTRUCTORS & Continuing Education Aharon and MT spend most of their time on Greece, instructing, developing new course material and training. They travel to the Turks & Caicos Islands and later join Pipin and Audrey for their pre-record training in Miami , Florida . Guest visits for training and depth work include Tanya Streeter and the Italian team leader, Davide Carrera

They play a role in training the AIDAUK team members for the World Championships

2001-1st Freedive-Monofin Clinic Aharon & MT contact two of the leading Russian monofin coaches, Giorgi Uspensky and Natalia Chekodanova and train in Athens with them. Following this success they organize the 1 st Specialist Monofin clinic for freedivers in Paxos , Greece , with the Russian world champion SKATE team coaches, Igor Suchkov and Alexei, from the University of Tomsk , Siberia . This clinic sets the pace for, Bevan Dewar, the South African Fixed Weights record holder.

AIDA World Championships in Ibiza, 2001 In October 2001 both MT and Aharon, participated in the 3rd AIDA International World Championships in Ibiza.

2002 Baja California – Aharon and MT return to Baja to explore the meaning of living with freediving. They live in one of the most beautiful and remote desert coastal areas probably still in existence in the world today, and continue to run courses from there. During this period Aharon also conducted winter training clinics in Holland and Ireland

Establish the 1st Freedive Courses in Mexico – They teach their first Mexican students, who go on to form AIDA Mexico . “FREEDIVERS” becomes the Northern Delegation

Establish the 1st Freedive Courses in Ireland – “FREEDIVERS” education begins in Ireland in the University of Limerick and continues under the auspices of AIDA Ireland.

AIDA – British, Irish, Dutch and Mexican Team Members come to train . Freedivers’ continue to instruct all levels of Freedivers for depth training and specialist Winter Training programs, and offer Personal Training for individual and team competition members in Europe, Mexico and the United States

2004- 1st Mexican ‘AIDA’ National Open Competition’ ‘Entre Dos Mares’- Freedivers organize the 1st Mexican National Freediving competition in Cabo San Lucas, the historic location where Pipin and Audrey had met and where Pipin made his 171m ‘No Limits’ dive in memory of his late wife, Audrey Mestre

2005 The Blue Hole , New Mexico , USA – Aharon sets up a high altitude training venue in Santa Rosa , NM , and begins program for freedive education in association with Picasso America

2006 Freedivers & ProTec – Aharon & MT, and the ProTec Diving team launch a new set of specialist courses with Advanced Safety Training in Freediving as one of their objectives. They have a base in Baja as well as in Playa del Carmen and will run courses in Variable Weights, with advanced technical dive safety support.