Dahab has a reputation as one of the cheapest places on earth to learn freediving — which is true, but “cheap” covers a wider range than most people expect before they start comparing schools.
What you’ll actually pay, by level
AIDA 1, the one-day taster course, typically runs €100–150. It’s the cheapest entry point and the right call if you just want to try freediving before committing to anything longer.
AIDA 2 — the course that actually certifies you to freedive with a buddy anywhere in the world — is where prices spread out the most: anywhere from €250 to €370, depending on the school, group size, and how much one-on-one time you get with the instructor.
AIDA 3 (3-4 days, more depth, advanced equalization) usually lands a bit higher than AIDA 2, typically €380–430.
Already certified and just want to train? Coaching is priced by session or by week: a single session runs €35–60, and a full week of water training (5 days) usually falls between €200–300.
The extra cost nobody mentions upfront
If any of your sessions happen at the Blue Hole — which they probably will, it’s the go-to training site — you’ll need to budget for the National Park entrance fee, roughly $20 per visit. This is almost never included in the course price. Ask about it before you book; it’s the line item that catches most people off guard.
What a fair price should include
A properly run course shouldn’t add extra charges for:
- Freediving equipment (fins, mask, wetsuit)
- Course materials and the certification exam
- The certification fee itself (agencies like AIDA charge schools for each certification issued — some pass that cost to you as a separate line item, so ask whether it’s already baked in)
If a quote is missing one of these, it’s not automatically a bad deal — but it should come in cheaper than a quote that includes everything.
Why the cheapest option isn’t always the best one
In freediving more than almost any other sport, the number that actually matters isn’t the price tag — it’s the instructor-to-student ratio. A course with four students and one instructor costs less, but you get a fraction of the real attention per person, and in a sport where safety depends on someone watching you closely on every single dive, that trade-off is worth thinking about.
Before choosing on price alone, ask: how many students per instructor? What language is the course taught in? Has the instructor actually spent real time training in Dahab specifically — the Blue Hole’s conditions aren’t quite like anywhere else?
At Makara
Here’s where we land: AIDA 2 is €350 (3 days — 3 theory sessions, 3 water sessions, and a static session), AIDA 3 is €400, and the one-day AIDA 1 taster is €120. Coaching for certified freedivers starts at €45 for a single session, up to €270 for a full week. The Blue Hole entrance fee ($20) is separate, same as everywhere else in Dahab.
If you’re not sure which level fits you, or how the pricing lines up with your travel dates, get in touch — happy to talk it through, no pressure.