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Earn Your Freediving, Scuba and Sailing Certifications with FCOA

Freediving Certification flow chart

How to request a certificate / Certification flowchart

    After you complete a lesson or program you can digitally request an FCOA certificate from your coach. THIS IS AT NO COST WHEN DONE ON THE COMPLETION DAY. At a later date your coach may charge a certifcation fee.

    How to request a certificate:

    1. Create an account on FCOA.online
    2. Complete your profile with a profile picture and a picture of your government ID.
    3. Go to "My Certificates" select the certificate you are after and select your coach to approve it. 
    4. Once approved you can download the certificate as a PDF file. 


    THE CURRENT FCOA FREEDIVING CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE ARE:
    FCOA SWIMMER 200m
    FCOA FREEDIVER
    FCOA SAFETY DIVER
    FCOA FREEDIVING COACH
    FCOA ADVANCED FREEDIVER
    FCOA FREEDIVING LEAD COACH
    FCOA FREEDIVING INSTRUCTOR
    FCOA MASTER FREEDIVER
    FCOA FREEDIVING MASTER COACH
    FCOA INSTRUCTOR TRAINER
    FCOA JUDGE
    FCOA SWIM COACH
    FCOA LIFEGUARD

    SCUBA
    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA OPEN WATER
    FCOA/CMAS NITROX
    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA ADVANCED
    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA RESCUE
    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA DIVEMASTER
    FCOA INDEPENDENT DIVER
    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA INSTRUCTOR
    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA ADVANCED INSTRUCTOR
    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA INSRUCTOR TRAINER
    FCOA OXYGEN PROVIDER
    FCOA GASS BLENDER
    FCOA (IWR) IN WATER RECOMPRESSION TRAINING

    SAILING
    FCOA SOLO SAILOR
    FCOA SAILING INSTRUCTOR
    FCOA Coxswain
    FCOA DINGY MASTER
    FCOA FIRE FIGHTER
    FCOA YACHT MASTER 

    CLIMBING
    FCOA Improvised Climber
    FCOA TOPROPE CLIMBER
    FCOA LEAD CLIMBER
    FCOA RESCUE CLIMBER
    FCOA CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR


    FCOA FREEDIVING CERTIFICATES


    FCOA SWIMMER 200m
    This certificate is available for any person who can swim 200 meters with no equipment in a repeatable fashion without standing up or holding on. This certificate can get approved by any FCOA COACH IN TRAINING

    FCOA FREEDIVER
    An FCOA member who 

    1. Passed the 200 M swim test   
    2. Complete FCOA lesson 1 till 4 as outlined in the FCOA FULL TRAINING MANUAL 
    3. Personal best records on STA, DNF, CNF, and CWT

    This certificate can get approved by any FCOA COACH

    FCOA SAFETY FREEDIVER
    An FCOA FREEDIVER who

    1. followed lesson 1 till 6
    2. STA > 2min
    3. CWT > 12m 
    4. RSC > 10 m in a repeatable fashion.

    This certificate can get given out by any FCOA LEAD COACH.

    FCOA COACH IN TRAINING
    An FCOA FREEDIVER who

    1. Completed FCOA video quiz 1 till 5B
    2. Teaches under the supervision 
    3. Follows the FCOA Full training manual

    This rating gets automatically generated once a FCOA FREEDIVER completes FCOA lesson 5

    FCOA FREEDIVING COACH
    This is a FCOA freediver who has

    1. followed lesson 1 till 5 
    2. Completed all quizzes 1 till 5 
    3. able to independently conduct lesson 1 till 4.
    4. able to respond to a panicked swimmer in deep water and
    5. able to swim 50 meters with the head out of the water while holding a conversation.
    6. Passed the Oral exam

    This certificate can get approved by any FCOA LEAD COACH

    FCOA ADVANCED FREEDIVER
    An FCOA freediver that has

    1. followed lesson 1 till 7
    2. STA > 2'30"
    3. DYN > 50m
    4. DNF > 35m
    5. CWT > 24m
    6. CNF >15 m

    this certificate can get approved by any FCOA LEAD COACH. 

    FCOA FREEDIVING LEAD COACH
    This is an FCOA COACH who has

    1. at least certified 5 FCOA FREEDIVERS,
    2. able to independently conduct lesson 1 till 10.
    3. Passed the oral lead coach exam

    This certificate can get approved by any FCOA MASTER COACH

    FCOA FREEDIVING INSTRUCTOR 
    A LEAD COACH who has accomplished the following minimums:

    1. STA > 2'30"
    2. CWT >32 m
    3. CNF > 15 m
    4. DNF > 50 m
    5. RSC> 20 m.

    This certificate can get approved by any FCOA INSTRUCTOR TRAINER.

    FCOA MASTER FREEDIVER
    This is an FCOA FREEDIVER who has followed FCOA lesson 1 till 9 and who has accomplished the following minimums: 

    1. STA > 3'30"
    2. DYN > 75m
    3. DNF > 50 m
    4. CWT > 34m
    5. CNF > 25m
    6. RSC > 20m

    This certificate can get approved by any FCOA LEAD COACH

    FCOA MASTER COACH
    This is a FCOA LEAD COACH who has 

    1. Certified 5 FCOA COACHES
    2. passed the oral FCOA Master Coach exam. 
    3. been a FCOA member for 1 year. 

    This certificate can get approved by FCOA ADMIN 

    FCOA INSTRUCTOR TRAINER
    This is an FCOA MASTER COACH who has accomplished the following minimums. 

    1. CWT > 40 m
    2. STA > 5 minutes
    3. RSC > 20 m
    4. CNF > 35 m
    5. VWT > 40 m
    6. DNF > 75 m

    This certificate can only get approved by  FCOA ADMIN

    FCOA JUDGE
    This is an FCOA coach who;

    1. has been a member for at least 1 year, 
    2. who has 3-character witnesses,
    3. who has undergone an FCOA judge development session.

    His/her first 10 judgements will be under supervision before becoming an independent Judge. This certificate can get approved by FCOA ADMIN

    FCOA SWIM COACH
    This is an FCOA COACH who under supervision has taught swimming and now is able to teach a non-swimmer till a point that they can swim 200 meters. This certificate can get given out by the any FCOA COACH. 

    FCOA LIFEGUARD 
    This is an FCOA FREEDIVER who has

    1. followed lesson 1 till 8 and who has
    2. completed the FCOA lifeguard quiz
    3. passed the oral FCOA lifeguard exam and stamina test. 

    This certificate can get given out by any FCOA LEAD COACH




    SAILING

    FCOA DIVE & SAIL

    A one-day program available for those that passed the 200 m swim. 

    FCOA SOLO SAILOR
    this is an FCOA FREEDIVER who also:

    1. Completed FCOA quiz 1 till 5
    2. Completed FCOA Improvised climbing
    3. Completed the FCOA solo sailor quiz and oral exam
    4. Sailed 10 hours solo


    FCOA Radio Operator
    A member that completed the Radio quiz and oral exam

    FCOA SAILING INSTRUCTOR
    An FCOA Lead Coach who also 

    1. Is an FCOA SOLO SAILOR
    2. Is an FCOA Lifeguard
    3. Logged 30 teaching hours
    4. completed the FCOA radio quiz 
    5. completed the Sailing Instructor quiz and oral exam. 



    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA PROGRAM

    The FCOA SCUBA PROGRAM is exclusively designed for FCOA COACH members. It makes a lot of sense to learn freediving before scuba, this adds to safety and assures you start your scuba adventure with confidence. For any level of FCOA SCUBA certificate you can also obtain the equivalent CMAS certificate for an additional 2000 php per certificate. FCOA also offers the SCUBA program as a Remote Verification Training (RVT).

    FCOA/ CMAS SCUBA OPEN WATER
    This is an FCOA COACH who has completed the:
    1. FCOA lesson 1 till 8.
    2. Mastered the FCOA mask Challenge
    3. Passed the Scuba exam
    4. Has a minimum of 4 logged Open Water Dives

    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA ADVANCED
    This is an FCOA Open Water diver who did 5 additional experience dives and now has a minimum of 9 logged Open Water dives.

    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA RESCUE
    This is an Advanced Scuba diver who completed his rescue training and has a minimum of 20 dives

    FCOA INDEPENDENT DIVER
    This is a Resue diver with at least 100 dives, trained to dive independent at minimum risk. 

    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA DIVEMASTER
    This is an FCOA SCUBA RESCUE DIVER who completes his SCUBA DIVE MASTER TRAINING with a minimum of 60 dives, able to teach the introduction to scuba diving by himself and able to lead groups of scuba divers.

    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA INSTRUCTOR
    This is a FCOA SCUBA DIVEMASTER who completed his instructor training with a minimum of 100 dives, able to conduct FCOA SCUBA OPEN WATER COURSES independently.

    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA ADVANCED INSTRUCTOR
    This is an FCOA SCUBA INSTRUCTOR who also completed his/her training to conduct the advanced SCUBA courses. He/She has certified at least 10 Scuba divers and can conduct Advanced, Rescue and Divemaster courses independently.

    FCOA/CMAS SCUBA INSTRUCTOR TRAINER
    This is an FCOA SCUBA ADVANCED INSTRUCTOR who has completed his/her INSTRUCTOR TRAINER course, he/she has trained at least 2 Instructors and can further train instructors independently.

    FCOA OXYGEN PROVIDER
    A person who has been trained to provide emergency oxygen

    FCOA GAS BLENDER
    A diver who has been trained in blending gasses. 

    FCOA (IWR) IN WATER RECOMPRESSION TRAINING
    A diver who has completed the IWR exam and who has undergone a 90 min simulated IWR dive. 



    FCOA SAIL TRAINING

    FCOA DIVE & SAIL

    A one-day program available for those that passed the 200 m swim. 

    FCOA SOLO SAILOR
    This is an FCOA FREEDIVER who has attended FCOA lesson 1 till 8 and has passed the FCOA SOLO SAILOR oral exam and has logged a minimum of 10 solo sailing hours.

    FCOA Radio Operator
    A member that completed the Radio quiz and oral exam

    FCOA SAILING INSTRUCTOR

    1. An FCOA Lead Coach who also is an
    2. FCOA SOLO SAILOR, an
    3. FCOA Lifeguard, who has
    4. Logged 30 supervised sail teaching hours
    5. completed the FCOA radio quiz and who
    6. completed the Sailing Instructor quiz and oral exam.


    FCOA Coxswain

    This is an FCOA FREEDIVER who has attended FCOA lesson 1 till 8 and has passed the FCOA Coxswain oral exam and has logged a minimum of 1 hours in an engine operated boat.    

    FCOA DINGY MASTER
    An FCOA sailor who has also completed this master program.

    FCOA FIRE FIGHTER
    A course that can save lives in case of a fire. This course has no

    prerequisites. Anyone can join. 

    FCOA YACHT MASTER
     


    FCOA CLIMB TRAINING

    FCOA Improvised Climber
    A Climber who

    1. Followed our 1-day course that prepares members to use ropes during emergencies. 

    2. Completed the Improvised climber quiz. This is a certificate of attendance that can get approved by any proficient coach.

    FCOA TOP ROPE CLIMBER
    This is improvised climber who

    1. can make all the needed knots with eyes closed
    2. can switch from prusik to self belay without slipping
    3. did FCOA lesson 5: Coach training
    4. gave 5 Improvised climb trainings under supervision
    5. passed the top rope climber assessment.

    This is a certificate of completion that can get approved by a FCOA CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR

    FCOA LEAD CLIMBER
    This is a certified FCOA TOP ROPE CLIMBER who

    1. Passed the Lead Climber assessment.
    2. Participated in the training of two top rope climbers on different dates

    This is a certificate of completion that can get approved by a FCOA Climbing Instructor

    FCOA RESCUE CLIMBER
    This is a certified FCOA LEAD CLIMBER who

    1. did FCOA lesson 5 B "Medic First AID"
    2. did FCOA lesson 8 "Lost in the Jungle"
    3. did FCOA Radio operator
    4. Participated in teaching 2 lead climbers on different dates

    This is a certificate of completion that can get approved by a FCOA Climbing Instructor.

    FCOA CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR
    This is a certified FCOA RESCUE CLIMBER who

    1. did FCOA lesson 10 "Lead Coach Training" 
    2. did participate in teaching 2 FCOA Rescue Climbers on different dates. 

    This is a certificate of completion that can get approved by a FCOA ADMIN


    FCOA DEFINITIONS

    Bare minimum requirements: (In purple in the Manual) This are the minimum requirements needed for a member to reach a certain level. Coaches are encouraged to first make sure bare minimums requirements are met, before isolating certain skills for further development and before the touring part of a dive. If the bare minimum requirements are not met, then the relevant certificate cannot yet get approved. Here you can find them listed. the most up to date bear minimun requirements can be found on the bottom of the relevant quiz lesson on digital training

    Competent safety diver: A safety diver who has appropriately responded to at least 3 of your unannounced simulated blackouts in the last year. Trust has to get earned, you have to form a bond between you and your safety diver. We do so by faking unannounced blackouts. To consider someone as your competent safety diver you must personally experience that they respond appropriately. The fact that a diver says to be experienced or certified does not automatically mean they are competent: We don’t know the quality of their training and their recency.

    Deep water: Water deeper than chest level

    Deep water skill requirements of FCOA: The ability to swim 200 meters without equipment, without interruption and without standing up. And the ability to remove and replace any equipment like mask fins and snorkel while in the survival float with minimum movements in a repeatable fashion.

    Down Current: the area where the current pushes you, away from your intended dive spot, this is considered a higher risk zone because if you cramp out the current will push you away from your intended dive location.

    Drift correction: an angular correction made into the direction of the current to avoid drifting off course.

    Gap: The difference between what we say and what we do

    Grouper call: A throat sound used for communication underwater without expelling air

    Non-Swimmer: A person that has not yet met the FCOA Deep Water Skill requirements

    Shallow water: water not deeper than chest level

    Solo diver: A diver who dives by himself or who dives without specifically agreeing with a competent safety diver to be looked after during the entirety of a particular breath-hold dive.

    Sterile Cockpit Rule: A concept from aviation where unnecessary small talk is avoided to maintain focus and alertness during critical tasks.

    Remote Verification Training: A system allowing distance learners to progress by submitting homework and performance videos for assessment.

    Up current: the area where the current will push you to your intended dive spot or exit point, this is considered a safe zone, because if you cramp out at least you will get pushed to your dive spot or exit point.

    Abbreviations

    Freediving abbreviations for different disaplines.

    RESCUE FROM DEPTH (RSC)
    Rescue practice from a specific depth to pass for certain certifications

    STATIC APNEA (STA)
    Holding your breath as long as possible with the face in the water

    CONSTANT WEIGHT (CWT)
    Diving as deep as possible on a single breath with the use of fins, only allowed to use the rope one time when turning.

    CONSTANT WEIGHT NO FINS (CNF)
    Diving as deep as possible on a single breath without the use of fins, only allowed to use the rope one time when turning around.

    FREE IMMERSION (FIM)
    Diving as deep as possible with the help of a dive line on a single breath

    DYNAMIC (DYN)Swimming as far as possible under water on a single breath with the use of fins.

    DYNAMIC NO FINS (DNF)
    Swimming as far as possible under water on a single breath without the use of fins

    VARIABLE WEIGHT (VWT)
    Diving as deep as possible on a single breath while being allowed to change the amount of weight used during descent and ascent. This means that the divers can use a sled to descend, and then ascend to the surface with the aid of a monofin, bi-fins, or by using upper body strength to pull themselves up the rope

    NO LIMITIS (NLT)
    Diving as deep as possible on a single breath while using a weighted sled for the descent and a buoyancy device for the ascent. This is the deepest and most dangerous discipline in freediving.

    The FCOA Certification system explained

    All our courses start with learning to swim and freedive.

    We encourage FCOA Scuba students to first become FCOA freedivers before continuing with scuba. You cannot get certified as an FCOA SCUBA DIVER without having been certified as an FCOA FREEDIVER.

    We encourage FCOA sailing students to first become FCOA freedivers before continuing sail training. You cannot get certified as an FCOA SOLO SAILOR without having been certified as an FCOA FREEDIVER.

    We encourage members to stay in chest-deep water until they have mastered the 200-meter uninterrupted swim.

    To become an FCOA FREEDIVER, you have to complete FCOA lessons 1 through 4, and you have to pass the 200-meter swim. There is no depth requirement to become an FCOA FREEDIVER. Your member profile will show your

    personal best records in different disciplines. 

    The first 4 lessons are designed in such a way that they can be conducted either in chest-deep or deep water. So, if you're still working on mastering the 200-meter swim, this should not stop you from also taking FCOA lessons 1 trough 4. For non-swimmers, we recommend only taking one lesson per day to ensure proper retention.

    For those that already have some freediving or scuba experience, we often combine lessons 1 and 2 and the 200-meter swim on the first day, and lessons 3 and 4 on the second day.

    The 200-meter FCOA SWIMMER is a certificate of completion. Certificates of completion are printed in UPPERCASE LETTERS.

    FCOA lessons 1 to 4 come with a certificate of attendance. Certificates of attendance are printed in lowercase letters.

    FCOA lessons 5A and B are for coach training. Once that is completed, the diver gets rated as a Coach in Training (CIT). As a CIT, you start participating in teaching under the supervision of a lead coach. For every topic you teach, you should get prepared by a whisperer. A whisperer is either a lead coach or a person assigned by your lead coach to prepare you for your teaching topic by conducting a 3-part role-play. After that, the whisperer is present during your teaching to whisper in your ear when you have questions or to remind you of what is next.

    The whisperer/lead coach has the final responsibility to ensure that the lesson gets conducted according to FCOA standards. But if the CIT does a good job, the student might not notice this. The CIT should get so well prepared that he can teach the topic with no help from the whisperer. If the whisperer feels the need to correct or interrupt, then that means he did not properly prepare the CIT.

    When a CIT manages to give a complete lesson without needing corrections and reminders, then the student should request the certificate of attendance from the CIT so that the CIT earns the required teaching credits. CITs can only approve certificates with the blessing of their lead coach.

    Once a CIT has approved the certificates for FCOA lessons 1 to 4 and the 200m swim, he may request the FCOA FREEDIVING COACH rating from his lead coach. As an FCOA FREEDIVING COACH, he can now independently teach all the lessons up to the FCOA FREEDIVER level.

    To become a lead coach, you must have certified FCOA lessons 1 through 10. Lessons 5 to 10 you will teach as a CIT under the supervision of a lead coach. And you must have certified 5 FCOA FREEDIVERS. As a lead coach, you can independently train and certify FCOA COACHES.

    The only difference between an FCOA LEAD COACH and an FCOA INSTRUCTOR is that for the instructor rating, you have to meet stamina requirements.

    To become an FCOA MASTER COACH, you must have certified at least 5 FCOA COACHES, and you must have approved at least 2 certificates of attendance for each lesson from 5 to 10. As an FCOA MASTER COACH, you can independently train and certify FCOA LEAD COACHES. The only difference between an FCOA MASTER COACH and an FCOA FREEDIVING INSTRUCTOR TRAINER is the fact that as an instructor you have to meet stamina requirements.

    As an FCOA FREEDIVER, you can start and complete SCUBA and SAIL certification courses. As an FCOA LEAD COACH, you can complete FCOA SCUBA DIVEMASTER AND INSTRUCTOR certification courses.

    If it's your intention to become a SCUBA OR SAILING INSTRUCTOR, you will first learn to teach in the freediving system before you start teaching SCUBA AND SAILING. The advantage of this approach is that the teaching gets practiced in a safe environment since there are fewer risks involved with freediving than with sailing and scuba. Another advantage of this is that for teaching freediving very little equipment is needed, so it's easy to organize with minimal overhead costs.

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