The International Association for development of Apnea (AIDA International) was born in 1992, making it the oldest and most experienced freediving federation worldwide. Our national branch AIDA Belgium is a non-profit organization founded by Jean-Pol François, Pascal Marquet, Frédéric Buyle, Patrick Musimu, Pierre Galère and Frédéric Vanderschueren in Liège on August 17th, 2000.

AIDA Belgium has a great tradition of freediving education at national and international levels thanks to Jean-Pol François who was, for instance, the AIDA International Education Officer for about 6 years achieving, among others, what nobody achieved before, the creation of handbooks for AIDA freedivers. AIDA Belgium also has a great tradition regarding competitive freediving. Indeed it organized about 30 official AIDA competitions so far, involving dozen of nationalities.