Underwater Performance with Air PADI Distinctive Specialty Course©
~The only underwater performance with supplied air course of it's kind in the world~
Learn to execute underwater performance and creative movement using mermaid, freedive and scuba skillsets while integrating compressed air with safety, individuality and artful execution.
Elevate your underwater artistry with this revolutionary underwater performance
certification course. Designed by Aqua Native owner, Ani Ostendorff, and PADI
approved, the Underwater Performance with Air Course is designed for those who have
already achieved Advanced SCUBA certification, Advanced Mermaid Certification,
and Basic Freediver certification, and are eager to merge these skills into a unique and
expressive underwater performance.
This course allows you to transform your underwater movements into a form of art.
Supplied air diving allows you to perform intricate and fluid compositions that are both
visually stunning and technically impressive. You'll harness your existing knowledge
from numerous diving disciplines to create seamless and controlled movements in
various depths. This integration not only enhances your diving proficiency but also
opens new avenues for creative expression. Utilizing compressed air enables you to
stay underwater longer, giving you the time needed to perfect your movements and
create more elaborate aquatic performances. This extended time underwater is crucial
for developing body awareness and control.
Push the boundaries of what’s possible underwater with this one-of-a-kind course
designed for committed performance divers. The course offers a rare chance to
combine diverse diving skills with underwater arts, including dance, acting, and theater,
into a cohesive and innovative practice. Beyond the technical and artistic benefits,
aquatic performance training also promotes personal growth. You'll develop greater
confidence, discipline, and a deeper connection with the underwater environment.
Learn to execute underwater performance and creative movement using mermaid, freedive and scuba skillsets while integrating compressed air with safety, individuality and artful execution.
Elevate your underwater artistry with this revolutionary underwater performance
certification course. Designed by Aqua Native owner, Ani Ostendorff, and PADI
approved, the Underwater Performance with Air Course is designed for those who have
already achieved Advanced SCUBA certification, Advanced Mermaid Certification,
and Basic Freediver certification, and are eager to merge these skills into a unique and
expressive underwater performance.
This course allows you to transform your underwater movements into a form of art.
Supplied air diving allows you to perform intricate and fluid compositions that are both
visually stunning and technically impressive. You'll harness your existing knowledge
from numerous diving disciplines to create seamless and controlled movements in
various depths. This integration not only enhances your diving proficiency but also
opens new avenues for creative expression. Utilizing compressed air enables you to
stay underwater longer, giving you the time needed to perfect your movements and
create more elaborate aquatic performances. This extended time underwater is crucial
for developing body awareness and control.
Push the boundaries of what’s possible underwater with this one-of-a-kind course
designed for committed performance divers. The course offers a rare chance to
combine diverse diving skills with underwater arts, including dance, acting, and theater,
into a cohesive and innovative practice. Beyond the technical and artistic benefits,
aquatic performance training also promotes personal growth. You'll develop greater
confidence, discipline, and a deeper connection with the underwater environment.
Course Information
- Minimum age ~ 18 yrs.
- A 5-day Certification Course
- Through classroom and in-water sessions, learn everything you need to know for safe, artful and unique underwater performance with compressed air.
- Small class sizes
Prerequisite Certifications:
Advanced Open Water Certification - or equivalent. Provide proof of 25 additional Open Water dives for qualification
Advanced Mermaid Certification- or equivalent
Basic Freediver- or equivalent
This course contains (3) in person/virtual classroom sessions with your instructor and (5) pool sessions where you learn and practice skills to plan, practice and perform underwater work with supplied air. Upon mastery of course skills you will receive an Underwater Performance with Air PADI Distinctive Specialty© certification.
REQUIRED SWIM ABILITY:
The ability to swim at least 200m/yards without swim aids or floatation devices.
The ability to back float/tread on the water's surface at least 10 minutes without sinking.
The ability to perform a dynamic apnea swim of at least 25meters/80'
STUDENT MATERIALS:
WHAT EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES TO BRING:
LOCATION: Salt Lake City, Utah
All courses require the completion of the Diver Medical Form, Assumption of Liability Form, and Safe Freediver Practices Statement of Understanding Form, before participating in a course. Freediving and Scuba diving requires a minimum level of health and fitness. Chronic health conditions, certain medications and/or recent surgery may require you to get written approval from a physician before diving.
Avoid disappointment, download and review the Diver Medical form to ensure time for completion well ahead of the course start date. Instructors, divemasters and dive shop staff are not physicians and should not be asked for medical advice; only medical professionals can give medical clearance to dive.
If course does not meet enrollment minimum, courses are subject to cancellation. Course fees cover your participation in the course, certification is not guaranteed.
REQUIRED SWIM ABILITY:
The ability to swim at least 200m/yards without swim aids or floatation devices.
The ability to back float/tread on the water's surface at least 10 minutes without sinking.
The ability to perform a dynamic apnea swim of at least 25meters/80'
STUDENT MATERIALS:
- Underwater with Air, by Ani Ferguson
WHAT EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES TO BRING:
- Air Supply Unit, available for use during course.
- 1 J-Style Freediving Snorkel
- A SECURE swimsuit for training purposes
- Towels
- 1 Pair of Freediving Long Fins OR Bifins (standard SCUBA style fins) These are available for rental if needed.
- You are welcome to bring a 3-5mm wetsuit to wear if you get cold easily, but our pool is usually warm.
- 1 Swimming / Synchro Style Nose Clip OR Sinus Saver Nose Plugs - optional.
- A notebook, water bottle, snacks, sandals, and a warm change of clothes.
LOCATION: Salt Lake City, Utah
All courses require the completion of the Diver Medical Form, Assumption of Liability Form, and Safe Freediver Practices Statement of Understanding Form, before participating in a course. Freediving and Scuba diving requires a minimum level of health and fitness. Chronic health conditions, certain medications and/or recent surgery may require you to get written approval from a physician before diving.
Avoid disappointment, download and review the Diver Medical form to ensure time for completion well ahead of the course start date. Instructors, divemasters and dive shop staff are not physicians and should not be asked for medical advice; only medical professionals can give medical clearance to dive.
If course does not meet enrollment minimum, courses are subject to cancellation. Course fees cover your participation in the course, certification is not guaranteed.
"Sometimes I see frustrated mermaids looking for the next step or certification to elevate their performance goals. If you’ve ever been mesmerized by the idea of staying longer underwater in your full water-nymph-form without the bulky breathing gear, Underwater Performance with Air is for you. It combines the best of underwater performance with technical diving in a controlled and safe environment.
Diving is a team sport, and Ani ensured my safety as a diver and learner in her underwater classroom. Her support included customized safety checks, equipment troubleshooting, and constructive creative feedback. Her expertise as a teacher and dedicated professional helped support and grow my abilities, skills, and confidence with supplied underwater air. In this class, I was challenged to build upon a repertoire of moves that we explored together before integrating them into a full performance. I learned how to safely and gracefully transition from move to move while intentionally controlling my depth, timing, and breath, allowing for an internal transformative experience as I learned to perform for an underwater audience.
As a SCUBA diver, I had never considered my body as essential technical dive equipment before. Ani’s approach combined techniques to create a new scientific art form that pushed my boundaries as a diver and as an artist. This class helped me better understand fundamental dive safety, built my body awareness, and tested my control and dive skills in creative and transformative ways.
Ani is the only teacher I would trust with a class like this. She has adapted and combined freediving, SCUBA diving, and performance techniques to create a fully aquatic and submerged art form without sacrificing the physical safety or emotional wellness of her students. As a dive professional and teacher, she shares the best of her techniques and tricks, while also allowing space for her students to experience and create their own process."
~Reilly, Underwater Performance with Air student
