3rd Fabiolous Competition

AIDA Depth Competition for

Beginners & Advanced Freedivers

July 23–25, 2027 · Lake Apostelsee · AIDA Competition

More Than Just a Competition

The Fabiolous Competition was created to give freedivers a safe, professional and encouraging introduction to the world of competitive freediving – regardless of their current performance level.

The focus isn't on records or rankings, but on personal development, thorough preparation and mutual respect – both in the water and on the surface.

Teilnehmer:innen der Fabiolous Competition beim Freediving Festival – Community, Sicherheit und gemeinsamer Wettkampferlebnis im Fokus

Safety First

A professional setup, experienced safety divers and clear procedures create an environment where athletes can focus entirely on their dives.

Personal Development

It's not about who dives the deepest, but about your individual progress. The competition is designed to put learning, experience and self-confidence first.

Community & Respect

The Fabiolous Competition is built on mutual support, fairness and genuine team spirit – in the water, on the surface and beyond.

These values form the foundation of the Fabiolous Competition – everything else is built around them.

Fabiolous Competition – Event Details

Competition Type:

AIDA Depth Competition (Mixed Competition)

Date:

23 – 25 July 2027

Location:

Apostelsee, Ettenheim (Black Forest, Germany)

Maximum Depth:

40 metres

Disciplines:

CNF · CWT · CWTB · FIM · STA

Organized by:

Fabiolous Freediving & Black Sam Bellamy Dive Resort

Participant Limit:

Maximum 40 athletes

Entry Fee:

€220 per athlete

Requirement:

Active AIDA National Membership

You'll find further details about the disciplines, competition schedule, scoring and safety below on this page.

Freediverin feiert erfolgreiches Auftauchen bei der Fabiolous Competition nach einem Wettkampftauchgang

Accommodation & Dining

There are plenty of accommodation options, restaurants and shops in the area surrounding Apostelsee.

You can also camp directly at the competition venue, with limited spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis.

You'll find full details about accommodation, food and local facilities on the Freediving Festival Week page.

Explore the Freediving Festival Week →

Competition Format & Disciplines

The Fabiolous Competition is a structured AIDA depth competition. Athletes can choose one discipline per competition day, with a maximum of three starts across the weekend.

Depth Disciplines:

CWT – Constant Weight with Monofin

CWTB – Constant Weight with Bi-Fins

FIM – Free Immersion

CNF – Constant Weight No Fins

Static Apnea:

STA – Static Apnea

The static part takes place on Sunday in the confined water near the shore and counts for the overall ranking.

Scoring & Rankings

For the overall ranking, each athlete's best result in each discipline across all competition days counts towards their total score. The disciplines are weighted differently to fairly reflect their respective difficulty.

Discipline Weighting:

CNF = x 1.0

CWTB = x 0.9

FIM = x 0.8

CWT = x 0.7

STA:

1 second = 0.2 points

Example Overall Score:

30 m CNF = 30 points

40 m FIM = 32 points

3:00 min STA = 36 points

Total: 98 points

Note: This internal scoring system is used exclusively for awarding prizes and has no impact on the official AIDA International Ranking.

Competition Schedule & Timeline

Competition Days & Organization

The competition takes place from Friday to Sunday. The depth disciplines will be held on Friday and Saturday, with static apnea taking place near the shore on Sunday.

First Official Top (OT): approx. 09:00

Last OT: approx. 14:30

(depending on the number of athletes)

Athletes must check in at least 60 minutes before their scheduled OT. Warm-up buoys will be available starting 45 minutes before OT.

Announced Performances (AP)

AP Deadlines:

Friday: Thursday, 22 July – 15:30

Saturday: Friday, 23 July – 16:00

Sunday: Saturday, 24 July – 16:00

The starting order progresses from shallower to deeper dives and then back to shallower dives to ensure a safe and fair competition for all athletes.

Safety & Medical Support

In-Water Safety Setup

The safety team consists of certified freediving instructors and experienced competition safety divers. Every competition day follows a clearly defined safety protocol.

Thanks to the conditions at Apostelsee, evacuation routes are short and efficient. A rescue boat is on standby to bring athletes safely and quickly to shore if needed.

Medical Support

An experienced diving medicine physician will be on site throughout the competition. Emergency oxygen and medical equipment will be available at all times.

Local emergency services will be informed in advance, and a designated handover point for medical emergencies will be established.

Nearest medical facilities: Lahr (15 km) · Emmendingen (26 km) · Hyperbaric Chamber Freiburg (35 km)

Judges & Competition Team

Judges & Jury

Competition dives are evaluated by experienced AIDA judges. Clear procedures, transparent decisions and fair judging are at the heart of the competition.

Main Judge:

Daniel Schönenberg

Jury Members:

Monika Hopf

Jan Buchmann

Riccardo Buffoli

Safety & Organization

The competition team consists of experienced competition safety divers, organizers and support staff who ensure that everything runs smoothly throughout all competition days.

Performance Safetys:

Stefan Randig

Martin Wagner

Benjamin Schumann

Warm-Up Safetys:

To be announced on site

Judge überwacht Athletin beim Auftauchen während der Fabiolous Freediving Competition am Apostelsee

Lake Apostelsee – Best Conditions for Your First Freediving Competition

Lake Apostelsee in Germany's Ortenau region is one of the country's best lakes for depth freediving. With good visibility, stable conditions and a maximum depth of over 40 metres, it provides an ideal environment for a safe and focused competition.

The thermoclines remain relatively consistent at around 10, 20 and 30 metres. Even at a depth of 40 metres, visibility remains comparatively good – a major advantage for athletes, safety divers and judges alike.

In summer, surface temperatures reach a pleasant 24–26°C. This allows for relaxed breath-ups before descending into the cooler depths – ideal for maintaining consistent performance across multiple competition days.

A competition venue that brings together safety, excellent conditions and personal development – both underwater and at the surface.

Wettkampf-Setup der Fabiolous Competition am Apostelsee mit Plattform und Leine für Tieftauchdisziplinen

Participation & Registration

The Fabiolous Competition welcomes freedivers who want to experience a professionally organized, safe and supportive competition – whether it's their first competition or one of many.

Requirements

– Valid AIDA National Membership

– Medical certificate (issued within the last 12 months)

– Minimum age in accordance with AIDA regulations

– Participation at your own responsibility

Registration & Process

Registration takes place through the AIDA International platform and by email to Fabiolous Freediving. Your competition spot is only confirmed once payment has been received.

Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.