Ya, I know that feeling. But I do remember as a kid skin diving in Oregon lakes with the YMCA groups and others (swim team) to depths of 30-40 feet. The lakes were pretty clear, and I did not have scuba gear to use. It got cold in a swim suit too, but I remember burying my arms into the lake bottom muck up to my armpits, and coming back with bottom muck to the raft we were using to get out into the lake. So even where the water is not so warm and clear, skin diving did occur.
The Mid-West and Great Lakes used to, and probably still do, have a lot of spearfishing for carp. I have a book dated from the 1950s which shows a lot of really big carp being speared (15-28.5 pound fish) by freediving techniques.
In Oregon, I regularly freedive to 20 or so feet in rivers, and in several coastal lakes (although, come to think of it, it's been over 10 years since I've done that--my time flies).
SeaRat
The Mid-West and Great Lakes used to, and probably still do, have a lot of spearfishing for carp. I have a book dated from the 1950s which shows a lot of really big carp being speared (15-28.5 pound fish) by freediving techniques.
In Oregon, I regularly freedive to 20 or so feet in rivers, and in several coastal lakes (although, come to think of it, it's been over 10 years since I've done that--my time flies).
SeaRat
