Freediver missing in Eagle's Nest

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We also have the almost daily stupidity of people trying to freedive from devil's ear to devil's eye:
That one at least makes some sense, in a sad way. As I wrote in a post a couple of years ago and demonstrate in a PowerPoint presentation I give on the dangers of overhead diving, someone looking at the two cave entrances from the surface would easily surmise that it is a relatively short, easy swim. They would have no idea of the true distance. Additionally, they would not be able to guess the kind of turn you have to maike to get from one to the other. In contrast, Eagles Nest looks scary as Hell.
 
Free diving to the grate seems scary to me. Holy crap what are these people thinking.

I have also seen (recently) the basin at Eagle's Nest so clear that you could see the bottom of the chimney. Of course as soon as I got to 90 vis sucked. But I could see how someone might think it was inviting. Sadly, once you're in there, the ceiling is probably 800' long x 400' wide, with a hole not any bigger than a bathtub. Trying to find that hole in a ceiling the size of a football field in reduced light/visibility on a breath hold just seems really friggin dumb.
 
Free diving to the grate seems scary to me. Holy crap what are these people thinking.

I have also seen (recently) the basin at Eagle's Nest so clear that you could see the bottom of the chimney. Of course as soon as I got to 90 vis sucked. But I could see how someone might think it was inviting. Sadly, once you're in there, the ceiling is probably 800' long x 400' wide, with a hole not any bigger than a bathtub. Trying to find that hole in a ceiling the size of a football field in reduced light/visibility on a breath hold just seems really friggin dumb.

Whenever there's a strong temperature change, like a cold snap at night, you'll get a flip-over in the basin like you're describing. Cold water is dense, like me, and settles to the bottom.

The grate thing used to be super popular, then dwindled, now it's back again. Yesterday I watched a video of a woman freediving in the ballroom and wiggling around in smallish stuff on the left side of the room (the stuff that's at 30' of depth). A few months ago I watched a couple pushing for 100' in lower orange grove too.
 
I commend his skill, and chastise his complete stupidity.
 
During the last dive, Marjane told friends he was going to attempt a max breath dive to see how long he could stay submerged.

(Providing the report is true as it reads)

In a way, he broke his record.

I wonder if the divers were entirely untrained for the environment and had no idea the dangers or if it was a case of deliberate calculated risk taking and someone miscalculated.

I enjoy freediving in overhead environments... But they make poor locations to try to set records.

I'll highlight the apparent overconfidence the buddy system provides and how insufficient a breathhold rescue can be if the conditions aren't crystal clear.

Cameron
 
20 years old! So sad! Pushing limits in a cave— wow! And he had buddies... but when you think about young guy psychology, how they might be tempted to one up each other, you gotta wonder if having buddies helped. The combination of that with freediving’s natural temptations could make a guy even more of a daredevil.

Freediving is a Siren for sure... there is something incredibly alluring about it— it calls you to go deeper and deeper, longer and longer. I am not a great freediver, but I love it. However I have not been able to find buddies, and so I break the number one rule of freediving and go alone. Yeah yeah, I know it’s wrong... what have you done wrong in your life? I’m over 50, have no dependents, and am slightly terrified of living too long anyway since I don’t drink, or smoke, I exercise, eat well, and come from long lived genes.

To limit my risk, I do short shallow dives, and I recently bought a watch with a freediving function so I would be reminded to GO BACK in time, and also to have a longer surface interval. My first LDS took me out with old school abalone divers and they did a “one up one down” buddy system, but you quickly lost sight of your buddy in the kelp. Being a buddy basically consisted of anxiously waiting on the surface hoping they’d come back. I know more now about how to rescue a freediver from the internet. It was dangerous. People died. But on my deathbed I will probably still be dreaming about that first glimpse of a giant purple anemone waving in the surge, completely indifferent to me, living in a fierce new world of beauty, mystery, and wonder.

If you want to come to Venice, Florida and freedive for shark’s teeth with me I’d still like a buddy!
 
If you want to come to Venice, Florida and freedive for shark’s teeth with me I’d still like a buddy!

Too much work. All that breath holding and surfacing is just so tiresome. LOL
 
Too much work. All that breath holding and surfacing is just so tiresome. LOL
Want to come do it on Scuba? Still would like a buddy...
 
Want to come do it on Scuba? Still would like a buddy...

Nah, that water tastes funny.
Want to come cave diving? You don't have to rinse your gear afterward.
 

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