Solo Diving

[FreeFloat]

I agree freefloat take a breath dive down you are now officially a freediver.

Beyond that how many freediving fatalities are related to someone who was "well within their limits" or just doing a couple laps in the pool. Everybody is different and everyday is different for everybody. That's whats so tricky about solo freediving, it's very very difficult to measure which day your at risk. At any rate, I'm not saying don't dive alone, I'm just saying beware the illusion of safety, complacency breeds accidents...

And never rely on pool lifeguards to 'watch' you during practice. There have been fatalities and near-fatalities due to the fact that not only is a pool lifeguard generally not even aware what freediving is, let alone trained to deal with it, but also he/she has to deal with watching x many other swimmers at the same time.

Karma to you too for the comment about complacency. I had as my sig line once, "Complacency kills.... Especially divers"

 

[freediver]

You are most assuredly a Freediver in that respect. All that matters is that you submerge yourself "a foot and a breath". (I looked for where I got that quote, but was unable to find the site - however some very good descriptions of freediving generally can be found QUOTE]

Freefloat, your definition, If I'm not mistaken is from Terry Maas. I'm pretty sure he said that and it sounds good to me!

 

[freediver]

And never rely on pool lifeguards to 'watch' you during practice. There have been fatalities and near-fatalities due to the fact that not only is a pool lifeguard generally not even aware what freediving is, let alone trained to deal with it, but also he/she has to deal with watching x many other swimmers at the same time.

Karma to you too for the comment about complacency. I had as my sig line once, "Complacency kills.... Especially divers"

True, but as a lifeguard instructor for the ARC I can tell you that guards are trained that anyone who is motionless (whether at the bottom or at the surface of a pool) for at least 30 seconds will be treated as a passive submerged victim. If you are doing static training in a pool be sure and let the guard know what you are doing. Also important to work with a buddy and use signals to eliminate such accidents. Fortunately, if a blackout event were to occur it would almost always occur at or near (relative term) the surface. It is near impossible to "drown" at the bottom of a pool, lake, etc...

 

[Mako Mark]

True, but as a lifeguard instructor for the ARC ................................................snip...................................................................... It is near impossible to "drown" at the bottom of a pool, lake, etc...

AY????????

You certainly dont drown sitting on the beach dude, and in my book,you can drown at the bottom, the side, or the top of a lake or pool...... (or maybe I misunderstood your post)

 

[freediver]

If you look at the physiology of drowning and breathholding for that matter, heck I even challenge you to try it, stay at the bottom of a pool and you will see what forces you to ascend is the overwhelming urge to breathe. If a person drowns by aspiration of water then they were likely incapacitated at the bottom. You cannot stay at the bottom of a pool until you pass out, you will start to ascend unless you are held down. Unfortuately, there are those who stay too long and flood the cerebral cortex with CO2 and blackout without warning. They are then discovered at the bottom of the pool, waterfront, etc...

 

[fishnchips]

Great reply holdingmybreath! Wish this board had "karma" 'cause you'd definitely get some from me. You've pretty much nailed the reasons for having a freedive buddy.

I 2nd that. Great info holdingmybreath!

 

[fishnchips]

.......
I also have done both on occasion, although I feel safer scuba diving without a buddy than freediving. I'm reasonably confident I can recover from an out of air situation by simply surfacing on scuba, I'm not as confident I can recover from a blackout on my own...

Very good point mojo. Same here, if anything happen during solo scuba, I am confident with redundant air source, or swim to surface from certain depth. For freedive solo, if a blackout happen and no one is there to help...... then that's the last dive!

Dive sefe.

 

[scubafool]

I regularily SCUBA solo in the local spring. Shallow depths, good vis, watch the newbies, watch the fish, watch the turtles, practice skills, and so on.

I have never freedove with a buddy, but believe me, that is only because I haven't been able to find someone to freedive with. Is there no one in the Central Florida area that likes to freedive?! One dive I will always remember involved my swimshorts catching on a rock as I was backing out of a tight cave. Talk about feeling all alone, WOOHOO! It wasn't deep, but it felt like 10 miles from the nearest air source!

 

[freediver]

Odd that you're in Fla and can't find a freediving buddy! Man, that's a shame.

 

[meisburger]

This is a great forum full of sane people. I dive solo on scuba all the time, in warm, clear, relatively shallow (less than forty meters) topical water and feel totally comfortable, but find freediving (always alone) a bit scary. I seldom go deeper than about thirty feet, and don't stay down long as I seldom wear weights (out of fear, I guess). But I love the freedom of free diving, and still remember how hindered I felt when I first strapped on a tank. I would try to go deeper and longer if I had a buddy, but as far as I knw freediving has not really caught on in Asia. Seems to be a Medditeranean thing, although the existence of this form seems to suggest it is catching on in the States. Cheers guys, and sorry I can't spell that European sea.

Tim