NYCNaiad
Dive babble all day long
We were unaware of Shallow Water Black Out until after WW 11. The Italian fire fighters had a test that required the candidate to hold their breath for several minutes which they had to perform submerged underwater, Some had no problems - but it was noticed that those who moved - such as reaching the for the edge of the pool would often lapse in to unconsciousness -- Black out and fall back into the pool .
As the word was slowly spread we the free divers and spearfisherman began practicing no moment after a free dive except clearing the snorkel and by golly the black outs stopped
Wow! What a great bit of history. Thank you so much for sharing that. I had no idea.
We in our educated world called it Free Diving Bends but it has become known as "Taravana" translated means fall crazy.(Google it !)
The message is a diver can be bent free diving and never ever free dive after SCUBA Diving,,,,I had two friends who were both SCUBA divers as well as free diver spear fisher men free who suffered from Taravana and were treated in the then Long Beach California LBNS Chamber- it is real!
This surprised me. I didn't know it was possible for free divers to get bent! So interesting to find out. Thanks!