Diving Without certification...

[Thalassamania]

The British Freediving page here describes freediving as breathholding dives.

You are aware of Boyal's Law and the expansion that will take place in someone's lungs from 5m (1.5 Bar absolute) to the surface (1 Bar Absolute).

The OP could be in a position where they have nearly full lungs (breathing off an aqualung), say, 5 Lt at 15'. On the surface that will have increased to 7.5 Lt, enough to potentially burst their lungs. Without lungs we die.

When I first started diving, 30 years ago, I visited a dive club where children were allowed - even encouraged - to swim down and take a breath from their parent's DV (2m pool). The club disbanded because one of the children died playing this game.

Regards

Edward

I asked for a reference. You give me anecdotal claptrap that is off the exact point and that may or may not even be true (though I'm sure you believe it is).

Our standards are a bit higher here.

 

[Aquatic Eagle]

I think that Diving is on the safer end of the spectrum if done properly and with care/respect.

That's the key. Diving without certification would not fall under the category of "done properly and with care/respect". I'm glad you're waiting until certified.

 

[iztok]

I asked for a reference. You give me anecdotal claptrap that is off the exact point and that may or may not even be true (though I'm sure you believe it is).

Our standards are a bit higher here.

Actually he gave you some scientific info behind his claims.

 

[Thalassamania]

Actually he gave you some scientific info behind his claims.

Actually no, his claim was, "As a freediver your(sic) likely to hold your breath to the surface if something happened and there is only one outcome..." this remains a completely unsupported claim since no evidence of any sort concerning a freediver's propensity to hold his or her breath during an ESA has been brought forward.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Actually no, his claim was, "As a freediver your(sic) likely to hold your breath to the surface if something happened and there is only one outcome..." this remains a completely unsupported claim since no evidence of any sort concerning a freediver's propensity to hold his or her breath during an ESA has been brought forward.

And I'd worry considerably less about a good freediver on a not-professionally-supervised scuba dive as they are likely to be good watermen (& women!), good swimmers, not-prone-to-panic if a trickle of water gets in their mask, etc.

A good freediver has already been as deep or deeper than a Basic OW class goes, and knows they can easily reach the surface from recreational depths.... just tell them to exhale on the way up, and they are good to go.... my friends and I were all freedivers here in Hawaii prior to scuba, most of us "tried scuba" a few times prior to "formal" training, none of us embolized I guess if you have a mentor tell you "your lungs will explode and you'll suffer an agonizing death if you don't exhale on the way up!!", it is something you tend to remember that first dive

But I still urge formal scuba training to anyone who asks me, and do not usually admit to having dove before being trained myself.

The OP did say he was going to wait until he takes the class, which is the right decision.

Best wishes.

 

[Thalassamania]

I guess I look at the this whole thing with a jaundiced eye because on the continuum between a non-diver and a squared away ready-to-go diver I find that today's newly certified diver is so much closer to the non-diver that I find the conversation to more of a quibble than an inquiry.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I guess I look at the this whole thing with a jaundiced eye because on the continuum between a non-diver and a squared away ready-to-go diver I find that today's newly certified diver is so much closer to the non-diver that I find the conversation to more of a quibble than an inquiry.

Yep. Better not get started on that topic


If the OP is still reading this (I'd have run away awhile ago ): After OW, dive as much as you can, with the best divers you can find. Read everything you can get your hands on, and pursue any additional training that interests you.

But mainly just dive, and have fun!

Best wishes.

 

[vladimir]

I asked for a reference. You give me anecdotal claptrap that is off the exact point and that may or may not even be true (though I'm sure you believe it is).

Our standards are a bit higher here.

A little bit harsh, Thal, don't you think? I mean, he did give you that helpful link to Boyal's Law, and if you followed the link to the British Freediving Association page you now know that freediving entails holding your breath. Now add this terse but uncannily perceptive observation:

Without lungs we die.

Considered together, quod erat demonstrandum, I'd say!

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I'd heard of "Boy George", who I believe had a recent scrape with the "Law" in England, but was not aware of "Boy Al"... are they related? Do either of them dive?

Sorry, that wasn't very funny, but the best I could do at the end of the day....

 

[Thalassamania]

It's just more of that, "do it and you're-a-gonna die!" stuff that I find so repulsive.