Free-diving newbie questions

[jl_va_21]

Hi,

I hadn't been doing much snorkeling since I started diving a few years ago, but on recent trip, I had a couple days in which I was not diving, but just doing some snorkeling with friends. I noticed that now that I've learned how to equalize from ears (from scuba diving) I could could much deeper (ok probably still only 10-15 ft) that I used to before I started diving. All of a sudden I could see the appeal of free diving.

Anyway, whenever I would dive down, I would try to come back up as slowly as my lack of air would allow and breath out whatever air was left, since as a diver I think about ascent rates and lungs and such.

In freediving, I realize that I am not breathing compressed gas at depth so its not as important, but I imagine there may still be some general safety rules for free diving that I'm totally ignorant of. Anyone have any general rules of thumb that I should keep in mind?

 

[Akimbo]

There is a list in this thread if you can't find a better one.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/snorkeling-freediving/339092-freediving-weight.html

 

[fdog]

As a early-stage freediver you can feel free to ascend as fast as you want. Since you haven't been breathing compressed gas, there's nothing to overpressurize.

To put this in perspective, typical freediving ascent (and descent, too) rates are 1 meter per second, a rate that would make the most liberal scuba diver blanch.

It is true that more advanced freedivers, especially ones using a monofin, can have ascent rate issues as it relates to DCS; but, as you progress to the point that this becomes an issue, you'll have learned it along the way.


...perhaps the best safety rule you can implement right now is to always freedive with a buddy. This means someone that can be in physical contact with you, when you surface.


All the best, James

 

[orfreediver]

I've been told to take out your snorkel before leaving surface and don't exhale until at surface. Snorkel out because it's a direct line to an open mouth if black out occurs and don't exhale because you can still use the O2 in that air. Also while at the surface take a break of at least double your dive time if not longer.
Now keep in mind that I am about to take my first class for freediving in September so take my info with a grain of salt, it's an intermediate but still. I would recommend to find a buddy to dive that has some knowledge of freediving, if not read up on the boards for whatever you can find.
Most importantly, don't push yourself to far, get used to what your body is telling you. As for training remember what you have spent getting into scuba and think about getting a class under your belt, it's not required but recommended. Performance Freediving has a thread at the beginning of this section look into their classes and think about it. They aren't the only ones out there though but well recommended, do some research and take one.
Don't be fooled into thinking that freediving is without risks, it does have some things to be aware of.

-Derek

 

[jl_va_21]

I guess I was thinking more about lung overexpansion. Seeing as how you are taking the breath at the surface (max volume) then I guess its fine, just wasn't sure if the compressing then reexpanding was an issue. It does not sound like it will be a big deal for me as I am certainly not doing anything very extreme. Like I said - 15 feet or so is probably about my max without a tank on my back

 

[Hank49]

I guess I was thinking more about lung overexpansion. Seeing as how you are taking the breath at the surface (max volume) then I guess its fine, just wasn't sure if the compressing then reexpanding was an issue. It does not sound like it will be a big deal for me as I am certainly not doing anything very extreme. Like I said - 15 feet or so is probably about my max without a tank on my back

One thing that hasn't been mentioned: If you've been scuba diving, avoid free diving right after. Take a long surface interval.
You can free dive first and scuba after.

 

[S. Haynie]

Ther is a great section on the physiology of freediving in "Blue Water Hunters". Our bodies are truly amazing at adapting for deep swiming.

It seems like, to the author Terry Mass, we are safest when we are really new or well seasoned. Most incidents of blackout happen to intermediate swimers who are expanding their down time and have learned to shut out the urdge to breate longer.. . too long. Or people who push to go a little further too hard and too often.
Hyperventalationg is serriously bad to do. I did this in highschool to beat my friends in breath holding competitions. I reconed that I was saturating oxygen in my blood. NOPE. I was depleating CO2, which is the trigger mechanism for breathe urdgency. Miracle i didn't black out. I could get some serious time that way.

My best however I cheated. We were all drinking in a hot tub and went under and discovered that the airjets were breathable. You couldn't see because of the mess of bubbles and my log hair. Tee Hee!

Read his book for serrious freediving tips. He talks about using silicone to fill in the absolutely un-necessary voids in the mask (he made his own). How to hold the spear gun to reduce drag and just tons of knit picky stuff to maximize your down time. the angle of your shoulders and hand position on a dive or ascent can make a difference.

He tells allot of stories in the process. In one about a narrow miss with a blackout the gun, weight belt were both discarded, and the hands were held in at the crotch with shoulders curled togeather, head positon. It's nuts.

He shares allot of stores about fatalities and near misses, from getting blind sided by shark attacks to being mesmorized watching game fish spawn and forgetting to breathe. Some of the worst were line entanglements on poorly hit fish that drug the hunter too deep to return from.

 

[JanK]

About exhailing during freediving, there's a thread on ScubaBoard in which it's stated that you should never exhale during freediving, especially around the bottom. There's quite a good explanation why exhaling can be dangerous

 

[Akimbo]

About exhailing during freediving, there's a thread on ScubaBoard in which it's stated that you should never exhale during freediving, especially around the bottom. There's quite a good explanation why exhaling can be dangerous

The idea in freediving is to exhale 3-6' below the surface as you have a lot of momentum and most of your buoyancy so you can inhale as you break the surface. Of course, you must also have the snorkel out of your mouth. The technique is taught in intermediate freediving classes, but should not be done until you have enough experience to reliably judge proximity to the surface.

 

[S. Haynie]

Just read "The Manual of Free Diving" - - forget the author. Excellent read. All questions will be answered.

Don't buy it if you aren't certain. Go to the library and request that they get it for you. It's called the Ineter Library Loan network. It will cost you about $1.00 If you like then buy it.