South florida boat traffic, points of view, dive flags and people

[dumpsterDiver]

Freedivers commonly are going to be using a floatline which attaches to a float. The floatline connects to the back of the speargun. Pretty impractical to have a freediver drag around a float manually and it should not be tied to a freediver... too much potential for entanglement in my opinion.

 

[Ana]

Freedivers commonly are going to be using a floatline which attaches to a float. The floatline connects to the back of the speargun. Pretty impractical to have a freediver drag around a float manually and it should not be tied to a freediver... too much potential for entanglement in my opinion.

That's what I thought.... attach to the speargun, done! but sometimes he (my son) threads a loop of the line over his body (shoulder - waist) and that's the times when I'm thinking a shackle would make it safer.

 

[Johnoly]

What Dan V described with the cave line may qualify as "weak link".

If you attached a "Limited stretch bungie" to the release pin, similar to what most of us spearo's use on our line guns, that would give enough "flex" while having an automatic release. The spearo's limited stretch bungie is a hollow bungie with an exact length of high strength Spectra cord inside and extending out both ends of the bungie. The bungie is then is Constrictor knotted on both ends. It effectively allows the bungie to stretch to the limited length of the internal spectra and no further.

Kinda like a shock absorber for the waves or current to prevent pre-mature releasing the pin. If that pin is retained then adding a simple mini breakable zip tie would work just like many do on their stringers if a shark hits it and it can break off without losing our gun. But if it's hit hard enough, the line and the pin are released and sent free. Bungie or bands come in a zillion different sizes and strengths to get what works for your flag line. It's really easy to make and Matt or FredT could do it easily for you.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

That's what I thought.... attach to the speargun, done! but sometimes he (my son) threads a loop of the line over his body (shoulder - waist) and that's the times when I'm thinking a shackle would make it safer.

I've dove with several dozen freedivers in the local area. Some of them are National champions in spearfishing and a few have represented the US in World competitions. Collectively they have many hundreds of years of experience.

I have NEVER seen "nobody" do that (loop around the body). Either he knows something nobody else does or he is being stupid.

I'm always experimenting with little things, but for the most part I have been pretty happy with finding "experts" and trying my best to emulate them, BEFORE I try to improve or change something.

He wants a floatline that is a good bit longer than the water depth and it should be of floating material and be reasonably resistant to kinking.

 

[Ana]

If you attached a "Limited stretch bungie" to the release pin, similar to what most of us spearo's use on our line guns, that would give enough "flex" while having an automatic release. The spearo's limited stretch bungie is a hollow bungie with an exact length of high strength Spectra cord inside and extending out both ends of the bungie. The bungie is then is Constrictor knotted on both ends. It effectively allows the bungie to stretch to the limited length of the internal spectra and no further.

Kinda like a shock absorber for the waves or current to prevent pre-mature releasing the pin. If that pin is retained then adding a simple mini breakable zip tie would work just like many do on their stringers if a shark hits it and it can break off without losing our gun. But if it's hit hard enough, the line and the pin are released and sent free. Bungie or bands come in a zillion different sizes and strengths to get what works for your flag line. It's really easy to make and Matt or FredT could do it easily for you.

Sounds like a very effective solution, thanks

I've dove with several dozen freedivers in the local area. Some of them are National champions in spearfishing and a few have represented the US in World competitions. Collectively they have many hundreds of years of experience.

I have NEVER seen "nobody" do that (loop around the body). Either he knows something nobody else does or he is being stupid.

I'm always experimenting with little things, but for the most part I have been pretty happy with finding "experts" and trying my best to emulate them, BEFORE I try to improve or change something.

He wants a floatline that is a good bit longer than the water depth and it should be of floating material and be reasonably resistant to kinking.

I don't think he knows something than nobody else knows, I don't think he's stupid either. He's just a young freediver learning his own ways. Soon there will be a new contraption in our garage similar to what Johnoly described, and my son will be curious about it and will decide to use it or pass on it. Whatever he chooses won't make him any brighter or stupider than any freediver in the planet.

Also for the record, I have seem other freedives towing their lines in that fashion.

I may agree with you not securing the line to myself, but it says nothing about the people that keep their lines secured to themselves. You and I are not bright and they are stupid.

Live and let live Dumpster. Your way, the champions way, or my way is not THE way. One size does not fit all.

 

[gr8jab]

Live and let live Dumpster. Your way, the champions way, or my way is not THE way. One size does not fit all.

One size does not fit all. But, repeating mistakes that others have already made (and even died from) will simply help the gene pool and accelerate evolution.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Sounds like a very effective solution, thanks





I don't think he knows something than nobody else knows, I don't think he's stupid either. He's just a young freediver learning his own ways. Soon there will be a new contraption in our garage similar to what Johnoly described, and my son will be curious about it and will decide to use it or pass on it. Whatever he chooses won't make him any brighter or stupider than any freediver in the planet.

Also for the record, I have seem other freedives towing their lines in that fashion.

I may agree with you not securing the line to myself, but it says nothing about the people that keep their lines secured to themselves. You and I are not bright and they are stupid.

Live and let live Dumpster. Your way, the champions way, or my way is not THE way. One size does not fit all.

I tend to write bluntly and I don't mind getting in an internet argument, but freediving is dangerous. Much more dangerous than scuba. Also, I don't think I am particularly bright- that is why I try to emulate the tried and true methods for quite some time, before I consider experimenting.

I've done many dozens of scuba dives while riding a scooter that was clipped off to me AND attached to a line and a surface float/marker. I've had boats get tangled in my floatline on many occasions, generally it has always been MY dive boat and they drag you along for a while and eventually get the line free. I've had situations where a boat was approaching at high speed and I unclipped and held the dive hook, so it was not attached to me as the boat passed close to me.

From my personal perspective, having a line around the body of a freediver is much more dangerous than having a floatline tethered to a scuba diver's harness/body.

The breakaway rig John suggested would be a good idea for scuba, but freediving is just too dangerous for that kind of rig - in my opinion.

Young freedivers "learning their way" are the typically thought to be at the highest risk of death from this sport. They are strong, enthusiastic, motivated, often making significant gains quickly and few have seen a black out or anyone get killed. A large majority of my freedive buddies have had or seen a black out and we all know people who died from it.

One of the "kids" from this popular youtube spearfishing channel recently died from a BO.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=youngbloods+spearfishing

 

[Ana]

Now we jumped to BO's too, well is a good thing we are no getting overly dramatic. Thanks Dumspter I shall run and warn my son about all the errors of his ways. I'll make sure to tell him than someone in the internet thinks he must be stupid, than will help him understand the urgency of the situation. Obviously with all your experience and research you have it all already figured it out, so yours is only one way to do things. What was I thinking deciding to figure things out my way and encouraging my sons to do the same? silly me.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Now we jumped to BO's too, well is a good thing we are no getting overly dramatic. Thanks Dumspter I shall run and warn my son about all the errors of his ways. I'll make sure to tell him than someone in the internet thinks he must be stupid, than will help him understand the urgency of the situation. Obviously with all your experience and research you have it all already figured it out, so yours is only one way to do things. What was I thinking deciding to figure things out my way and encouraging my sons to do the same? silly me.

Black outs happen all the time.. That is why a minor entanglement, causing even a slight delay on the bottom, could be very dangerous. I'm not trying to be dramatic at all.

In fact, my buddy told me today that a mutual acquaintance had a BO on Thursday.

I would not allow my son to pursue this activity.. and remember, I am the guy who took his 10 yr old kid scuba diving inside a wreck at 80 feet.

Take care!

 

[gr8jab]

Now we jumped to BO's too, well is a good thing we are no getting overly dramatic. Thanks Dumspter I shall run and warn my son about all the errors of his ways. I'll make sure to tell him than someone in the internet thinks he must be stupid, than will help him understand the urgency of the situation. Obviously with all your experience and research you have it all already figured it out, so yours is only one way to do things. What was I thinking deciding to figure things out my way and encouraging my sons to do the same? silly me.

Some things in life you figure out for yourself. Some things are learned from others with more knowledge.

Things that can kill, I've decided to learn from others. My children will also learn from others.