Would you donate air to a free diver?

[miketsp]

I was just reading another thread (about military divers) and one of the posters mentioned that he gave air, at depth, to a free diver that asked for it.
Now I would be very wary of doing this as I have seen traumas caused to free divers that didn't realise the dangers of breath holding on ascent.
I certainly wouldn't donate a reg unless the free diver gave me a clear standard "short of air" or "out of air" hand signal, thus indicating at least some scuba training.
If a free diver just came up and pointed to my reg, I'd probably just point him back at the surface.

 

[Hank49]

If I did donate air to him I would ascend with him immediatley, with him breathing the whole way.

 

[Mako Mark]

There are a number of freediver fatalities of friends that have snorkled down to see (spouse/friend/parent) taken a breath and embolized on the way up. It should put up immediate red flags and warning klaxons when snorlkers approach divers underwater.

In the event of a military diver, that situation may be different, but in the few instances I have not been able to prevent a snorkler from taking a breath, I hold them down long enough to establish a normal breathing pattern. Then held on to them all the way to the surface.

 

[Gary D.]

If it was just someone that came down and asked for air NO WAY or stay with them. If you knew it was a Military Diver doing it give it to him and don't worry.

I don't know how deep they train to do it now but we did it up to 119'. It's no big deal when you are trained and know what your doing.

Gary D.

 

[mike_s]

I would say it would be dangerous to give air to a "free diver" who wasn't in trouble. The air the breathed at the surface was breathed at the pressure depth at the surface. If they dive with it and come back up, then there is no expansion of the air in their lungs greater than what they started with. If they inhaled off your regulator at depth and didn't exhale as the ascended, then the air in their lungs is now expanding as they ascend and the pressure increases. Too much pressure increase could seriousely damage their lungs.

This might not matter much to a skin diver at 10 feet, but at much deeper depths I would think that it could be fatal. Especially with rapid ascents.

As for if it's a "military diver", Gary pointed out that apparantly they train that way. I'll have to defer to him for expertise on that.

Otherwise, I'd say only in the event of an emergency should you do this and then do it ascending slowly to the surface with them. BTW... I would think this would/should "end' their free diving for the day as they've now essentially made a regular dive on the dive tables (with the ascent), even if it was just a "short" dive.

 

[dilligaf368]

I was Navy trained and We did make free dives in the Escape Tower, New London Conn. to a depth of 118'. There would be no way a free diver Passed a certain depth can take a breath of air. Yes, shallow a free diver can take a breath of compressed air but, 100' there is no way air can get into the lungs. The Throat(I can't spell the tech. name) can open to allow the air to get into the lungs. It's one of those natural things that happen to the body when submersed in water. The volume of air in the chest is displaced by blood so the lungs/chest doesn't collapse. So too the throat closes, just as Whitewater drowndings. Bluewater drowndings occurs when water enters the lungs and Whitewater is a lack of water.

My 2cents..........B------------

 

[archman]

There would be no way a free diver Passed a certain depth can take a breath of air. Yes, shallow a free diver can take a breath of compressed air but, 100' there is no way air can get into the lungs. The Throat(I can't spell the tech. name) can open to allow the air to get into the lungs.

Wow, that's good to know. I had no idea.

 

[opiniongirl]

don't think theres much else to add on this but...

one time I was conducting a night dive (vancouver, cold water) and a free diver popped down and drifted past. His face was SO white I thought he was dead, wasn't expecting it at night..

Scared the crap out of me and I still get the heebie jeebies...ugh..

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I had a free diver request air, I didn't share since I didn't know him. I pointed him to go up and of course he did.

My air, I paid for it

 

[simbrooks]

Same situation happened not so long ago at a site around here - Netdoc was approached by a free diver in 25ft of water or so. I wouldnt give off air unless they looked really panicked, and then i would go up with them holding on to them the whole way up. This would probably only be from fairly shallow depths though.