Diving response or survival response? Is a freediver fitter?

[ADR]

Thanks Eric, I gather that the non-use of "dive response" relates to the lack of a dive...is that right?

[perow1]

I can see that most of you belive that a freediver would be fitter in accident situations. My question though is about extreme situations where you are trapped for an extreme time. It is generally not belived that a human beeing can stay alive for close to one hour without oxygen and in most cases people die. Still I have heard reports (maybe just well established rummors or something like that) about people surviving for a very long time.

I agree that a blackout is just one step towards loosing your body functions and eventually death. Still I belive (but i have no facts) that a "blacked out body" consumes much less oxygen than a body with a concious mind. What I speculate about is if a person blacks out about the same time as the oxygen saving response kicks in the oxygen consumption might be least. A chilled and almost dead body must have a very low meabolism and (if lucky) might be able to be brought "back to life". Maybe the question is; Will a freediver black out in a later stage than an untrained person?

A freediver however will be used to low oxygen levels/high CO2 levels and may stay concious for a longer time and in the extreme situation when the oxygen will be wasted to stay concious and healthy.

Perhaps in a extreme situation you cannot predict anything and you have to rely on luck.