Dangers of free diving?

[Mr. X]

Please don't forget to post this thread (or PM me) if you come across interesting free diving related conditions, issues, injuries, risks, dangers, etc.. The master list is now an amazing 42 entries long [ makes you think - gulp!]...but new issues still keep cropping up, so I am sure there are more. Let's share the knowledge and make this the definitive list for free diving.

[nomad1966]

hey Ive a bit of a problem , although I found a way around it, I had a mastoid operation ( bony section at the rear of the ear) when I was a teen and was told never to dive in any way . Life deals you sad cards now and then,I allways tried in vain to keep the ears completely dry with very limited success but not to be beaten I purchased a new mask recently thats changed my world for the better. IST pro ear ( dry cups over the ears seals the ears connected to mask via one way tubes and lets you equalize ok), yes I know all the blarb but I cant keep out of the water. its been a life long thing...all my doctor said keep the ear dry so thats what I do. I dont need to equilize my right ear as there is no ear drum in it( I can blow air from it) hence keep dry, I can deal with the left ear no problem(normal). The mask I use my not be low volume but it lets me get into the water...full stop and works great down to my limit right now 8 meters.
I can cope with this for I love the sea and hey if ya dont follow you heart your brain will stop...god help me when they no longer produce the mask...I will just have to purchase a good supply for storage..thats life

so the rest I can deal with without thought..erm maybe the blackout bit is a bit scary.. never say never...

[Mr. X]

Checkout this link: http://www.freediver.net/freedivelis...ial/south.html

[Akoni]

The dangers of Freediving, I found a video on Freediving.at with one of the dangers of Freediving:

http://www.freediving.at/downloads/freitauchen.mpg

[Akoni]

the video works now

[naiad]

Another risk of pool training - getting jumped on/kicked/stood on/trapped underwater by other pool users, almost always not freedivers. Maybe I become invisible when I hold my breath.

Also the risk of underwater fights, maybe caused by the above.

I avoid crowded public pool sessions now!

Lucia

[Morg]

Originally Posted by naiad

Another risk of pool training - getting jumped on/kicked/stood on/trapped underwater by other pool users, almost always not freedivers. Maybe I become invisible when I hold my breath.

Also the risk of underwater fights, maybe caused by the above.

I avoid crowded public pool sessions now!

Lucia

I just did that last night. My buddy and I pulled into the parking lot and noticed it was quite full so we just left.

The pool itself is very crappy. You have to walk in a stairway to get to the change rooms . Also the pool is only 6'2 feet deep

$10 Canadian to use it for a day as well

[Erik]

One more: tastes of enlightenment, leading to enthusiastic pro-active spiritual seeking at the expense of all other 3 dimensional pursuits
Peace,
Erik Y.

[Mr. X]

Uh..yeah, right Erik

Not exactly the most serious danger discussed but...

Anybody out there got a vertical split in the toe nail of their largest toe?

A fellow spearo told me about & showed me his split toe nail, warning one should wear booties otherwise finning will split one's big toe nail. Well, I already do wear booties but I too have a vertical split in my big toe nail - which I showed him, snap - exact match! I had not associated the split with diving prior to that. Not sure what the fix is -- superglue did not work for me!

[I have updated the Master List on Page 1 of this thread]

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by SanSan

I rememberd another. Decompresion sicknes (DCS).

Can freedivers suffer from DCS/bends? It sounds like it is an issue for scuba divers -- can freedivers get it too?

e.g. [ref to above link]

"Decompression sickness, also called the bends, is caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the bloodstream and tissues of the body. The bubbles occur if you move from deep water towards the surface (where the surrounding pressure is lower) in too short a space of time...During a dive, large amounts of nitrogen are taken into the body's tissues. This is because the diver is breathing air at a higher pressure than if they were at the surface."

[Seems like Nitrogen_narcosis is considered an entirely different problem.]

[Shadowkiller]

Yep, freedivers can get DCS.

Benjamin Franz was crippled by it, although I think he's recovered now.

Ed Hayman (South African) got the bends while spearfishing.

[Mr. X]

Akoni started this great new thread for beginners: http://forums.deeperblue.net/forum60...l?=#post582365

[Mr. X]

I've update the master list to include "Surfer's Ear". There are numerous discussions of this condition on the forum, suggesting it might be quite common, including a recent discussion on the Devon 2006 thread. Obviously ear problems are of particular concern to divers, because of issues with pressure & equalizing.

[DiverTodd]

Yet another risk; having your conversations turn into THIS:

"Freediving blah blah blah blah freediving blah blah static blah blah blah freediving blah blah blah dynamic blah blah wetsuit...."

I think I'm running the risk of being KILLED by my co-workers! "OH MY GOD!! TODD!! If the word "freediving" comes out of your mouth ONE...MORE...TIME...."

Todd

[ocean_314]

The one thing that scares me is getting tangled is old fishing line. This happened to me once thank god i was on the surface. If i was down 20ft i would have been dead.
I foolishly allowed myself to be talked into diving off a zodiac in area where people fish. Never again.
Well I had a sea lion sneak up benhind me and grab my fin once and pull me backwards for a couple of feet, i though i was lunch for Mr White. I swear that sea lion was laughing. My scream of holy terror must have made him laugh so hard he let go. lol