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Beginner @ Wreck Freediving, Tips?

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L

legion

New Member
Sep 3, 2010
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Hey guys, I just joined this forum and have spent a good amount of time searching out other posts. I am extremely impressed with the amount of talent and knowledge here. Hopefully, I can describe a little bit of what I like to do and get some insight from more experienced divers?

Background: I own a 24 foot boat... I dive (spearfish) primarily in the Gulf of Mexico at wreck locations... usually around 80-90 feet (24-27 meters). I freedive and I scuba dive interchangeably depending on who goes on the boat with me and what their strengths are. At the surface, I can hold my breath for 4-5 minutes... underwater swimming probably about 1.5-2 minutes. I can freedive down at 90 feet, get a shot off, and get back up but that is definitely my limit. I get tired after a couple of those deep ones and take a break. Also, I am extremely interested in safety... I know a bit about shallow water blackouts and going too hard too fast... so I always have a spotter. I don't ever really get close to my "real" limits... it's not worth it that much to me to prove anything. I want to do things as safely as possible. I shoot a Riffe MT3 with the stock cord, no reel or buoy. The fish I shoot free-diving are usually red-snapper or grouper... 20 pounds or so. The biggest was 22 pounds. The best I think I have done is shooting a 22 pound snapper through the top of the head with a pole spear at 80 feet and coming up to flop him in the boat to some cheers.

At the wrecks, we are always anchored and very likely there are a couple of other boats right around us fishing. We dive straight down and straight back up to the boat. Most of the time, we are just hanging on the back of the boat with a snorkel waiting for something to appear at depth that we can pursue.

Questions:
--I am considering if there is a safe way to have a weight on a rope attached to the boat that we could hang onto to get down to depth without swimming over and over again. This would really save the energy factor. Is there a different way to get to depth easier? As I said, I can swim down, but it is a bit draining. It may be draining because of my technique...

--Currently I don't shoot fish that I can't immediately drag to the surface. We can't really allow fish to swim everywhere (buoy) because we are anchored, so is there a safer way to shoot fish attached to a line to the boat? I am more worried of getting tangled in a cord somehow than I am of letting go of the spear gun if it goes bad. For this reason, I am thinking more of a thick rope than a smaller cord. It may be much easier to stay free of a thicker rope. I am not going to test this one out without fully thinking of all the circumstances that could arise.

--This may sound very bad to some, but I have a "Spare Air" that I use as a third redundancy for scuba diving... I have never used it as a backup for freediving, but I am wondering if it might be a good emergency life saver. I would make it a rule that it would ONLY be used as an extreme backup due to the risks of mixing freediving techniques and compressed air... which could be bad. IF I did that, I am thinking of ways that I could get tangled up by this little tank which could create more danger than not having it. Maybe streamlined is more safe than having hangeable items on me.

--I noticed that alot of free divers have their knives on their upper arms. I keep my knive on my calf. Is there a reason other than preference to go with the upper arm? Maybe just to get to it easier by reaching sideways instead of down?

--I know about SWB, but I am interested to know if anyone has experienced this in dives of 80-90 feet? Where is this most likely? The last 15-20 feet? About the most I have experienced is a small bit of light headedness after a deep dive... and I took about an hour break to be safe.

--My general rule is when I start diaphragm contractions, I am immediately on my way back up. That means I probably have about 10-15 contractions by the time I hit the surface. Usually though, if I dive down and there is nothing beneath me or in range, I am just going straight back up. I don't really swim around... I realize this may change depending on CO2 levels, so is this a good rule of thumb? Do other people have similar rules?

--Any safety tips that sound applicable to this style of diving that I should know?

Thank you! I appreciate any thoughts or experiences.
 
there is tons of info on all your questions i dive similar depths for spearfishing and honestly its what ever your comfortable with. I would highly advise against spare air bad idea would lead to complications and always dive with a someone in the water with similair capabilities as you, is a great safety. Shallow water blackout isnt always from depth you could black out on a far shallower dive so dive safe have a buddy.
 
Welcome! Lot's of interesting questions. I'll try to answer one of your questions. Yes, Len Jones describes just such a technique in his beginners guide to spearfishing (an excellent & inexpensive booklet), he even illustrated the technique with a line diagram - I'd recommend getting a copy, Rob Allen dealers seem to carry it, and possibly other dealers with South African spearing products.

As I understand it, your rope/float-line is attached to the boat and you tie a weight (sometimes called a pendulum weight) in part way down you float-line. When you dive, you carry the weight from the surface and release it when you reach the weight's limit on the rope, and you glide on down using the remaining length of float line, as less weight is required at depth. The nice thing about this technique is that it allows you to carry the extra weigh on just the start of the dive, when it is most needed and relieves you of it thereafter when it is not needed - including your ascent back to the surface. A little thinking about the possible risks of such a technique suggests that the weight must be placed less than half way down your rope if it is not to impede your ascent. I guess you could just use a rope down to the weight and then go rope free further down & on the ascent - but, as usual, you must assess all your needs and the risks for yourself.

You don't need a special weight for this but I believe several companies offer products designed for this purpose or similar. The one that sticks in my mind looks a bit like a long stainless-steel coffee mug; it's a solid cylinder (for mass) with a stainless steel bar folded into a U-loop and then bent to form a clip/hook (much like the handle on a mug), presumably so that it can be hooked onto a weight belt but can be readily pulled off.

This Omersub product might also be intended for this purpose(?):
 
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BTW I agree with nz676 about the emergency tank. To me, the extra complication & encumbrance would itself be a hazard. There is something to be said for simplicity and staying streamlined - but it isn't danger-free. But as you are a SCUBA diver, perhaps you are in a better position to judge?

I think the arm placement for a knife is quicker and more convenient when you use the knife for dispatching fish. For emergency use, the inside of the calf can be accessed by either arm, if for instance one hand/arm were unavailable/unusable for some reason. One approach would be to carry a small knife or iki jimi spike on your arm or waist for dispatching fish and another larger knife on your calf for emergency use. Flat knives and sheaths (such as the Rob Allen Limpet sheath or Pelaj Pancake sheath) are inexpensive, sleek and unobtrusive - something to be considered if you are diving around snag hazards, like a wreck. The knife will benefit from a short cord & toggle to aid drawing it from the sheath (as fitted to the the RA Assegai knife). I use the limpet sheath on my rather large calf but Foxfish tells me it works well on the arm too.
 
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