David Blaine blames Safety People for his failure

[Cliff Etzel]

This is ironic to say the least, especially with all the hoopla bantered about before the event actually took place -and I quote: "David Blaine has blamed his minders for his failed underwater record-breaking attempt."

Read the full report here

 

[Pastor]

There was a documentery on the box last night about it, he said there that he initially thought that they had pulled him out early but he now realises that if they hadnt then he doubts he "would have returned" (his words). Seemed grateful enough to me but maybe he tricked me into thinking that

 

[DeepThought]

That's one way of dealing with failure.
Though I don't trust this media report at all.

 

[pkotik]

Guys, all I can do is remind you you're debating a TELEVISION SHOW.

It's like having a symposium on the Sublatent Endocognitive Misogyny in Elmer Fudd's Antipathic Dysphonia Toward Dat Wabbit.

A huge television show, to be sure, and one seen ( and still talked about ) all over this blue planet, but a TV show just the same. Entertainment employing aquatic themes.

Now, to serious matters - does Elmer use semtex or C4 when he tries to blow up Dat Wabbit ? Given the well-known difference in the expansion velocities of these two explosives, I'd have to go with the semtex.

 

[neshamah]

My mother was telling me that she saw a progam on tv of

david blaine talking about this

that's unbelieveblae -how can you blame the one that save your life?


does this guy david really wanted to die?

 

[Tom Lightfoot]

Guys, all I can do is remind you you're debating a TELEVISION SHOW.

We're also debating an article (headline actually) intended to attract readership. If you actually read into the article, David says he could have gone on for another "10, 15, 20" seconds. He had two more minutes of lock picking left to do so "failure" was a foregone conclusion.

I think Kirk's timing was spot-on (as usual) for any normal record attempt. But the speedy rescue denied David that dramatic TV moment where he is completely motionless in a near-deth state. It's a fair enough criticism for a TV show meant to entertain but given David's fragile state, letting him languish on the bottom of the sphere for a few more seconds would have been awfully risky.

Everyone involved had an agenda. David and his people wanted a dramatic ending and the PFI team wanted a rescue (if required) to be efficient and without the need for medical heroics. What eventually transpired seemed like a reasonable compromise to me.

Tom

 

[pkotik]

I completely agree, Tom. It was as near-perfect a compromise as I can imagine. It's like Churchill said, when asked what he thought about democracy : " It's the worst possible form of government, except for all the others."

The ending to Blaine's show maybe didn't make any one of the competing interests totally happy, but it was likely the best one possible under the circumstances. Live TV is a tough beast to tame !

 

[Apnea_Addict]

I am a little speechless after reading this...

And you are still saying this whole circus was to promote safe freediving ? A healthy pastime for everybody...

Holger

 

[hteas]

From David's side, NO.
From Kirk's, and Martin's, and Paul's, YES.
It all sounds, to us outsiders, like David doesn't care about freediving, but simply about being in front of another camera. Freedivin g was just another gimmick. The guys, however, were very serious about it all, as anyone that knows them would expect. They worked very hard to make sure we came off in as good a light as possible. It's just too bad that more of the media didn't follow Paul's lead on the story. They might have actually learned something, followed by passing it on to their loyal readers/listeners.
My 2 cents
Howard

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

I wanted to ask those of you familiar with the aforementioned stunt a question. I emailed Kirk but never received a reply, he must be busy with all his classes I assume as he runs a world class service.

Anyhow the skeptic in me begs to ask, is it possible David Blaine used pure O2 for his stunt?

The reason I ask is that before freediving became what it is today I was invited to do a study with the guys at Duke Hyperbaric Chamber in 1997 using experienced breath hold subjects. In a nut shell Duke Hyperbaric and DAN with MD Neil Pollock were trying to study the effects of pure O2 on experienced breath hold divers. Imagine their and my surprise when it would double our breath hold times...................................................I felt like Kevin Costner in Water World. Was a pretty cool experience and a good way to die if conducted outside of a controlled environement, unless you're planning on using it just below the surface! Anyway that's another topic for another day.

Mark

 

[tylerz]

Anyhow the skeptic in me begs to ask, is it possible David Blaine used pure O2 for his stunt? ... Anyway that's another topic for another day.

Actually it is a topic from a past day

[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?p=594917#post594968"][News] Famed Magician In Freediving World Record Stunt - Page 32[/ame]

 

[efattah]

After a discussion with Kirk & Mandy, it appears David's real static pb was 7'56" prior to the stunt, and they personally insisted that no enriched O2 was used for the final breathe-up and breath-hold. They also said that Blaine was frustrated by the pure O2 rumours, such that he wanted to do a stunt on pure O2 for double the length, to convince the skeptics.

Further, his frustration with the rumours apparently has inspired him to compete at an AIDA competition, again to silence the skeptics....

 

[Jee]

Further, his frustration with the rumours apparently has inspired him to compete at an AIDA competition, again to silence the skeptics....

Let's see that! Nobody will stop him doing that. I mean really, he should come and participate on a competition. Why not?

Anyway, I think doing over 5, over 6 minute(!) in those conditions is really nice.
(even on O2)

Jee

 

[DeepThought]

Further, his frustration with the rumours apparently has inspired him to compete at an AIDA competition, again to silence the skeptics....

So now he is trapped in OUR game. *Evil laugh*
He can feel free to pop into these forums anytime.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Actually - based on my and Paul's discussions with David Blaine staff and his reaction to seeing Paul's DB tops at the event the site was and is heavily trafficked by David and/or his staff as they pick up tips. Whilst I doubt David will post here i'm sure what is being said is being read by his staff.

 

[trux]

Excellent joke, Eric! Although I sincerely doubt anything of it is true, he'd certainly gain our respect if he really competed in standard conditions.

As for the final breath-up - that according to Kirk was free of O2 - it is still without any doubts he breathed O2 before the surfacing, and since the final breath up was quite short (2 minutes?), he was certainly still pretty saturated with O2 anyway. Just have a look at the O2 record of Tom Sietas in Italy - he also breathes athmosferic air in the minutes right before the apnea, and not O2. So sorry, I am not convinced.

 

[icarus pacific]

I shoulda bet the Farm

Not to say I saw this coming, but...

I had the occasion to be out and in and under yesterday and upon exiting the water, the earlier vacant beach came alive with a couple large families, the bulk of which beseiged me with, "Hey! Do you know that Blaine guy?", and "You're doing what that magician-guy was doing onTV!" :head

As diplomatically as I could, I explained the differences, or more accurately what I was doing, that being actually diving whilst holding my breath. And snagging dinner. :king

This stunt of Blaine's and the equally circus-like aid by the pros at PFD will in the final analysis do more to mock the sport than to have helped it.

 

[Jay Styron]

Once again Sven has hit the proverbial nail on the head. IMHO David Blain has no more to do with freediving than me standing in my garage makes me a car. The sooner his hyped up stunt goes away the better.
Jay

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

After a discussion with Kirk & Mandy, it appears David's real static pb was 7'56" prior to the stunt, and they personally insisted that no enriched O2 was used for the final breathe-up and breath-hold. They also said that Blaine was frustrated by the pure O2 rumours, such that he wanted to do a stunt on pure O2 for double the length, to convince the skeptics.
Further, his frustration with the rumours apparently has inspired him to compete at an AIDA competition, again to silence the skeptics....

Well I didn't know I was part of a big group of skeptics the question just begged to be asked. I've been freediving and spearfishing for 20 years, longer than you Eric, and at the peak of my shape I was good for a 5 minute static. So, one like me with more experience than Blaine would be inclined to wonder how he could pull a near 8 minute static. I'm sure Pelo and Pipin probably wondered about it too.

Another thing to keep in mind. Just by breathing pure O2 you're not going to necessarily double breath hold. Some have a higher tolerance for prolonging apnea than others on pure O2. In the study I participated in 97' at Duke Hyperbaric some guys went up a minute or two, others like me doubled it. The data suggested, and I'm saying suggested as I'm neither a scientist nor a doctor who was able to prove anything, that pure O2 effects people differently and that some can maintain consciousness and regular brain activity with extremely low levels of 02 in the bloodstream compared to others who pass out earlier. In any event the forlorn conclusion about apnea and pure 02 is that they don't mix well practically except under a very controlled environment such as a test, stunt, or what have you which is why, having been there done that, I was very interested in knowing. I think its impressive the man has an 8 minute static without diving and stretching his lungs on a regular basis.

Regards, Mark Laboccetta

ps- after looking at the link that was pointed out I was glad to see I wasn't the only one wondering and Eric had outlined a pretty good case for it.

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Re: I shoulda bet the Farm

Not to say I saw this coming, but...
This stunt of Blaine's and the equally circus-like aid by the pros at PFD will in the final analysis do more to mock the sport than to have helped it.

Sven, I beg to differ. I think it opens up a lot of minds and makes a lot of people think about the extraordinary nature of the human body and how it can adapt so quickly to a foreign environment using prime time TV for a platform. Naturally some people will try similar stunts and get hurt, and we'll just have to assume that it's Darwin's do process in effect.