Hi, For the past 10 years or so Ive been going down to the keys and Grand Cay Bahamas , 2 or 3 times a year, spearfishing and collecting lobster. I prefer free diving over scuba while spearfishing. Usually we are limited to 20 to 30 foot depths because we always have a couple newcomers with us who usually can't get down past that their first time. A lot of times Ill swim the deeper side of the ledges while they stay in the shallower water, and I end up getting in some 40 or 50 feet drops. While I have a certificate from PADI as a rescue diver, I have no professional training in free diving.
So here is my question, Ive been thinking about doing something and would like to get some professional opinions incase its a bad idea. I am thinking about getting a 13 cf pony bottle , with a harness and regulator, and having it on while free diving(spearfishing). The reason is not to scuba dive on a pony bottle ,but to be able to take a couple breaths and stay down a minute or so longer if I see a nice fish run under a rock, or have to chase him down. I know that lung over expansion would occur if you didn't exhale before you started to ascend. So my thoughts are to always exhale before ascending. Being that I'm only taking a couple breaths off it at a time, occasionally, not using it constantly as with scuba , I wouldn't think nitrogen would be an issue because I would be free diving, and still spending more time at the surface swimming around looking down for fish than I would be underwater.
On the other hand, I don't hear anyone else doing it , and don't see any equipment one the market to support this kind of behavior. So I question if it is a good idea and realize there might be some dangers that I have not considered. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
So here is my question, Ive been thinking about doing something and would like to get some professional opinions incase its a bad idea. I am thinking about getting a 13 cf pony bottle , with a harness and regulator, and having it on while free diving(spearfishing). The reason is not to scuba dive on a pony bottle ,but to be able to take a couple breaths and stay down a minute or so longer if I see a nice fish run under a rock, or have to chase him down. I know that lung over expansion would occur if you didn't exhale before you started to ascend. So my thoughts are to always exhale before ascending. Being that I'm only taking a couple breaths off it at a time, occasionally, not using it constantly as with scuba , I wouldn't think nitrogen would be an issue because I would be free diving, and still spending more time at the surface swimming around looking down for fish than I would be underwater.
On the other hand, I don't hear anyone else doing it , and don't see any equipment one the market to support this kind of behavior. So I question if it is a good idea and realize there might be some dangers that I have not considered. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.