Quick freediving info for a friend

[islanderman]

I will be trying to break my 15' personal best in Florida, a little over a week away. For safety reasons, I haven't broken my pb in 2 years because I don't have or know anybody to be a buddy or spot me. Anywho, I need to train my friend to be a safety buddy. He isn't a freediver or bubble breather but he shows potential as a freediver. Training him quickly seems to be my best option at the moment. I need some quick, streamlined information and topics to tell him for safety purposes. What specific topics do I need to hit on and what should I focus on since he's new to this?
Thanks
Islanderman

 

[Apneaddict]

Take a course and be safetied by a qualified instructor.

Fla has lots of Freedive outfits.

Don't trust a newbie to safety your life in open water (or even a pool).

 

[baiyoke]

You can find all the information you need on google, right next to 5minutescuba.com & homemadeparachutes.com...

No, seriously, allthough you can start educate a buddy, for a more conservative long time training purpose, doing it quickly for a PB attempt is really not recommended...! That is the one moment when you most certainly don't compromise safety...

Would you give a friend a quick introduction to packing your parachute...? This is your life he will be safetying....

+1 on doing a course...

 

[islanderman]

Thanks but I was talking a little more about what to do in case of emergency. plus taking a course isn't an option right now. Since I dont live in florida right now the closest place that offers a course is over 400 miles away. Just to clarify, I am not a beginner at freediving. My static above water breath hold is a little over four minutes and my actual pb is a little deeper than 20'.(I forgot) I stay shallow because my favorite diving spots don't get much deeper than 15'.

 

[Apneaddict]

If you are an "experienced" Freediver going for a new depth PB with a newbie... In case of emergency, make sure your newbie friend has a trained Freedive safety friend also snorkeling with him!

If not... Write me into your will in advance please.


Seriously - I compete because I know it's by FAR the safest way for me to reach new depth PBs after long pool sessions (also safety supervised in a club setting) and dry training.

Would I dare go for a new depth PB without a trained safety?? Hell no.

To be honest - its not even a fair thing to potentially expose your friend to. He's not prepared.

Freediving accidents reflect poorly on the entire community and lead to insurance problems and bans.

I used to race cars and know that ppl act differently / strangely in a crisis an most are useless. 90+% of ppl freeze like deer in headlights. This applies to ppl who have taken the safety courses and are trained!

I'm very particular about my safeties, their training, their makeup, and my personal safety while freediving.

You may not be, however.

 

[Apneaddict]

Possible scenario... What if you hit a new PB of 35'.. Something happens and you black out and start to sink on the way up... or get caught up in something.

Can your buddy swim down and rescue you, or do you drown?

 

[baiyoke]

Thanks but I was talking a little more about what to do in case of emergency. .

So are we. And I'm telling you that it's not a good idea to train a beginner for an emergency situations...

plus taking a course isn't an option right now. .

Risking your life is not an option!

taking a course isn't an option right now. Since I dont live in florida right now the closest place that offers a course is over 400 miles away.

I took my first course and first PB's 9500 km away from home. Seconds PB I did a year later 4500 km away from home... Because doing PB's alone or with a beginner (wich is the same almost) is not an option...

You say you're no beginner. How do you train if you're alone? Being a beginner or not, you need some more knowledge about freediving, so that you can bettter judge scenarios and figure out what to do... Breathhold-times has nothing to do with knowledge...

May I ask you: What is your freediving experience/training and how old are you?

 

[baiyoke]

Just had a look at some of your previous posts, and now I'm getting really nervous about your diving... Well to be honest more like terrified... You are doing some really dangerous stuf...

Diving without a buddy, or with a beginner, or surface supervised is all the same... You need to take the dangers seriously... Many, many young guys like you have past away, some of them where a lot more knowledgeable than you, but it didn't help them... Please Islanderman, for the sake of yourself, your family and your friends, take the dangers much more serious, and find out how to do a course as fast as possible...

Please read this thread: http://forums.deeperblue.com/beginn...d-blaines-mention-4-hour-bod-tim-ferriss.html my post is number 4...

I don't think freediving should center around death and disaster, so I hope you get the message: Freediving can be very safe, if you know what you do, and do it safely...

If you still don't really believe me read this post http://forums.deeperblue.com/general-freediving/95399-never-freedive-alone-safe-5.html#post887030

or this Youngster dies at Dean's Blue hold Bahamas.. RIP - Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum

And please do take care of yourself, ok?

And btw, it's great to see a young man being so interested in freediving, seeking knowledge here on DB and all, it's such a great sport. So good luck on that, but do yourself a favor and take both good and bad things equaly serious

 

[baiyoke]

Since you ask for more safety/emergency information, here is a site that I just came across: DiveWise - Home

See the safety section.

I haven't read it, just had a brief look, but it seems like qualified advice... (it is not ment for the purpose of educating your friend however).

 

[growingupninja]

20' is typical depth for the diving well of a competition pool with a 10M platform--most state universities have them and some large metropolitan swim centers. Perhaps you and your buddy could spend some time at one before heading into open water?

 

[islanderman]

I would never dive if it isn't safe. My deepest dive was with a group and I don't go deeper than 10 feet. I have always dove around other people who are aware of what I am doing, never EVER by myself. To address some less-than-smart posts, I am more mature and experienced since then. I have done tens of hours of research on freediving and associated techniques. This trip, I am attempting to get in touch with an acquaintence who is diver in the area.

 

[Apneaddict]

Glad that you're seeking a dive buddy.

If I'm not mistaken, Terry Maas (sprearfishing legend - on these boards!) had an awful experience in that his son (a very accomplished spearfisherman and freediver in his own right) died while "snorkeling" in shallow water / depths.

This was the motivation for him to create the Freediver Recovery Vest (FRV).

I plan on getting one. The point is - never let your guard down and always have a trained / experienced safety... And even then... Have a backup plan whenever possible (FRV).

All the best and dive safe!