Safety suggestions

[islanderman]

Me:
I am 2 years into freediving. I'm 16 and i love being underwater. My personal best's are: static best is 2:40, underwater for :45-1:00 normally, sprint 75 meters (on a track) on a single breath, 8 meters deep( i'm not going for depth but just cruising around the bottom).
Lake:
I freedive in a lake with 20 foot visibility. My dad is lifeguard certified and doesn't want me going too deep where he can't go(about 30 feet). I don't want to blackout and drown underwater so i am looking for safety suggestions.
Current safety: I always dive with a buddy or someone watching from the surface. I use a weight(10lbs) attached to a 5 meter rope tied to a kayak as a depth gauge. Once I am at the bottom I keep an eye on it.
Safety ideas:
I have thought about tying a rope to the back of my weight belt and attaching it to my dive platform(kayak).
Equipment:
Weight belt with quick release buckle and the 4 weights are in velcro pouches.
Sorry it's long but i am just trying to be careful.
thanks
islanderman

 

[divedeeper]

Hi islanderman, the number one rule of freediving is to never dive alone. If something happens while your dad (or anyone else) is watching from the surface, remember your rope system CAN fail and if that happens, death is an almost certainty. In my opinion, the most important safety measure one can take (other than having a buddy), is to dive well inside your limits. It seems to me you're basically taking freediving as a recreational activity, so don't push yourself into too many contractions and just enjoy the water.

Happy diving

 

[divedeeper]

Oh and also if the rope attached to your weight belt gets tangled with something, you will most likely panic and bad things can happen.