The Next Step: Controlled Airway
I think this is a great discussion. One of the better of the many that have been entertained on apneadiver, the Chat_Aida list and so on. I say entertained because so often they degenerate into an 'AIDA sucks' shouting match between factions.
Personally, I'm of the view that the terms LMC or Samba, should be thrown out and replaced with the idea of a "Controlled Airway." This solves the problems we've been discussing (feel free to point out any flaws in my reasoning!) If a diver surfaces and for some reason slips beneath the surface or sambas so hard and faceplants and is unable to recover on his or her own (given five seconds or until they blow out all their air (blackout)), they get disqualified: "DQ-No Control of Airway"
So this means if a wave splashes over his face it's no problem. The diver still has control of his airway it he continues to breathe. If he is blue, no problem. If he has a facial tick, sneezes, stare off into space--no problem, as long as he keeps his airway under control.
Claude Chapuis, founder of AIDA, often talks of "controlled performances," meaning no sambas or blackouts. In the past, AIDA has argued that allowing samba puts divers at greater risk of accident and blackout. He's wrong: abadoning the LMC rule means that divers will seek "performances in which they are in control of their airway." If you are making dives and having LMC, you are flirting with a blackout. If you are training for a competition, will you risk a depth you can only make with a samba? You are already so close! On a bad day you could easily blackout and get no points at all. Perhaps you'll take the risk with safety divers around (it's no secret that competitions INCREASE the risk of samba and blackout, especially in more inexperienced freedivers). But by yourself, with your friends, I just have to assume that you will dive to depths you can do with a clean (airway ok!) recovery.
Talking about a controlled airway also hammers home the point that AIDA people often use as their justification for the LMC rule: safety. What the hell is a samba to a normal person? I can't count the number of times I've had to explain what it means to someone not familiar with freediving. How does a dance move figure into a serious freediving competition rules? How does avoiding a samba save your life or convince people that you are being safe? It takes a lot of explaining, doesn't it?
Maintaining control of your airway, on the other hand, is very easy to explain:
"Well, Jed, if ya don't keep yer head above water, yer dead!" Plain and simple.
Put another way: If I have a kid. And my kid wants to learn how to freedive. I would show them a blackout on video. I would not say "never let your face twitch when you surface from a dive;" I would say: "If you push yourself when you are alone, you may not be able to keep your mouth above water when you surface. And then you drown. Those people on the video, kiddo, if they didn't have a buddy, they would be dead."
Anyway, you know my thoughts on the matter now. ;-)
I think the real challenge is how the athletes and spectators should lobby their AIDA chapters and AIDA international to consider their recommendations. Boycotting AIDA's judging at the Dolphin's Cup or possibly in Cyprus next year I think helps send the message that athletes are not happy with the system. But let's take it one more step: What about a petition? :duh In know it sounds old school, but if it gets enough names and is sent to AIDA international, and as many national organizations as possible, it would be a strong voice in the debate over rule changes. As you may know, Sebastian Nagel and the AIDA board are going through a review of AIDA rules, in time for next year's freediving season. So far they have shied away from the samba rule (they've already seen the wild debate enough times), but discussion of it is inevitable. Why not put some pressure on?
The petition could be a Deeperblue thread--with a link to it on as many listservs, egroups and websites as possible. Another idea is to "sign" a form email and send it to AIDA directly as individuals (adding your name to the thread to confirm your participation).
"We, the undersigned, feel that the LMC rule and subjective judging are holding back the sport of competitive and recreational freediving. We support a new mode of verifying records and competition performances that holds the personal safety of every freediver as paramount, while not sacrificing the spirit of competition. We urge AIDA international to consider a new method of verifying performances on the basis of "controlling the airway" (or something better?) as it will make even more clear the imperative of safety to freedivers and spectators alike." (With a detailed and brief description of how it would apply to competitions from a practical point of view in static, dynamic and ocean disciplines.)

What do you think? The wording could be different, but what about the idea? I think it's time to find some consensus and speak up.
cheers,
Pete
Vancouver, BC