Herbert seems to be assisting AIDA in their review of Adel's accident, which is probably why he's not participating in this discussion.
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sled diving within AIDA
- Thread starter Will
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
In the traditional sled sports, the FIBT has to check and approve every bobsled and skeleton sled that is entered in a competition; and luge sleds can't be used in competition without FIL approval.
In terms of liability, the national associations for ice sledders have liability release forms that are quite detailed. Back during the Calgary olympics, the Calgary Luge Club, affiliated with the Canadian Luge Association, had this incredible 3-page document that informed you that luge is dangerous, people have died and suffered serious injury in the sport, that death or serious injury could happen to you, that you realease and hold them harmless for any such ill effects of participating in the sport, that they are not liable for equipment defects, and that their inspection of equipment didn't impute any liability for its suitability for use, or for its failure- and on and on. The faint of heart would certainly drop out after reading a thing like that, but of course the whole point of luge is that it's a sport for the kind of gonzos who actually like reading stuff like that- convinces 'em it's gotta be a fun sport.
Hey Trux,
I see you've summarized the opinions of yourself and the 38% of those who support sled diving, but how about recapitulating the view of the majority 55%?
Will the distancing of AIDA from VWT/NLT stop sled diving?
That's not the objective - we're not trying to be police here! The objective is to distance AIDA from the deaths and the stunt image of sled-diving, and discourage it by deregulation. Will distancing achieve that? Yes.
Will the distancing stop VWT/NLT records?
It will stop AIDA VWT/NLT records and deaths, and that is the priority.
Will the distancing prevent future accidents?
Not entirely - everyone is free to do what they want, and take their own risks. However the consequences won't be associated with the sporting body of AIDA. As Eric states, if there is less stimulus to train sled diving (no possibility of national/world record recognition with AIDA) then it is logical to assume that there will be less of sled-diving itself and hence less accidents.
Will the sled diving safety improve?
As demonstrated, improvements in safety have come from the athletes themselves, and in response to accidents, but have not so far decreased the incidence of these accidents. And sled diving safety will no longer be the concern of AIDA, in the same way that under-ice dynamic is not currently the concern of AIDA.
Will the distancing help the development of freediving?
99.8% of depth freedives are in the athletic disciplines (CNF, CWT, FIM). Removal of sled diving will concentrate attention on these disciplines and clarify the image of the sport.
So the answer is that distancing will help the development of 99.8% of the sport. I think that's a categorical yes.
Public: sled diving is definitely no longer the most visible freediving activity. Maybe 25 years ago a lot of people came to freediving from having watched The Big Blue, but it is an old and very dated movie now... These days there are many documentaries that are coming out every year (I am involved in 5 myself this year) that address the athletic disciplines, and most don't really mention sled diving.
Sponsors: Most aren't interested in the sled events these days, and those who compete in the athletic disciplines are getting just as good, if not better contracts. I'm filming an ad for Opel, specifically because they wanted to be associated with the purest discipline (CNF).
Science: There hasn't been any research on sled divers in years, other than into the DCS risk of it (Fitz-Clarke).
Will the distancing improve the image of AIDA?
The public DOES have an idea about freediving & sled diving, and this idea is growing quickly. The nature of this idea is determined by the incidents and events that occur in the sport.
As someone wisely said on the Apnea Academy forum, a tree falling in the forest makes a lot more noise than a thousand trees growing in silence. We want the growth of freediving to be heard, and for that to happen we need to detach ourselves from the racket of sled-diving incidents and deaths.
We have to decide, collectively, whether we want our sport to be associated with a 'death wish stunt' or rather to mature into an athletic expression of human aquatic potential.
Will the distancing help AIDA's growth?
If it helps the image then it will certainly help its growth. At any rate, a handful of sled dives per year, with haphazard results definitely isn't doing anything for the growth of AIDA.
If Guinness, CMAS or another organization wants to inherit the mayhem of sled diving then good luck to them.
Will AIDA become a more athletic organization?
A resounding yes. That is one of the principle objectives of the proposal. The idea that different ages/body types can be good freedivers hence it is not an athletic discipline is silly. There are pensioners in many other sports, and if in freediving they are still able to compete at a high level it is only a sign that the sport is still in a phase of rapid growth.
The best way for freediving to be considered an athletic sport is if it limits itself to athletic pursuits.
I´ll just make short point at this stage. AIDA needs dedicated people in the organization to run smoothly. I wouldn´t mind voting for a few New Zealanders in the next run.
NZ is obviously one of the most advanced freediving countries In the world (resultvise atleast) and still you don´t have any representation in the board or in any of the committees? The same applies for a few other top level countries also...
NZ is obviously one of the most advanced freediving countries In the world (resultvise atleast) and still you don´t have any representation in the board or in any of the committees? The same applies for a few other top level countries also...
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Will; I know you have a smiley face on your comment, but (currently) 55% of voters on this forum appear to believe that the issue should be considered in a referendum. That doesn't absolutely mean that 55% wish for sled diving to be withdrawn from AIDA recognition.I see you've summarized the opinions of yourself and the 38% of those who support sled diving, but how about recapitulating the view of the majority 55%?
AIDA Members; my personal opinion (and I do not hold a simple one) does not count as I am not part of AIDA - but I have been, and will continue to be, a supporter and advocate of the beautiful pursuit of apnea diving. Depth divers endure extreme pressure, extreme discomfort and a not yet fully quantified brace of dangers. They triumph through planning, effort and bravery. I think this is true for all depth disciplines.
AIDA members have a difficult decision ahead of them in this referendum:
Ignore new boundaries, courage and achievements in assisted apnea diving, or Accept that you may implicitly encourage a future diver to take a simple machine to a depth from which he/she may not return from alive.
I guess I will leave this to the people most affected now, so
Peace,
UJ
P.S. This has been the most stimulating and mature discussion I have participated in recently. Thanks to Will and co. for raising it.
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I've had a read through many of the posts regarding NLT and VWT dives. While I can't say that people are missing the mark with their arguments, there has been a point the seem to be getting overlooked so I figured I should drop my two cents.
There is a (semi) collective idea that sled diving needs to be maintained as an AIDA discipline for the sake of history, however, I don't think it's the history of Freediving that will move us forward as a sport.
Other than VWT and NLT, Freediving is a very safe sport, yet we have two disciplines and a very small minority of dives (not divers) that have a strangle hold on the sport preventing larger sporting bodies (Olympic Committee??) taking the sport seriously and looking upon us as anything other than what the last media event portrays us as.
Unfortunately, NLT and VWT mishaps dominate the media as far as Freediving is concerned so we're all tarred with the same brush.
I don't believe that any of the AIDA Nationals have said (to my knowledge) that NLT and VWT dives need to stop, but rather that AIDA needs to disassociate itself with these disciplines to allow the sport to move into the main stream sporting arena, and allow the sport, it's competitions and it's participants to be recognized for the athletes that they are.
At present, it appears (to me) that the the biggest fans and supporters of the sport are the competitors (and their supporters) themselves with some minor sponsorship dotted around the place.
While there have been some great advancements in the technology that we use for diving, has the sport REALLY moved forward that much? We've gone deeper, held our breath longer, broke and created new records, but the sport itself, as a whole, hasn't made any major gains other than getting organized (we are organized aren't we?) and we're run by volunteers because the sport doesn't attract enough positive attention to warrant large injections of sponsorship or funding.
It could also be that some bodies would like to keep Competitive Freediving as an elite minority group at any expense - but that to me seems to serve more ego that anything else.
Remove or disassociate AIDA with the "recklessness" of VWT and NLT and we can then begin our journey forward.
Cheers!!
There is a (semi) collective idea that sled diving needs to be maintained as an AIDA discipline for the sake of history, however, I don't think it's the history of Freediving that will move us forward as a sport.
Other than VWT and NLT, Freediving is a very safe sport, yet we have two disciplines and a very small minority of dives (not divers) that have a strangle hold on the sport preventing larger sporting bodies (Olympic Committee??) taking the sport seriously and looking upon us as anything other than what the last media event portrays us as.
Unfortunately, NLT and VWT mishaps dominate the media as far as Freediving is concerned so we're all tarred with the same brush.
I don't believe that any of the AIDA Nationals have said (to my knowledge) that NLT and VWT dives need to stop, but rather that AIDA needs to disassociate itself with these disciplines to allow the sport to move into the main stream sporting arena, and allow the sport, it's competitions and it's participants to be recognized for the athletes that they are.
At present, it appears (to me) that the the biggest fans and supporters of the sport are the competitors (and their supporters) themselves with some minor sponsorship dotted around the place.
While there have been some great advancements in the technology that we use for diving, has the sport REALLY moved forward that much? We've gone deeper, held our breath longer, broke and created new records, but the sport itself, as a whole, hasn't made any major gains other than getting organized (we are organized aren't we?) and we're run by volunteers because the sport doesn't attract enough positive attention to warrant large injections of sponsorship or funding.
It could also be that some bodies would like to keep Competitive Freediving as an elite minority group at any expense - but that to me seems to serve more ego that anything else.
Remove or disassociate AIDA with the "recklessness" of VWT and NLT and we can then begin our journey forward.
Cheers!!
Speaking of safety: would anyone know why for a VWT WR attempt the pre-requisite is a recent dive less than 10m from the target depth?
I must be missing something but this makes no sense to me given that the equivalent requirement for CWT/CNF/FIM is 5m. So for VWT, someone attempting the WR depth for the first time has to essentially freefall an extra 10m than their max depth and then swim an extra 10m (at the point of min buoyancy and max pressure) whereas in CWT for example, the equivalent would be only 5m of freefall and 5m of swim.
The fact that VWT depths are greater than CWT only makes this difference bigger and things riskier - if I was to take a guess without having seen the rules, I would have guessed that the requirement for VWT WR attempts would be around 3m/4m from the target depth, not 10m!
This potentially means that VWT WR attempts are the riskiest (probably even more than NLT where the requirement is again 10m but there you have the lift devide to take you up, albeit at a greater depth) - unless I am thinking about this in an over simplistic way?
I must be missing something but this makes no sense to me given that the equivalent requirement for CWT/CNF/FIM is 5m. So for VWT, someone attempting the WR depth for the first time has to essentially freefall an extra 10m than their max depth and then swim an extra 10m (at the point of min buoyancy and max pressure) whereas in CWT for example, the equivalent would be only 5m of freefall and 5m of swim.
The fact that VWT depths are greater than CWT only makes this difference bigger and things riskier - if I was to take a guess without having seen the rules, I would have guessed that the requirement for VWT WR attempts would be around 3m/4m from the target depth, not 10m!
This potentially means that VWT WR attempts are the riskiest (probably even more than NLT where the requirement is again 10m but there you have the lift devide to take you up, albeit at a greater depth) - unless I am thinking about this in an over simplistic way?
I think apart from information, time is needed for people to form their opinions.
On the subject of Freediving becoming a big and or Olympic sport, would we really want that? Increasing number of participants, perceiving our sport simply as safe and free also increases risks.
I think if Herbert manages his 1000ft dive, not many after him will attempt to reach that. Tanya Streeter's NL record is also standing a long time. The VWT WR records are a bit more within reach, hence more challenges.
Than there are the National Records. Those are usually challenged at the well known dive centre's. The centre's income relies on reputation, on having a name for safety.
I think this motivation in combination with the present expertise, and discussions like we're having here will raise standards and improve safety.
On the subject of Freediving becoming a big and or Olympic sport, would we really want that? Increasing number of participants, perceiving our sport simply as safe and free also increases risks.
I think if Herbert manages his 1000ft dive, not many after him will attempt to reach that. Tanya Streeter's NL record is also standing a long time. The VWT WR records are a bit more within reach, hence more challenges.
Than there are the National Records. Those are usually challenged at the well known dive centre's. The centre's income relies on reputation, on having a name for safety.
I think this motivation in combination with the present expertise, and discussions like we're having here will raise standards and improve safety.
Well, if you reference the document that Will has referenced at the beginning of this post regarding the safety of the sport (page 8), increasing the number of participants woudn't really have an adverse affect on the statistics (holding to the CWT, CNF and FIM disciplines), especially if you compare the number of injuries in freediving, and the number of freedivers against almost any other sport.
I've used this page as a partial reference too by the way.
I would have to surmise that Freediving IS a pretty safe sport - when practiced correctly.
A big olympic sport, perhaps not, but then again, the same was said for BMX, Snowboarding, Freestyle Skiing, Mountain Biking which were also considered extreme demonstration sports.
Cheers!!
Wade, what I mend to say that with the popularisation and the shifting perception(s) a larger public may feel the appeal to try some themselves, without joining a FD club and or instructor, without thinking about safety. I think with popularisation the level of understanding, and the level of education, and the level of the average quality of character, mental capacity?, goes down.
Example:
When I started Scuba, 16 years ago, I joined a scubaclub using the CMAS system. At that time there was a huge book, and the number of dives, the number of skills, the difficulty of skills for obtaining the 3 levels (stars)- let alone becoming an instructor- was a real challenge. Now a days even the CMAS scuba courses have adapted, lowered their standards, to suit the casual vacation diver, almost mirroring PADI's success formula.
Now going to parties, people do not have the same regard for the education and knowledge for scuba diving, as the entry level's have been minimised to the most bare bones understanding and abilities.
I know this deflation (quantitative easing ) mirrors the whole education world, but a part of me thinks it does not grow the same quality of character needed to uphold safety standards.
I hope you understand my concerns.
Example:
When I started Scuba, 16 years ago, I joined a scubaclub using the CMAS system. At that time there was a huge book, and the number of dives, the number of skills, the difficulty of skills for obtaining the 3 levels (stars)- let alone becoming an instructor- was a real challenge. Now a days even the CMAS scuba courses have adapted, lowered their standards, to suit the casual vacation diver, almost mirroring PADI's success formula.
Now going to parties, people do not have the same regard for the education and knowledge for scuba diving, as the entry level's have been minimised to the most bare bones understanding and abilities.
I know this deflation (quantitative easing ) mirrors the whole education world, but a part of me thinks it does not grow the same quality of character needed to uphold safety standards.
I hope you understand my concerns.
Hey guys, it seems that I have become subject of this discussion. I would appreciate if you do not put really wrong facts out here, such as me having 4min CPR. I am coming to terms with what happened, it was not easy, I will write an account with all the details for everyone to read, but for now, it would be really nice if you could refrain from speculations.
Eric, you say I would probably not have done 130m if it was not an official record. There you are completely wrong. I had my very own personal reasons for this dive and am not someone chasing records wildly. You do not know me, you have no idea what kind of diver I am, you know nothing about my physical and mental preparation, you know nothing about my background in diving. Please do not put speculations about my motivation out there, or about what happened to me without any knowledge of the facts. The only one in this discussion who knows anything about that is Linda.
For the record: my constant weight depth is 66m, I did 100m variable weight last year very easily, I used to swallow the mouthfill when I was in my first year of freediving and diving to 50m, as most novice freedivers surely do. What has that got to do with what I did now? You know nothing at all about me.
Fact is, I have taken a mouthfill from 25m to 125m and on Monday, to 130m, wearing a mask. I'd like to know how many people here have done that. The judges and everyone around me did their jobs extremely well. I was well prepared and we had several cut off points build into the dive for the way down, to have a back up plan in case of a problematic descent. Something went wrong in any case, it looks like a medical problem, so I can only be extremely thankful for the fantastic professional team I had around me to take care of me when the 1% chance of something going so wrong actually occured.
I like Bills statements about depth adaptation. I have been training depth on the sled since the middle of March and done many dives to 100m and 100+, to get adapted and used to narcosis. I have always been very strong on narcosis, this is partially to do with my background as a diver, of which, again, you know nothing at all.
I find it really offensive and hurtful to read here that I probably would not have gone for 130m if it was not recognized by Aida. When I have given my account of the events, you can make up your mind as to whether I am a stupid "shallow" diver chasing a record they have no business to attempt.
To everyone who was there to support me, thank you so much, and thank you Linda for jumping into this discussion to set some of the facts right.
Eric, you say I would probably not have done 130m if it was not an official record. There you are completely wrong. I had my very own personal reasons for this dive and am not someone chasing records wildly. You do not know me, you have no idea what kind of diver I am, you know nothing about my physical and mental preparation, you know nothing about my background in diving. Please do not put speculations about my motivation out there, or about what happened to me without any knowledge of the facts. The only one in this discussion who knows anything about that is Linda.
For the record: my constant weight depth is 66m, I did 100m variable weight last year very easily, I used to swallow the mouthfill when I was in my first year of freediving and diving to 50m, as most novice freedivers surely do. What has that got to do with what I did now? You know nothing at all about me.
Fact is, I have taken a mouthfill from 25m to 125m and on Monday, to 130m, wearing a mask. I'd like to know how many people here have done that. The judges and everyone around me did their jobs extremely well. I was well prepared and we had several cut off points build into the dive for the way down, to have a back up plan in case of a problematic descent. Something went wrong in any case, it looks like a medical problem, so I can only be extremely thankful for the fantastic professional team I had around me to take care of me when the 1% chance of something going so wrong actually occured.
I like Bills statements about depth adaptation. I have been training depth on the sled since the middle of March and done many dives to 100m and 100+, to get adapted and used to narcosis. I have always been very strong on narcosis, this is partially to do with my background as a diver, of which, again, you know nothing at all.
I find it really offensive and hurtful to read here that I probably would not have gone for 130m if it was not recognized by Aida. When I have given my account of the events, you can make up your mind as to whether I am a stupid "shallow" diver chasing a record they have no business to attempt.
To everyone who was there to support me, thank you so much, and thank you Linda for jumping into this discussion to set some of the facts right.
Excellent message Bill
After having taught freediving during 22 years, I still don't understand why so many freedivers, coaches, instructors can't understand the concept of depth adaptation
Two informations for the freedivers
1) We have a freediving logbook in the sport university of Nice.
It works well.
AIDA should propose to all freedivers a pdf logbook to be uploaded
This type of doc could be used to help AIDA judges in competitions or record attempts, could help trainers and instructors too
2) Even if I was not in the boat when Loic died, I know today after a very long investigation that the rope of the slede and the rope of the counter ballast system crossed, this because the 2 ropes were too close (8 meters).
The knowledge we have now lead us to :
- increase the distance between the two ropes
- use a modified CB system which implies that the ballast (when CB is activated) cross the official end of the rope only in 33% of the attempted depth
- not activate at each attempt the CB as it was done for Loic, because this method increase the risk
- to prefer (if we would like to activate a retrieval system at each training dive) another system like an electric winch or a mechanical system without a CB (and not forgetting that the electrical winch must have a back up system)
claude
After having taught freediving during 22 years, I still don't understand why so many freedivers, coaches, instructors can't understand the concept of depth adaptation
Two informations for the freedivers
1) We have a freediving logbook in the sport university of Nice.
It works well.
AIDA should propose to all freedivers a pdf logbook to be uploaded
This type of doc could be used to help AIDA judges in competitions or record attempts, could help trainers and instructors too
2) Even if I was not in the boat when Loic died, I know today after a very long investigation that the rope of the slede and the rope of the counter ballast system crossed, this because the 2 ropes were too close (8 meters).
The knowledge we have now lead us to :
- increase the distance between the two ropes
- use a modified CB system which implies that the ballast (when CB is activated) cross the official end of the rope only in 33% of the attempted depth
- not activate at each attempt the CB as it was done for Loic, because this method increase the risk
- to prefer (if we would like to activate a retrieval system at each training dive) another system like an electric winch or a mechanical system without a CB (and not forgetting that the electrical winch must have a back up system)
claude
Find also at
https://public.me.com/claude.chapuis/fr/
the document "Accident_Loic.ai" (illustrator document with the correct scale)
Claude
https://public.me.com/claude.chapuis/fr/
the document "Accident_Loic.ai" (illustrator document with the correct scale)
Claude
Watts,
The AIDA judges at spot have the full power to say "NO DIVE" if they are not happy with the safety/setup for the dive. And this happen all the time.
Thats why AIDA is sending more experinced judges to more advanced record attempts, like a sled that is going deep vs a static attempt.
have a nice day
/Bill
The AIDA judges at spot have the full power to say "NO DIVE" if they are not happy with the safety/setup for the dive. And this happen all the time.
Thats why AIDA is sending more experinced judges to more advanced record attempts, like a sled that is going deep vs a static attempt.
have a nice day
/Bill
At a competition in Vancouver in May 2005, we scheduled the competition at 'slack' tide, but for some reason there was still a huge current. I had announced 83m CWT with no suit in cold water (8C), and I was first to dive. When I reached just 33m, the counter ballast line was crossed with the main dive line. The safety scuba diver was holding on to the counter ballast line at the same depth, which meant there was no way for me to go deeper, since the safety diver was basically blocking the main line as well. I had to turn around. When I got to the surface I yelled to the support team that the lines were crossed, but the competition continued.
I am not sure what the separation of the lines was, it was also around 8m.
I am not sure what the separation of the lines was, it was also around 8m.
Dear Eric
83m CWT with no suit in cold water (8C) !
If I was your coach, you would not have made the dive
But I know that different philosophies exist when it comes about safety
Stays the fact that of course, if 2 ropes intersect, a competition or a training must be stopped (because meaning that there is current or an abnormal thing)
Mistakes are done everywhere, any institution it can be
It can't be an argument for pointing a specific institution
Everybody know that often the human factor is important when an accident occurs
That's why education is important
In our sport, we can regret that regardless of the institution, there is too many freedivers, organizers, champions, that are not enough experienced
And sometimes those who know most are not necessarily the wisest
It doesn't mean that we have to stop
On the contrary, we must continue the adventure
and I know of nothing better than AIDA for now
Brrr... no suit in a 8C water! I know you have your arguments (like others for cold and apnea) but
the key of the depth is relaxation for me
and relaxation in a so cold water ... hard !
(except if you have a large percentage of body fate
Hope to see you again one day Eric
claude
83m CWT with no suit in cold water (8C) !
If I was your coach, you would not have made the dive
But I know that different philosophies exist when it comes about safety
Stays the fact that of course, if 2 ropes intersect, a competition or a training must be stopped (because meaning that there is current or an abnormal thing)
Mistakes are done everywhere, any institution it can be
It can't be an argument for pointing a specific institution
Everybody know that often the human factor is important when an accident occurs
That's why education is important
In our sport, we can regret that regardless of the institution, there is too many freedivers, organizers, champions, that are not enough experienced
And sometimes those who know most are not necessarily the wisest
It doesn't mean that we have to stop
On the contrary, we must continue the adventure
and I know of nothing better than AIDA for now
Brrr... no suit in a 8C water! I know you have your arguments (like others for cold and apnea) but
the key of the depth is relaxation for me
and relaxation in a so cold water ... hard !
(except if you have a large percentage of body fate
Hope to see you again one day Eric
claude
I've read this thread with interest, and thought I'd chime in.
For the most part, I come down on Will's side in this. It's true that his preferred discipline correlates with his opinion on this subject, but that doesn't imply his motivation is not altruistic, and it certainly doesn't invalidate his arguments.
I have never done a NLT dive, nor VWT beyond my max CWT ability (65m). And I would not feel comfortable doing so, unless it were a small (~5m) jump in preparation toward a new CWT PB. In that sense it can be a useful training tool. But beyond that, it becomes purely a stunt in my opinion. I have several years freediving experience, was a competitor in the 2010 Okinawa WC's and have AIDA judging credentials, so I speak as somewhat more than a layperson.
I agree with those who say that AIDA currently occupies an untenable middle ground: sanctioning VWT and NLT record attempts, while not properly instructing or "developing" the disciplines. The observation that a large financial investment could easily double the NLT record casts serious doubt on the purity of the discipline. Imagine if there were no impediment to installing jet engines on Formula One racecars. Those who could afford them would win every race, or more likely than not die trying. That is a stunt, not a sport. Skandalopetra is not afflicted by this problem, because the discipline is tightly regulated and provides an even playing field for all competitors. It's not like $10million will buy a better rock.
Incidentally, I was one of the safety freedivers on Walter's 120m VWT record earlier this year. It was quite scary to be down there on breath-hold while the diver was nearly a minute late coming back. A 40-second hang on the plate is unheard of in CWT/FIM/CNF, because there is simply nothing to wait for! You touch the plate, and immediately turn around and swim up.
One suggestion for AIDA would be to stop referring in its documents to VWT and NLT as "Freediving", and instead refer to them exclusively as "Sled Diving". (This whether they continue to sanction NLT/VWT records or not.) This separation would hopefully create a distinction in people's minds over time between the athletic displines and the mechanical disciplines, and reduce the public's misperception that "Freediving" is one of the world's most dangerous sports. Words matter.
My two cents,
Ben
For the most part, I come down on Will's side in this. It's true that his preferred discipline correlates with his opinion on this subject, but that doesn't imply his motivation is not altruistic, and it certainly doesn't invalidate his arguments.
I have never done a NLT dive, nor VWT beyond my max CWT ability (65m). And I would not feel comfortable doing so, unless it were a small (~5m) jump in preparation toward a new CWT PB. In that sense it can be a useful training tool. But beyond that, it becomes purely a stunt in my opinion. I have several years freediving experience, was a competitor in the 2010 Okinawa WC's and have AIDA judging credentials, so I speak as somewhat more than a layperson.
I agree with those who say that AIDA currently occupies an untenable middle ground: sanctioning VWT and NLT record attempts, while not properly instructing or "developing" the disciplines. The observation that a large financial investment could easily double the NLT record casts serious doubt on the purity of the discipline. Imagine if there were no impediment to installing jet engines on Formula One racecars. Those who could afford them would win every race, or more likely than not die trying. That is a stunt, not a sport. Skandalopetra is not afflicted by this problem, because the discipline is tightly regulated and provides an even playing field for all competitors. It's not like $10million will buy a better rock.
Incidentally, I was one of the safety freedivers on Walter's 120m VWT record earlier this year. It was quite scary to be down there on breath-hold while the diver was nearly a minute late coming back. A 40-second hang on the plate is unheard of in CWT/FIM/CNF, because there is simply nothing to wait for! You touch the plate, and immediately turn around and swim up.
One suggestion for AIDA would be to stop referring in its documents to VWT and NLT as "Freediving", and instead refer to them exclusively as "Sled Diving". (This whether they continue to sanction NLT/VWT records or not.) This separation would hopefully create a distinction in people's minds over time between the athletic displines and the mechanical disciplines, and reduce the public's misperception that "Freediving" is one of the world's most dangerous sports. Words matter.
My two cents,
Ben