W. Trubridge: Cheating death in the deep

[efattah]

Eric - to continue to dive deep knowing that your existing safety system is not equipped to handle the problems you know you are likely to encounter, as per your example above, is reckless. I do not see this attitude as essential or even desirable for deep diving. If you forsee problems on a deep dive, either don't do it or improve the safety. It seems you did both of these things in turn, thankfully.

I'm willing to put myself through a lot of pain and anxiety to dive deep. I am not willing to put myself at extreme risk. Those are two very different things. The term 'death wish' conflates them.

Well Dave, given how you describe getting O2 toxicity convulsions at the bottom (combined with severe narcosis), and you still state that you are happy diving with a blind counterballast system, I think we have a problem. For your style of diving, especially given the symptoms you describe at depth, I would say that diving with a blind counterballast system is extremely unsafe to put it lightly... If I were you, then at the very least I would insist on scuba divers all along the line, with lift bags to attach to you in case of a deep blackout.

This is not a personal attack, I certainly respect you and your abilities a lot, I'm just trying to point out that as individuals sometimes we lose perspective on what we are doing.

 

[Mullins]

Eric, I haven't done those dives yet. I am still engaged in discussions with a couple of dive doctors. If I believe I am going to be at significant risk of a seizure then I won't dive. Also, my acceptance of the blind counterweight system was made before I began investigating the whole 02 toxicity thing. Not that I expect to be able to change it at this late stage.

I should add that I do have some appetite for risk, as most of us do. I do take your point about people's tendency to lose perspective however. Having done these sort of dives in the past without incident I find myself getting somewhat blase about them and my perception of risk may have become a bit skewed. But this is the notorious "it'll be fine..." attitude, which is rather different from a drive towards death.

 

[Kars]

I've just finished reading the article, and indeed quit some danger and death in it, much extaggerd in my opionion. The impression that I got is freedivers are dieing every day and week. Though it may be true for the occational uneducated unobserved youngsters or old folks in hot tubs and lone spearfisherman in the world, I don't think that's the case for the compeditive freediver even with the sleddivers included.

The Death whish part.

Until now I've had twice the realisation 'one is not going to get to the surface on one's own steam'. Both times it happend in CW. The first time it was the most scary. A lot of things had gone wrong, but the effort I invested and my willpower was to strong to do the early turn. As I touched on the 54m, in cold (4c) total darkness I began my swim up. My technique sucked, my mono's heelband was damaged and the negative boyancy with the darkness made it feel like ages in my mind as the line seemed to stay almost stationary in place. I guess that at the depth of about 40m I must have had this sudden sensation of death becomming a possible reality. I overcame this scary thought by shifting on focussing on what I could do, namely doing my very best. So I continioued with beste technique I could produce, and as some boyancy and light returned, I saw some bells from the scubies at 30m pass by. Then Kurt was there at 25m, looking me in the face asking me is it ok? I shook my head and contioued swimming. At about 18m I switched to doing free immersion (I should have done that earlier!) as Glenn was buddying me. That's about the time my memory stopt recording, so I gues I went out about 8-10 seconds later at about 10-9m from the surface where Glenn and Kurt rescued me.

Now if things go wrong or it doesn't feel right I turn early, and If I'm somehow surpriced or be too far down I recognise the situation for what it is, - Oh shit! -, and focus onto the practical thought and task at hand.

I don't whish to have this 'oh shit' sensation, I much rather have the uplifting, "yes the equalisation was good, I'm relaxed, it's going great, let's do a nice perfect swim to the light". The light being the light of the surface offcause!

I think the term Deathwish does not resonate well with me. The feeling I get from the term 'Death Whish' is like some actually WANTS to die. I hope those people who are seaking and crossing their barriers are more searching for the sensations one can have without dieing. The 'Oh shit I'm not going to make it' isn't a pleasant and supportive thought.
On the other hand totally submitting yourself to the element while going down can help to relax and conserve energy. Though personally I prefere to 'wake up' when I'm getting to the plate, to check myself if everything is well and to get that last equalisation and that turn right.

My one favourite dive is the CW one to 50m in the meditarain Spain. Though it was also depth pb, the joy was in the increddible sensations I got standing on an empty flat oceanfloor with a line going up into this endless blue and experienceing a feeling of relaxation homecomming and belonging. Then a inner voice called me to start the swim back up, and so I did with ease and confidence and it became a the best dive I remember. The second best was my recent 43m CWNF in Sharm, because it was no fins, with just 1kg and no packing with hands free equalisation, it was very peacefull and relaxing and magical.

I hope William explains us in his own unedited words what it is he actually tried to explain to the reporter, for it is still unclear to me.

Love, Courage and Water,

Kars

 

[Haydn]

Great report Kars. I think we can all recognise the feellings you expressed. Just remember that if you have great safety divers in place, you can and must rely on them and help them to do their job. So when your dive would otherwise have killed you if you were diving alone, instead of thinking Oh S..., think instead of the great dives you have had, continue to the surface in peace and comfort with the full knowledge that you will wake up on the surface. As long as you reach positive bouyancy, you will get back up. Probably brought up by your safety diver. So stay relaxed and signal to them to bring you up. This way, they will not be forced to action when they gradually recognise you have stopped moving. Turn a bad dive into a great rescue. Or die, if you have dived alone.

 

[efattah]

Just remember that if you have great safety divers in place, you can and must rely on them and help them to do their job. So when your dive would otherwise have killed you if you were diving alone, instead of thinking Oh S..., think instead of the great dives you have had, continue to the surface in peace and comfort with the full knowledge that you will wake up on the surface.

Perhaps Loic Leferme was thinking that... that he would wake up on the surface. Sadly he never woke up, despite the excellent safety team.

 

[chrismar]

Perhaps Loic Leferme was thinking that... that he would wake up on the surface. Sadly he never woke up, despite the excellent safety team.

No Limits != Constant Weight

From what I've heard of Loic's final dive, I don't think he expected to wake up on the surface...

 

[Haydn]

Loic was the loveliest freediver I ever met. I bet he was calm throughout the experience and that calmness would have helped him and his safety team. The problem is that No Limits is a totally different problem when safety is concerned and in my way of thinking requires different safety procedures than just relying on surface freedivers. I believe Loics problems occurred prior to the period when the safety divers would have come out to play and at their most useful, they need to be looking into your eyes, not 50 meters away on a boat or waiting at -25. I have never seen any detailed reports though so I really dont know the details.

No Limits kills or seriously injures 50% of divers attempting or training for world records.

Herbert...Alive, Loic....Dead,Tanya....Alive, Audrey.....Dead, Benjamin seriously injured.
A whole bunch of people doing it and one by one they will step up to the mark and be counted.

 

[whucash]

This is the best discussion i ever red on deeperblue...When i'm reading it it gives me so much power...I mean when i hear all the stories about the fight with your own head its just amazing! This is the site of freediving that inspires me! That is why i forgot about the scuba..the mental side..the way you have to fight with yourself with your own limits...for me freediving isn't bitting world records its about bitting your own records..your own limits... Just wanted to tell what i feel Cheerse!

 

[efattah]

Sadly, Loic chose to dive 'blind', i.e. = no fluid goggles or vision equipment at all.

If he could have seen the cable or whatever it was, I strongly believe he would have reacted differently. As it was, he could have had no knowledge of what was going on. It is extremely unlikely he could see anything at all.

Similarly, Audrey also chose to dive blind, even though she had a pair of fluid goggles that she often used in the warm up.

 

[Kars]

Dave Mullins dives without goggles mask or uw lenses, just a noseclip. He claims to see enough for the things he needs to do in constant weight. I wonder why he chooses not wear fluid goggles?

In No-limitits things are more complicated, why they do NOT USE fluid goggles?

Do they blow off in the fast ride down or up?
Do these divers feel these are anoying or distracting, and or could they hinder equalisation?

Personaly I've tested fluid goggles only once in a small pool. I was amazed of the vision and field of vision it provided. To me it was almost like seeing with my normal eyes, but now also under water.
I still could dive 'blind', I just close my eyes, like I like to do in the glide phase.

Kars

 

[Mullins]

I wonder why he chooses not wear fluid goggles?

Cost and simplicity. They're an expensive piece of gear that doesn't really improve performance, and I prefer to keep things simple if possible. However I might have to get some to use in the Bahamas as they would probably allow me to pick up a tag faster. That's really the only reason though.

 

[turtle]

But looking death into they eyes? Come on...Death doesn't have eyes to look at. It's just what happens when you stop living. No glory in it, just shutting down bodily functions. About as glorified as forgetting to fill the gas tank and getting stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Funny & also very true