Well, this sucks. No more pool.

[freediverdude]

Someday all freedivers will do internet based work, from their cottage next to Dean's blue hole...

Or from their waterproof laptop or iPad at the bottom of the pool.

 

[ashirk]

Hm, this is kind of depressing. I'm just getting back into scuba and freediving (I live in Baltimore) and joined a pool close to work. I have not yet started doing actual formal freediving training in the pool, I think partly because I suspected the lifeguard would have a complete fit if he saw me face down in the pool for over 30 seconds.

I plan to start training formally here in the next few weeks and will be talking with the lifeguard. This thread is confirming my initial fears. Keeping fingers crossed. Agree, this is completely an insurance issue and the litigious nature of our society.

 

[ashirk]

Well I have some sad news to report. I started my 2016 training, and yesterday included my first day at the pool working dynamics. I had previously talked with the lifeguard there and he said he was fine with me practicing as long as he could see me moving, but he said statics with me just lying face down in the pool was not permitted. I asked him that if I had a partner if he would be ok with it and he said yes. Ok so all was set.

I get in the pool, start my workout, swimming reps from 35m to 50m with fins. About 20 minutes into the workout the aquatics manager approaches me and tells me he can't allow breath hold training in his pool. Complicating this issue even further are stories like this that he pointed out:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/elite-...-spotlights-dangers-shallow/story?id=35991838

This literally occurred just a couple weeks ago and very tragic for sure. What's very scary about this (and further highlighting the concerns expressed in this thread) is that now because of incidents like this there is almost zero tolerance for any kind of activity for this. Apparently according to this pool director, even when there are trained personnel on deck monitoring the activity closely, it does not guarantee that someone will get hurt or even die. Apparently they even tried to revive him and it was not possible.

Have to say I feel really sad about this and almost feel like in order to pursue free diving with any kind of freedom I would have to leave the US and live in another country where the responsibility of my own safety rests with me.

I wonder if here in the US we really need a advocacy group that can help manage this issue. I feel like I have to build my own aquatic center, funded with my own money, and manage the liability carefully with a couple lawyers on staff. Specifically breath hold training would be allowed in a practical and safe manner. There is risk, just like strapping on a parachute and jumping out of a plane. Those who swim in such facilities acknowledge the risk and are 100% responsible for their actions and any consequences.

I really wanted a couple b0urbons last night but alas it was a working night (sunday) and I was out of bourbon

 

[Kars]

Jep Ashirk, it's a changing culture, from encouraging to take risk and responsibility, to avoiding those.

One thing I was told here is to start a club, or to join one, and practice under their responsibility.

I'm said to hear about that swimmer drowning; he should have know about freediving and this website, for if he did he would have considered having a safety diver, and had choosen a different preparation. This gives me the idea that it would be good if lifeguards would learn about freediving, so they know what's going on, and can teach people how to practice more safely and spur them on to do a freediving course.

On the other hand, freediving demands thinking before doing as the outcome is very likely to be fatal. Since school isn't teaching risk and responsibility, I think parents and dads need to step up to the plate and teach the young how to do and explore dangerous things.

Here a video on the subject of dangerous things:



Though this gentleman likes to incorporate a pro gun in private hands message, he does stick to the subject, and even talks about pools at 18'26".

 

[Triton1715]

Jep Ashirk, it's a changing culture, from encouraging to take risk and responsibility, to avoiding those.

One thing I was told here is to start a club, or to join one, and practice under their responsibility.

I'm said to hear about that swimmer drowning; he should have know about freediving and this website, for if he did he would have considered having a safety diver, and had choosen a different preparation. This gives me the idea that it would be good if lifeguards would learn about freediving, so they know what's going on, and can teach people how to practice more safely and spur them on to do a freediving course.

On the other hand, freediving demands thinking before doing as the outcome is very likely to be fatal. Since school isn't teaching risk and responsibility, I think parents and dads need to step up to the plate and teach the young how to do and explore dangerous things.

Here a video on the subject of dangerous things:



Though this gentleman likes to incorporate a pro gun in private hands message, he does stick to the subject, and even talks about pools at 18'26".

You are 100% Kars. It is entirely about avoiding personal responsibility. I'm just sick of what western culture is fading into. . .slowly becoming so afraid of its own shadow that we'll eventually have to ban any lighted area that doesn't uniformly cover the person to prevent shadows. I'm surprised bubble-wrapping all sharp corners isn't already mandatory in all public spaces with the way the nanny-state seems to be going.

It's that time of year again when I would usually start heading to the pool to start training again, but I'm left with little options these days. As much as it pains me to say it, I suspect that my freediving days are becoming very limited owing to having no place within reasonable distance for in-water training. It just stinks to have my favorite activity squelched primarily by people that don't even understand the sport, but hear 1 or 2 publicized deaths in the country and overreact by shutting it all down. As is, New York City and Santa Barbara have actually banned long breath-holds in public pools city wide. . . fitting for a city that tried to limit what size soda someone can buy. What a bunch of morons.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-drowning-pools-idUSKBN0OE16D20150529

 

[Apneaddict]

Bubble wrap has been banned and is getting outlawed. It's an environmental thing.


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[Apneaddict]

The joke is that banning freediving in pools leads people into open-water which is obviously more dangerous - particularly when done alone.


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[REVAN]

Have to say I feel really sad about this and almost feel like in order to pursue free diving with any kind of freedom I would have to leave the US and live in another country where the responsibility of my own safety rests with me.

I a twist of irony: At great expense, I made my own 20m training pool and I still can't train in it because there is no one else here to train with. I will not train alone, so it just doesn't happen more than a couple times a year when I have company visiting. It is nice when it works out, but it is far too infrequent to be able to stay in decent diving shape. I am basically restricted to technique training only.

 

[SubCurrent]

I'm from South Florida and I feel your pain.

It's the same reason why you don't see personal diving boards in home pools anymore. The insurance risk is too high and costly.

I just go out in open water or quarry at night when no one's there. I limit my freedives to 60 seconds. Sometimes I stay out most of the night. I like to cruise the bottom and explore, not train. Call me crazy but I like the peacefulness of it.

If I ever do some serious training, I'll probably have to go to the Y or something. Coming together and creating a freedive training center would be a cool idea. Maybe someone can fund it on Kickstarter. I'd make it 100 ft deep above ground. You'd sign a liability release waiver similar to when your scuba diving and do whatever you damn well please. If you die, it's your own fault.

The problem is and has always been the non-diving community who don't understand. Plus it's the family members of that diver who complain, ruining it for the rest of us. Plus, it's about public perception, not to mention these stories of drowning don't help at all.

The UK and other countries I hear are much more open minded.

This is a little off topic but when I can afford it, I was thinking about making a waterproof shower like what they did with Lucy and Viv put in a Shower, only bigger and deeper. Remember that? Except I'd have at least one safety shutoff. Personal dive chamber anyone?? I wonder how much it would cost and how much the insurance would be.

In order to change the consensus on freediving training, a large group must come together. On the other hand, with scuba diving, once you sign that waiver, you're pretty much free to do whatever you want. I have to sign one everytime. I'm no expert but I'm sure there's a similar document for freediving training. ☺

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[SubCurrent]

Honestly, I don't train that often because it is hard to find someone, especially someone competent and trustworthy. Where are you located Revan may I ask?

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[REVAN]

Honestly, I don't train that often because it is hard to find someone, especially someone competent and trustworthy. Where are you located Revan may I ask?

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Southern Arizona.

 

[SubCurrent]

Too bad you're not in South Florida.

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[HLanger1955]

May be one could adopt a compromise : DNF or small swimming-fins, 25 m laps. Got some good experience with mixed laps partially (70-80%) underwater, rest at surface, no stop at the end of the laps. Looks almost like swimming, and the guard outside will get not afraid

 

[SubCurrent]

Or cut a hole in a snorkel and make it look like you're breathing from it. If you blackout or drown then it's your fault. [emoji13] [emoji48]

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[Triton1715]

Oh man! I think I may have found myself a pool just 15 minutes away! Fingers crossed, but man am I excited about this!

 

[meastman]

If I ever do some serious training, I'll probably have to go to the Y or something. Coming together and creating a freedive training center would be a cool idea. Maybe someone can fund it on Kickstarter. I'd make it 100 ft deep above ground. You'd sign a liability release waiver similar to when your scuba diving and do whatever you damn well please. If you die, it's your own fault.

Wow, I was just thinking about that earlier today! Imagining building a pool center that specializes in free diving training. I wonder if its possible to make 100ft deep pool anywhere in Florida? I have not seen any. In that case, I think it could be a great idea that could really take off. It'll take a team of people to make it happen, but once it does, it'll be cool. I wonder how much the total would be for construction...

 

[SubCurrent]

I bet it would be a million or more due to the depth. Also, scuba divers should be allowed to use it as well.

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[REVAN]

It's too bad we can't buy a surplus Titan missile silo and turn it into big deep pool for divers. The launch tubes were 147 feet deep and 55 feet in diameter, and they were lined with reinforced high strength concrete. It was the best construction money could buy. It would be really great, except that the government always demolitioned the launch tube before they sold the land as proof that the silo can't be reactivated. When you can buy them, all you get is the bunker, but no launch tube.

I think the last intact Titan silo is now a museum at the edge of my local town. Whenever I see it, I have a strong urge to fill it with water!

 

[DuncM]

It's too bad we can't buy a surplus Titan missile silo and turn it into big deep pool for divers. The launch tubes were 147 feet deep and 55 feet in diameter, and they were lined with reinforced high strength concrete. It was the best construction money could buy. It would be really great, except that the government always demolitioned the launch tube before they sold the land as proof that the silo can't be reactivated. When you can buy them, all you get is the bunker, but no launch tube.

I think the last intact Titan silo is now a museum at the edge of my local town. Whenever I see it, I have a strong urge to fill it with water!

 

[REVAN]

I couldn't tell if the launch tube was clear and free of debris, or if diving down into the tube was more like diving in a wreck. I had heard that the launch tubes were demolitioned upon decommissioning, a requirement of the SALT treaty, I think. Maybe this one is so old that it was decommissioned before SALT. It looks cool for scuba diving, but it appears a far cry from NEMO33 for freediving training.