Spearfishing blackout video

  • If for no other reason, this is why freediving classes should be taken. Purely to train for the unexpected dangers of this sport, and how to handle them appropriately (god forbid) if they ever should arise.

  • Nah, a water rescue/CPR course together with watching this video would have you better prepared.


    Dan...... Just curious. Why are you so against freedive classes or freedive training in general or as a way of improving diving while spearfishing?
    A lot of athletes train in areas outside of there area of expertise. For example some football players train in ballet for better balance and body control. a lot of nfl players train in mma for strength and conditioning. Olympic wrestlers trained in gymnastics to improve flexability, balance, and body awareness. This goes from prep players to those competing at the highest level.


    Im not saying your views are right or wrong and you are definitely entitled to your opinion. I will say however that in my short time here I have run acrossed several posts where you seemingly mock the idea of people that aim to improve their freediving as a means to make them better spearos and I would like to know your reasoning.

  • Honestly when I took mine through FII, the main focus was on physiology when diving and practicing safety techniques in the case of LMC or SWB. I found it invaluable in my ability to deal with problematic situations, and to better gauge my limits. That's just my personal experience however.

  • You learn to get deeper. Not to be a better diver.


    When someone asks how deep I dive I have two answers, "as shallow as possible to get fish" or " it depends on how I feel that day"


    Anyone who guarantees a depth is not listening to the real signals

    i like to spear fish

  • You learn to get deeper. Not to be a better diver.


    When someone asks how deep I dive I have two answers, "as shallow as possible to get fish" or " it depends on how I feel that day"


    Anyone who guarantees a depth is not listening to the real signals


    As much as I consider myself one to push the limit on a lot of things, freediving is not one of them. Like Judah said, some days I feel great diving and others I feel like shit. I would never trust a watch or pre-defined depth rating to let me know how "safe" I am. The human body gives more than enough signals that every diver should learn to be in tune with.


    If the big fish are hanging out shallow while I am hunting...even better.

  • I had a dive shop in miami tell me that part of their core curriculum is teaching 'proper' kick cycles... Seriously though, couldnt you save +/- $300.00 and just choose a good dive buddy or two, plan your work, and then work your plan? I thought about taking one too, but Dan brings up some good points which got me thinking. I have a dive buddy who's taken an FII coarse and he told me "If you can hold your breath for 40sec you can dive 60'." His bottom time is less than mine because I dive ALOT more than he does and he has his certified card.


    my .02,


    Chase

    Relax & Go Spearfishing

  • The goal of freedive instructors is to package freediving like what was done with scuba, so they can sell it. The "certification" makes me laugh. It was Kirk Krack who started it with PFI, makes sense because he was a scuba instructor before he got into freediving only 10 years ago. They can package freediving, I couldn't care less about those homos. But when they try to catch spearfishing with their BS marketing, well that's when I have to say something.

  • You learn to get deeper. Not to be a better diver.


    When someone asks how deep I dive I have two answers, "as shallow as possible to get fish" or " it depends on how I feel that day"


    Anyone who guarantees a depth is not listening to the real signals


    The courses do not guarantee depth...


    Water rescue techniques are taught in the courses.


    CPR is not only ineffective but can also be dangerous to a blackout diver. When a diver blacks out the epiglottis closes to prevent water from entering the lungs. Without reviving the diver, trying to force air into their lungs can won't do anything and you can potentially damage tissue. Also the main premiss of CPR is circulation of blood. The idea is that there is enough oxygen in the blood to prevent tissue damage. periodically adding enough air to the lungs to replace some of that oxygen. When a diver has blacked out the blood is oxygen depleted and the brain is doing everything it can to conserve oxygen and keep as much of it in the brain as possible. CPR would fight both of those natural mechanisms.


    There is a bad misconception among those who haven't taken the courses and many looking to take the courses that they are all about depth. While you may increase your depth by taking the course this is mostly a product of proper technique. The courses focus primarily of safety, technique and physiology.


    That being said the courses can vary widely from instructor to instructor. Some instructors prefer a more "hippy" style that includes a lot of meditation and other forms of relaxation. Others take a much more scientific approach. In my opinion these are the better and more practical courses.


    Clearly there are different levels of quality, but there are a basic level of information and technique that, when applied properly, can improve diving. You can learn many of these with years of practice and from more experienced divers but the courses can condense and shorten this learning curve. You can teach yourself to read but it is still much easier and faster to be taught by a teacher.


    If the diver in the video had taken a freediving course he would have known how to revive his friend and many of the factors that resulted in this event could have been prevented.


    Sorry, I didn't intend for this for this to become the rant it did.


  • Do you think it's worth +/- $300.00?

    Relax & Go Spearfishing

  • The courses do not guarantee depth...


    Water rescue techniques are taught in the courses.


    CPR is not only ineffective but can also be dangerous to a blackout diver. When a diver blacks out the epiglottis closes to prevent water from entering the lungs. Without reviving the diver, trying to force air into their lungs can won't do anything and you can potentially damage tissue. Also the main premiss of CPR is circulation of blood. The idea is that there is enough oxygen in the blood to prevent tissue damage. periodically adding enough air to the lungs to replace some of that oxygen. When a diver has blacked out the blood is oxygen depleted and the brain is doing everything it can to conserve oxygen and keep as much of it in the brain as possible. CPR would fight both of those natural mechanisms.


    If you pull a diver out of the water and they are not breathing nor do they have a pulse. You damn well better start CPR!
    If they have a pulse, that is a different story of course. An unconscious diver with a pulse would need to be monitored for breathing. If they are breathing on their own than you can assist them by tilting their head back and keeping their airway clear or if they are not breathing on their own, you can assist them by ventilating and performing rescue breathing.


    Quote

    The best chance for the successful resuscitation of a drowning patient is to administer oxygen and ventilate as soon as possible. Of course, if cardiac arrest is present, CPR should be initiated and necessary ALS measures provided.


    Drownings Present as Hypoxic Events - Patient Care - @ JEMS.com


    That's all basic emergency medicine and I can't imagine a freediving course trying to rewrite that. Even a basic BLS/CPR course offers that information.

  • I think that for those that have taken or plan to take a course in the future, then they should not be ridiculed or looked down upon. Especially if they are getting into the sport on their own and have no experienced friends to teach them. This holier then thou attitude may make new or perspective divers/spearos hesitant to take a course that could teach them proper breathing techniques, proper rescue techniques, and what the signs of trouble are. I am not saying that classes should be considered a necessity but I think with the right mindset going in, they could be a valuable tool.


    Screw the certification. but if a class can at all help someone return safe at the end of the day or help a friend in need then go for it. And if along the way you pick up a few pearls of wisdom that help you reach your target hunting depth more efficiently and be more calm at that depth, then I say more power to ya.
    All of this is worth $300 for me to find out.....
    I will be taking a class this fall

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