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Diving Safety, Accidents and Incidents Post here to discuss accidents, incidents, ideas, gear, or anything else to improve spearfishing safety. Memorials and condolences threads should be placed in that separate forum.

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Old 09-30-2011, 04:20 PM   #31
fishstew
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

that makes sense.....glad I asked. I wont be doing that anymore!
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Old 09-30-2011, 04:51 PM   #32
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

Quote:
Originally Posted by dr.ed View Post
If a SWB occurs the snorkel in your mouth allows water to enter your lungs.
I believe this is 100% wrong. When you look at the number of freediver blackout victims over the years, very few had pulmonary complications when they retained their snorkel. However, in the last 10 years, when it has been fashionable to remove the snorkel, many have wound up in the hospital with lung problems due to aspiration of water.
Divers Alert Network (DAN) includes a question for those who report suffering freediver blackout regarding their use of a snorkel. Hopefully, we will have a scientific answer to this question as data develops over the next few years. Until then, I'm keeping my snorkel in.
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Old 09-30-2011, 10:25 PM   #33
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

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Originally Posted by tmaas View Post
I believe this is 100% wrong. When you look at the number of freediver blackout victims over the years, very few had pulmonary complications when they retained their snorkel. However, in the last 10 years, when it has been fashionable to remove the snorkel, many have wound up in the hospital with lung problems due to aspiration of water.
Divers Alert Network (DAN) includes a question for those who report suffering freediver blackout regarding their use of a snorkel. Hopefully, we will have a scientific answer to this question as data develops over the next few years. Until then, I'm keeping my snorkel in.
Terry
With snorkle out; what is the mechanism of H2O aspiration?

& How does retained snorkel prevent H2O aspiration?
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Old 10-01-2011, 01:11 AM   #34
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

With snorkel in, you are using jaw muscles to keep the snorkel in mouth and burning a little more air. Now, the air is probably not that much but why do it even if it's very little? It is more relaxing having a snorkel out of your mouth than in.

my 2 cents
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Old 10-02-2011, 10:41 PM   #35
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

I find it a lot easier to equalize with the snorkel out.
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Old 10-03-2011, 10:28 PM   #36
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

NEVER DIVE ALONE The first rule of freediving is: Freediving can only be conducted under the direct supervision of a properly trained buddy

This includes spearfishing , depth diving, static apnea, and dynamic apnea.

This is taught in all Fii courses.

My best advise is to take a course. They are worth evey penny.

'Fii' does offer classes in California. Look on Fii's website. Look under locate instructor. There are 3 instructors out there.

Good Luck , Dive Safe
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Old 10-10-2011, 10:17 PM   #37
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

One should never dive alone.. You should always Freedive and Scuba with a buddy. It's one of those things just in case something occurs you can assist the other diver. Safety being the number 1 priority in the sport..
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Old 10-10-2011, 10:32 PM   #38
Bill McIntyre
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

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Originally Posted by freedivehunter View Post
NEVER DIVE ALONE The first rule of freediving is: Freediving can only be conducted under the direct supervision of a properly trained buddy

This includes spearfishing , depth diving, static apnea, and dynamic apnea.

This is taught in all Fii courses.
We've done this so many times before that I hesitate to even get into it again, that advice is totally unrealistic for a freedive spearfisherman in a coastal California kelp bed. We don't do it, and its useless to preach at us. All that is useful is to discuss how to minimize the risk. Otherwise you are pissing up a rope.
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Old 10-11-2011, 12:35 AM   #39
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

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Originally Posted by Bill McIntyre View Post
We've done this so many times before that I hesitate to even get into it again, that advice is totally unrealistic for a freedive spearfisherman in a coastal California kelp bed. We don't do it, and its useless to preach at us. All that is useful is to discuss how to minimize the risk. Otherwise you are pissing up a rope.
x2! I also leave my snorkel in. I have tried it out; that just doesn't work for me.

Here is a link about the issue of buddy diving in the PNW - applies to California as well.

http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=104552
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Old 10-11-2011, 03:38 PM   #40
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

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Originally Posted by Bill McIntyre View Post
We've done this so many times before that I hesitate to even get into it again, that advice is totally unrealistic for a freedive spearfisherman in a coastal California kelp bed. We don't do it, and its useless to preach at us. All that is useful is to discuss how to minimize the risk. Otherwise you are pissing up a rope.
x3.

Low viz + spearguns = same-ocean, or same-lake buddies. I'd rather take my chances with blackouts or gear failure than having a spear up my @ss.

Low viz also tends to restrict depth somewhat. It gets dark down there. Diving in murky waters "should" be more dangerous, but I would bet that it is quite the opposite for exactly that reason.

Also, it is rarely convenient for me personally to round up buddies when it's time to hit the water.
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Old 10-17-2011, 12:42 AM   #41
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Re: Advise on spearfishing alone

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill McIntyre View Post
We've done this so many times before that I hesitate to even get into it again, that advice is totally unrealistic for a freedive spearfisherman in a coastal California kelp bed. We don't do it, and its useless to preach at us. All that is useful is to discuss how to minimize the risk. Otherwise you are pissing up a rope.
1st I did not preach to everyone. Someone asked for advise. I advised them what I do.

2nd I'd like to thank you Bill , north Star, and mepps1 for agreeing with me. Quote "All that is useful is to discuss how to minimize the risk". That is exaclly what was intended be my post. My part of this discussion will minimize risk greatly. if he doesn't want to listen to my advise. He doesn't have to.

3rd I know at lease 5 people that would have died from SWB this past year if they were freedive-speerfishing alone and not with a buddy who saved them.

Good luck and safe diving to everyone
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Old 10-20-2011, 03:13 PM   #42
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Re: Advice on spearfishing alone

It is funnier and indeed more practical indeed to dive with a friend.
Safer, in case the water is clear. From where I come, there was low visibility and I guess there was little probability a buddy on the surface would have noticed a problem, or even found me back in the murky reef waves of Central Africa.
Anyway, there was few candidates ready to go mud-diving, and I was really hooked up so I learnt alone, progressed alone, did my mistakes alone and so on...
I have so many great souvenirs of my self-dives that I would do it again without hesitation. That said, I landed my biggest fish so far with my buddy Fred and it is a nice souvenir to share. But honnestly, if there is nobody to come with me, I will eventually go alone.

Dive with a buddy if you can, If you cannot, well... dive anyway...
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Old 12-28-2011, 08:56 PM   #43
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Re: Advice on spearfishing alone

I don't stay that far from you if you need a dive buddy.
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Old 12-29-2011, 12:07 AM   #44
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Re: Advice on spearfishing alone

A dive buddy in CA can always be helpful for retrieving your body. A dive buddy anywhere can save your ass if you are doing one up one down.

When I dive with others I look at them to see if they are about to pass out. I doubt they look for the same signs on me. Most of the times we are too far from each other.

Dive with someone as much as you can but don't expect them to save you unless you plan the dive one up one down or your buddy happens to be looking at you. The truth is..you are on your own...so educate yourself, be safe and be prepare.
Stick to the double time in the surface...I even remove my mask from time to time and let the air wake me up and keep me alert.

If you can afford it, the new vest might be a good purchase.
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Old 12-29-2011, 04:36 PM   #45
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Re: Advice on spearfishing alone

i dive alone sometimes, its often hard to find someone to go. I think you can be reasonably safe if you take proper precautions. i own the freediver recovery vest, I set it so it sends me to the surface if I'm down over a minute so even if I get carried away chasing something Im heading to the surface in 60 seconds one way or the other. so I keep it conservative. i also always double my intervals on top at least. Nothing fun to do is without risk. i fly single engine airplanes in Ifr(clouds and weather) sure its much safer to have 2 pilots one to work radios and navigation and one to keep the airplane right side up but many of us fly solo. Simply means the risk are somewhat greater so you have to train take precautions such as preparing and proper equimpment but you then accept the risk.
I have had days where I forgot to bring my tank to refil the vest after it went off so I am done diving for the day... that slants the risk to far for me so I elect to stop. Sometimes the viz is not as good as I like so if im not comfortable even with the vest I stop.
I dont think i have a death wish as some would make you believe because i choose to go alone. I still want to do the sport so I have found this to make it acceptable in terms of risk for me. With that said if I didnt have the vest i would only dive WITH a buddy.
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