Chapter 7 - Safety in Freediving Flashcards
Signs of freediver in need of help
- Change of finning style
- Unfocused eyes
- Grabbing the rope
- Speeding up
- Escaping air
- Inability to keep the head above water
- Anything abnormal
What is LMC
It is a Hypoxic fit that occurs after surfacing if Oxygen levels are too low. It happens only after a dive. It can be described as the red zone of low oxygen before falling unconscious.
Indications of LMC
Jerky movements with the limbs or the head.
What should be done when one experiences LMC.
Stop freediving for the rest of the day. Find out why it happened.
Symptom of an oncoming blackout
- Ear ringing
- Feeling of warmth
- The dive starts to feel easier
- Tunnel vision
- Fuzzy thoughts
- Tingling sensation
Steps in rescuing a freediver
- Gently hold the diver so his/her airways are out of the water
- Remove facial equipment if needed
- Reassure him/her and coach him/her through his/her recovery breathing
- Remind him/her to stop diving for the rest of the day
- Check for injuries as a result of the LMC
In rescuing a blackout what does the acronym SAFE mean?
Surface: Get the freediver out of the surface
Airways: Hold him so that the airways are out of the water
FE: Remove facial equipments
What should be done if after a rescue, the victim still does not resume breathing
- Call for help
- Start CPR
- Evacuate to the nearest medical facility
Ways to reduce risks (LMC/BO) in freediving
- Relaxation
- Conservative freediving
- Apply good technique
- Recovery breathing
- Hydration
- Always freedive with a trained buddy
- Correct weighting
- Snorkel out
- Rescue technique practice
- Bring a float
- Lanyard
What is a BlackOut? Why is it dangerous?
A Blackout is the loss of consciousness caused by lack of oxygen. A repeated dosage of blackout may have a negative effect on the brain.
How much time do you allow between freediving and scuba diving?
One Scuba - 12 hrs
Multiple Scuba - 24 hrs
Communication is important within a buddy team. Please comment.
Both members of the buddy team have to attune their plans for the session. They have to keep continuous contact to inform each other over every single dive’s objectives and possible troubles.
Why make the distinction between verbal and non-verbal communication in static apnea (STA)?
Tell each other what you like, what you do not like and what you expect from your buddy. Some freedivers do not like to be touched and other freedivers do not like to be talked to during a breath-hold.
As a safety diver meeting your buddy at depth, how do you detect that your buddy is in trouble?
As a safety diver you will stay face to face with the freediver in such a way that you can always see his/her eyes. Pretty quickly you will develop a feeling for what looks like a normal dive and what is a sign of trouble. You will also identify oncoming trouble by: change of finning style, uncontrolled grabbing of the rope, speeding up towards the end of the dive, escaping air, unable to keep the airways above the surface, anything abnormal.
