Posted by CalAbDiver on July 28, 2001 at 16:37:05:
In Reply to: Terry Mass' son dies posted by Max Bottomtime on July 28, 2001 at 10:24:02:
the most dangerous way to freedive is to weight yourself neutrally. that is the only way that a diver could become "motionless on the bottom." if weighting had been slightly positively buoyant then unconsciousness would have been followed by automatic surfacing and possible recovery on the surface.
deep freediving (20' or more) carrys with it a whole slew of physiological hazards to which no one is immune. weighting yourself neutral for freediving is like playing russian roulette.
many freedivers who spearfish make a habit of neutral buoyancy because it then requires less energy for fighting to keep themselves down. as they then kick up back to the surface, if they lose conscious, and they dont recognize any of the onset signs, such as the purple flashbulbs, or the silvery stars, or the bright tunnel with the dark frame, or ringing in their ears, and they therefore fail to take off their weightbelt and hold it in their hand, then they are going to end up "motionless on the bottom."
absent an astute buddy being right there to rescue them, it will be all over.
this news flash is about futility and fate. nobody is immune from shallow water blackout while freediving.