Freediving Safety Check-list - A must know and to be followed

Whether you have taken a Freediving course or not, knowing and following some simple rules and recommendations will ensure you and your freediving buddy are as safest as you possibly can be, minimizing risk of shallow water blackout to almost a zero and being prepared for it in case it happens. The safety check-list and rules outlined below should be memorized ( you can take picture of it and have it on your phone as a reminder) and applied before every dive session, be it recreational freediving, line diving or spearfishing:

1) NEVER DIVE ALONE ( ONLY DIVE WITH A FREEDIVING BUDDY WHO IS COMPETENT IN FREEDVING RESCUE MANEUVERS, PREFERRABLY ONE WHO IS CERTIFIED FREEDIVER. THE SAME OFCOURSE APPLIES VICE VERSA: YOU SHOULD BE COMPETENT IN FREEDIVING RESCUE MANEUVERS, BOTH IN RESCUES OF A DIVER SUFFERING FROM LMC AND SHALLOW WATER BLACKOUT

2) NEVER HYPERVENTILATE BEFORE A DIVE

3) NEVER DIVE WITH A SNORKEL IN YOUR MOUTH

4) MAKE SURE YOU ARE PROPERLY WEIGHTED (EG. ESTABLISHING NEUTRAL BUOYANCY @ - 10 M ) AND NEVER OVERWEIGH YOURSELF ! : DO A SURFACE BUOYANCY CHECK ON A PASSIVE EXHALE, YOU SHOULD NOT BE SINKING AND WATER LINE SHOULD BE ANYWHERE BETWEEN YOUR NOSE AND EYEBROWS/FOREHEAD.

5) NEVER PUSH YOUR LIMITS (DEPTH AND TIME). DIVE WITHIN YOUR COMFORT ZONE

6) ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU ARE FULLY RELAXED BEFORE YOUR DIVE

7) MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A DIVE BUOY (WITH A DIVE FLAG PREFERRABLY)

8) MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR BUDDY ARE BOTH WELL HYDRATED AND RESTED BEFORE DIVING: NEVER DIVE WHEN TIRED OR DEHYDRATED

9) NEVER EVER BLOW OUT AIR WHILE UNDER WATER, NOT ON DESCENT, NOR BOTTOM, NOR ASCENT

10) ALWAYS DO RECOVERY BREATHING AFTER EVERY DIVE

11) ALLOW FOR AT LEAST 2 X DIVE TIME REST ON SURFACE BEFORE YOUR NEXT DIVE ( EG. IF YOUR DIVE TIME IS 1 MIN, YOUR REST/BREATHUP ON SURFACE SHOULD BE AT LEAST 2 MIN PRIOR YOUR NEXT DIVE.)

12) EQUALIZE EARLY AND OFTEN, PRE-EQUALIZE BEFORE YOUR DUCKDIVE, DONT FORGET TO EQUALIZE YOUR MASK ASWELL

13) DONT EAT HEAVY / BIG MEALS ( FAT AND PROTEIN RICH) PRIOR DIVING

14) ALWAYS USE A LANYARD WHEN LINE DIVING

15) KEEP A BOTTLE OF WATER ON YOUR BUOY AND DRINK AFTER ~1.5 HOURS OF DIVING EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT THIRSTY !

16) CARRY A DIVE KNIFE (ON UPPER ARM) WHEN FREEDIVING RECREATIONALLY OR SPEARFISHING

17) AVOID DIVING IN NARROW CAVES, NARROW OPENINGS OF A SHIP WRECK, ETC.

18) AVOID DIVING IN STRONG CURRENT, SWELL, BE MINDFUL OF WEATHER

19) AVOID DIVING IN HEAVY BOAT TRAFFIC AREAS

20) WHEN RECREATIONALLY DIVING OR SPEARFISHING, USE ONE UP-ONE DOWN BUDDY SYSTEM AND WATCH YOUR BUDDY.

21) PREFERRABLY USE A HIGH VISIBILITY FLOATLINE WHEN SPEARFISHING. THE FLOAT LINE IS ATTACHED AT THE HANDLE OF YOUR SPEARGUN AND ALLOWS YOUR BUDDY TO TRACK YOU WHILE YOU ARE UNDER WATER

22) AVOID STRENUOUS FINNING AND UNECESSARY MOVEMENTS WHILE ON THE BOTTOM WHILE RECREATIONALLY FREEDIVING OR SPEARFISHING. RELAX AND USE AS LTTLE ENERGY AS POSSIBLE TO COVER DISTANCE!