Florida Freedivers owner Jonathan Dickinson demonstrates the ‘free immersion’ method
of moving up and down a line in the water without kicking. The method allows
breath-hold divers to expend less energy in the water.
Photo contributed by Florida Freedivers
By Willie Howard
Following the Sept. 19 death of 15-year-old free diver Skyler Hunt in the ocean off Boca Raton, those who enjoy the growing sport of free diving — or diving without the aid of scuba gear —emphasize the need for proper training.
Although it’s not clear what degree of training the Hobe Sound teenager had or what happened that day when he was free diving with a spear gun in about 55 feet of water off Red Reef Park, experts say proper training and strict adherence to fundamental safety rules can prevent most free-diving accidents.
A call for help went out around 1:50 p.m. that afternoon. A Boca Raton police boat joined vessels from the Coast Guard, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and private boaters in the search for the missing boy.
Scuba divers from several dive boats searched underwater for two hours before a private diver found the boy’s body on top of a reef in 60 feet of water, according to a Boca Raton police report.
His death is one of about 60 reported “breath-hold” diving deaths that occur annually worldwide, according to the Divers Alert Network in Durham, N.C., better known as DAN. Just under half of the reported deaths happen in the United States.
DAN Research Director Neal Pollock said the number of free-diving deaths is underreported, either because they are reported as drownings instead of breath-hold diving incidents or not reported at all.
Free diving has been growing in popularity in recent years, partly because it requires less gear than scuba diving. Spear fishers like free diving because the lack of breathing noise and bubbles associated with scuba diving makes target fish less wary.
Lack of knowledge and the use of improper methods contribute to most of the accidents in breath-hold diving, said Martin Stepanek, a free-diving world record holder and founder of Freediving Instructors International, an educational organization based in Pompano Beach.
Matthew Pasa, training director for Florida Freedivers in Lake Park, where basic training classes are booked about a month out, said training is essential, even though free diving might seem less complicated than scuba diving.
“It’s not something that you can just hold your breath and go as deep as you want without training,” Pasa said. “We teach safety, and as a byproduct you learn to have longer breath-hold and deeper dives.”
A common cause of free-diving accidents and deaths is shallow-water blackout — a loss of consciousness caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain that typically happens toward the end of a breath-hold dive in relatively shallow water.
Pasa teaches four golden rules of free diving safety to minimize the chances of problems in the water:
One up, one down. Two free divers should be in the water at all times. The diver on the surface watches out for the one who is diving.
Arm’s-reach distance. When both are on the surface, the dive buddy should be within an arm’s reach of the diver. If the diver blacks out, the buddy must be close enough to hold the diver’s head out of the water.
Are you OK? Both verbal and hand-signal responses are required to check the diver’s motor functions and his or her ability to speak.
Wait 30 seconds. A dive buddy on the surface must wait for a full 30 seconds after the diver has surfaced (before diving himself or herself) to make sure the diver who just came up does not develop problems.
Fitness to dive is somewhat important, but better-than-average athletic ability is not required to be a good free diver, Pasa said.
The average person who practices proper breathing methods, knows how to equalize pressure on the ears and understands how to use his or her body position in the water and energy-conserving kick strokes could be a better free diver than a marathon runner, he said.
Certification courses outlined by Freediving Instructors International require participants to take hours of classroom instruction before training in a pool and then in open water.
Most are two-day courses.
Core free-diving courses include Junior Free Diver, for ages 12 to 15 with a maximum depth of 50 feet.
The popular Level 1 free-diver course, for ages 16 and older, trains divers for a maximum depth of 66 feet.
Level 2 certification trains free divers for a maximum depth of 132 feet. Level 3 training is for competitive free diving and includes instruction on changes in diet and exercise to maximize the body’s free diving potential.
Fort Lauderdale
boat show activities
The 56th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, featuring boats ranging from kayaks to superyachts along with marine accessories, art and clothing, continues through Nov. 9 at seven waterfront locations.
Special events include kids fishing clinics beginning at noon and 2 p.m. on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8 at the Broward County Convention Center.
IGFA School of Sportfishing seminars also will be held at the convention center.
The Blue Wild Watersports and Marine Art Expo will be held in lobby B/C of the convention center. Speakers will discuss watersports such as free diving, spear fishing, stand-up paddleboarding and underwater photography.
Adult admission is $25 online or $27 at the show. Youth tickets (ages 6-15) are $10 online or $12 at the show. Children under 6 will be admitted free.
Details: www.FLIBS.com or (800) 940-7642.
Coming events
Nov. 7: Basic boating safety class offered by the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Boca Raton. Class will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the headquarters building at Spanish River Park, 3939 N. Ocean Blvd. Fee $35. Register at the door. Bring lunch. Call 391-3600 or www.cgauxboca.org.
Nov. 12: CCA Florida’s North Palm Beach Chapter hosts its 30th annual banquet and auction, 6 p.m., Palm Beach County Convention Center, West Palm Beach. Tickets: $125 per person or $225 per couple. Call Matthew Behm at 644-2788.
Nov. 28: Basic boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 54. Begins at 8 a.m. in the meeting room (next to the boat ramps) at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, Federal Highway south of Gateway Boulevard, Boynton Beach. Fee $40. Call Ron Cuneo, 389-1850.
Tip of the month
As cooler weather moves into South Florida, expect Spanish mackerel along the beaches. The hard-charging beauties with golden spots are fun to catch on light tackle. Try casting spoons, flashy jigs and lures such as Gotcha plugs on spinning rods rigged with 40-pound-test leader.
Cast out jigs or spoons, let them sink for a few seconds, then reel them back fast to trigger a strike. Also try a 7-weight fly rod with intermediate sinking line and a wire trace on the leader to avoid cut-offs.
Look for Spanish over patches of hard bottom along the beach in 5 to 20 feet of water. If they’re hard to find, anchor in the sand near hard bottom and chum with glass minnows. Watch for flocks of sea birds that follow mackerel schools. If they’re feeding near the beach, Spanish can be caught from shore (or from piers such as the Lake Worth pier) by using a heavy jig, Gotcha plug or casting spoon that can be cast far enough to reach the school.
Bring pliers to remove hooks along with extra lures and leader because toothy Spanish often bite through leaders.
Minimum size: 12 inches to the fork of the tail. Daily bag limit: 15 per angler.
Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Reach him at tiowillie@bellsouth.net.
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