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Aharon & MT Solomons
20 Safety Rules for Freediving

Posted By Aharon & MT Solomons on 14 April 2003

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The 20 Rules for Freediving

**Editors Note: Aharon and MT have been training freedivers though their courses for the last few years. Through their experiences, they have developed a set of rules that helps to increase the safety of a freediver while out in the water. Following these rules will reduce the chances of an accident due to a physiological problem from improper freediving techniques.**

THE SAFETY PROCEDURES

1) Never Free Dive alone and select your partner

Fixed Weights

  • Depth - Never dive at the same time as your partner
  • Line - The safety diver watches the dive line for the Freediver who must follow it at all times.
  • Partner - should be easily capable of rescuing a diver from the required depth (at least 15m) and should be fully trained in rescue techniques, CPR and administration of O2 etc.
  • Meeting - The objective is for the safety diver to meet the freediver and escort him- Face to Face through the area of greatest danger - which is between 15m and the surface. The depth at which they meet should be relative to the depth that the freediver has dived but not deeper than 15m. In all dives the safety diver is responsible for timing the dive and he should begin his descent at half the expected dive time.
  • Any dives greater than 30m require either a stand-by SCUBA set with organised lift tackle or a safety lanyard and retrieval system. Different sea/lake conditions may require safety divers at more frequent intervals.

2) Never Free Dive after a Scuba Dive

  • The Nitrogen remaining in the tissues after Scuba Diving can lead to decompression sickness when micro-bubbles are recompressed and their consequent expansion upon the rapid ascent during an ensuing freedive. Those with PFO are in a much higher risk category.
  • Wait at least 12 hours after a Scuba Dive before you do a Free Dive.

3) Never 'ride' the flexibility of your eardrum.

  • Equalise on descent only (about every 3m). Never force an equalisation. Never continue after a failed equalisation - abort the dive! Never equalise on ascent.
  • A nose clip, where used should be removed at the beginning of the ascent.
  • "'Ramboism' The 'I must get to 40m 'syndrome. I successfully dive to 35m and equalise, cannot equalise at 38m but try for 40m nevertheless as the bottom seems close and pressure differentials are less.
    This is a seductive process and is nothing but a gamble on the flexibility of an eardrum. If you guess wrong the result can be a burst eardrum with its associated consequences; extreme vertigo and nausea "

4) Always be correctly weighted

  • It is dangerous to be over weighted. This can cause equalisation problems on descent and on ascent can cause an unnecessary expenditure of effort. Particularly dangerous with thicker suits for winter diving. A good rule of thumb is to achieve neutral buoyancy at 15m.

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