Freediving Safety Tips: How to Dive Smart
Safety is paramount in freediving. Whether you're a novice or an experienced diver, following key safety practices will ensure you have a safe and enjoyable experience.
Here are some essential tips:
Never Dive Alone! Always dive with a buddy. This is the first rule of freediving, and for good reason! If you are diving with a certified buddy (and actually following the safety procedures you learned in your course!), freediving is a very safe activity. Diving alone, however, can be extremely dangerous, and solo divers unfortunately continue to perish.
Practice Rescue Drills: Most freedivers only do the rescue drills during the freediving course, and never again (until it’s time to apply it in practice). As with every other skill, the memory of the correct procedure fades over time, and it should be practiced regularly. If you haven’t done it in a while, or you are diving with a new buddy, it’s a good idea to practice some recsues at some point in your session.
Equipment Check: It’s a good practice to check your equipment regularly, especially if you are using a freediving buoy and line setup. Check for wear and tear on all the essential parts (line, bottom weight, bottom stopper, carabiners, D-rings, webbing, and inner tube)
Plan Your Dive, and Dive Your Plan: Before diving, discuss your plan with your buddy, including maximum depths and dive times (including any hangs you are planning to do), and the depth at which your dive buddy should meet you.
Don’t Exceed Your Limits: It is easier said than done, especially for a beginner, because at this point you don’t know your limits yet. So as a beginner, the best practice is to begin surfacing at the first sign of discomfort, or even before. You should also increase your depth by small increments to give your body a chance to adapt to each new depth. And always follow the recommended surface intervals.
Be Mindful of Your Ears: One of the most common injuries in freediving is ear barotrauma, which happens from not being able to equalize or equalizing too late. For this reason, we equalize early and often; you want to equalize before you feel any pressure in your ears. It is also a very good idea to practice equalization dry, which will make your dives much more easier and enjoyable. Your freediving instructor will show you various dry equalization drills you can do.
Stay Calm: Anxiety can lead to poor decision-making and will burn through your oxygen that much faster. Try to stay as relaxed as possible both before and during your dive, and everything will feel easier and more enjoyable!
By following these safety tips, you’ll not only enhance your experience but also ensure you’re diving smartly and responsibly.
