Hello friendos!

My name is Yianni (Ioannis Aliazis) and I am a freediving instructor living and teaching on the island of Zakynthos in Greece.

I am an instructor with Apnea Academy, a freediving school established by Umberto Pelizzari who is actually a personal hero of James Cameron (check this out).

My school is called Free Flow and I teach freediving & first aid.

You can find me on the academy’s list of international instructors, my website at free-flow.gr and social media @freeflowgr. I have also created and manage a Facebook group called Freediving Science where we discuss research on freediving, medical as well as technical issues etc.

I will answer every single question but given the time difference I may delay a bit.

Here is my proof.

Let’s talk about freediving! 😊💪🏼

Comments: 623 • Responses: 105  • Date: 

CrimsonPig719 karma

Are any of us really "free" diving, or are we just "struggling against the cruel hand of fate" diving?

sk3pt1c349 karma

🤣 it depends, doesn’t it? If you take your time and go into it slowly, then you are freediving, not struggling as much 😊

Olive_fisting_apples110 karma

I believe Kant would disagree and that there must be an absolute-free-dive.

sk3pt1c77 karma

There is, when you are equalizing without effort etc etc

Olive_fisting_apples29 karma

But is the effort absolute or is it the equalization that is absolute?

sk3pt1c56 karma

The equalization is effortless, that is the absolute freedive, when the whole dive is effortless, the ideal dive!

Japslap331 karma

What is the creepiest or eeriest experience you have had in a free dive?

sk3pt1c718 karma

One time I was around 30m deep and heard a loud bang like an explosion, nearly shat myself! Went up to the surface, nothing in sight, no boats, even at a distance. That was super creepy! Only thing it might have been is a distant earthquake.

RFavs437 karma

Whale fart?

sk3pt1c498 karma

This is now my story for what it was!

RFavs82 karma

Glad you like it. Thanks for the AMA!

sk3pt1c67 karma

Thank you! 😊

Japslap52 karma

Follow-up-- have you ever seen someone shat themselves while in free dive?

sk3pt1c130 karma

Not during a dive, but the pressure does have its effects, we had a dude years ago that after the first few dives would have to swim a bit further away and take a dump 🤣

Japslap156 karma

The open ocean can be dangerous.. you may find yourself in a shart attack :)

sk3pt1c46 karma

🤣🤣🤣

skydive898022 karma

In the water?!

sk3pt1c40 karma

Yep, it’s actually pretty easy and clean 😅

asanariaa9 karma

Apparently some fish would eat it? Is that true? Lol

sk3pt1c6 karma

Probably 😅

PM_ME_UR_THONG_N_ASS13 karma

Did he wipe with a clam?

mingilator80 karma

3 shells obv

sk3pt1c53 karma

This is the way.

ZuFFuLuZ18 karma

Sounds similar to exploding head syndrome.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_head_syndrome
This is mostly sleep related, but the cause is unknown and one theory is that it might be an ear dysfunction, which could easily happen while diving.

sk3pt1c16 karma

Interesting! I don’t think that’s what it was but it’s cool to know and think about this, thank you 😊

Asatas10 karma

Were you near where those pistol shrimp things live?

sk3pt1c15 karma

We don’t have those on my island I’m afraid 😊

Victory_Over_Himself201 karma

Does the human mind cause a panic during breath holding before the limits of the human body to be deprived of oxygen, after it or at the correct time?

I'm basically asking if staying underwater longer is just forcing yourself to trust that you can hold your breath longer, or something else.

sk3pt1c321 karma

Good question!

As a beginner, the urge to breathe would come super early, which is a good thing, keeps you super safe.

As you progress you get a more fine tuned sense of your body and its reactions and your brain adapts to lower O2 / higher CO2, as well as the feeling of freediving itself.

So ideally you don’t get a panic or urge to breathe, you just intuitively know when to turn.

shwarma_heaven98 karma

I find this even when just starting back at it from scratch. Takes me about 20 minutes to settle back in and get a decent breath hold again...

Not that I'm a professional or anything. Just a former Navy Diver with a 4 minute breath hold (long time ago) that enjoys snorkeling for fun now.

sk3pt1c53 karma

Yeh that makes sense, need some time to adapt again 😊

Victory_Over_Himself45 karma

Thanks!

Does long term high levels of CO2 cause any health effects in divers? All hobbies come with some health risks. (Pilots, my own hobby poison of choice have increased rates of skin cancer from spending a lot of their life above most of the atmosphere, for instance)

Do you find yourself not really needing to breathe as much as a normie above water?

sk3pt1c59 karma

There aren’t any studies on high CO2, i’d suspect it’s not an issue as gases get rebalanced pretty quickly with proper recovery breaths.

I take the same surface intervals when I dive as I teach my students to, sometimes even longer, just to be comfortable 😊

Prime_Cat_Memes164 karma

It must feel amazing to spend minutes underwater and having that ability to hold your breath I'm sure provides a unique freedom. How long is a normal casual freedive vs one where you are pushing the limit of your body?

sk3pt1c192 karma

Normal casual dive is probably around a minute, pushing would be around 3 minutes or more, always depending on what kind of diving you’re doing (freediving with / without fins, spearfishing etc) and your skill level of course.

smocky13138 karma

Have you ever had sex while free diving?

sk3pt1c210 karma

Don’t threaten me with a good time! (No, I haven’t)

PoopIsAlwaysSunny133 karma

It would not be a good time. As I’ve had to tell many girlfriends in the shower: water is not a lubricant

sk3pt1c125 karma

Yep, add salt to that and you have a recipe for a not fun time!

Shower sex is fun though!

automatic4skin127 karma

whats the worst diving rumor avatar has contributed to?

sk3pt1c296 karma

Not aware of something specific to Avatar (although I am suspicious that the actors may have been breathing pure O2 to help them do longer times), but NatGeo of all places has posted some really bad sensationalized crap about the Bajau, that they can hold their breaths for 10 minutes etc 🤷🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

KmartQuality157 karma

There was a mention on an ABC show that they did use "modified air" but they also seriously trained. Kate Winslet apparently got up 6+ minutes in one breath. The guy who plays Jake was the worst at it. He couldn't get the hang of it and didn't like it.

sk3pt1c193 karma

Yeh, breath hold times on pure O2 are monstrous, world record is like 25 minutes!

PMmeUrUvula63 karma

How do you mitigate blood acidification from C02 buildup holding that long?

sk3pt1c129 karma

That is a static hold, meaning no movement whatsoever, just floating, so muscles aren’t moving much.

But acidosis is an issue with freediving so we have to take care of our diet to balance it 😊

Pulptastic103 karma

That diet sounds kinda basic

sk3pt1c8 karma

Yeh I mean you can get very detailed with it but in the end if you eat well, have enough protein in your diet, veggies, fruit etc, easily digestible stuff and you rest enough (suuuper important for us), you’ll be fine 😊

overwatch31 karma

I think the poster was making an acid vs. base joke. Took me a second...

Seriously though, basically just a healthy diet and plenty of rest?

sk3pt1c18 karma

Ah shit, missed it 😅🤣

Yes, basically that 😊

spoonbendingmonkey11 karma

About that, how much of an impact does ones diet affect and, what kind of diet is recommended for going into freediving?

sk3pt1c37 karma

There has been some talk of having a more alkaline diet but i don’t know if there’s proof for that.

But protein is important because freediving tends to destroy muscle somewhat.

Although not before diving because it needs a lot of water to process.

Coffee is a no no because it affects heart rate and blood pressure.

Some juices may be acidic and cause reflux so not great before diving.

Etc etc 😊

RhesusPeaches71 karma

On Marc Maron's podcast Sigourney Weaver said she used enhanced or enriched air (I'd have to go back and listen to exactly what she called it). She was pretty matter of fact about it - no attempt to hide it or act as if it was something to hide. If anyone from the movie is now acting like that didn't happen she certainly didn't get the memo.

sk3pt1c32 karma

Yeh they for sure must have used enriched 😊

BadBalloons6 karma

To be fair, Sigourney Weaver is 73 years old and was playing a teenager. I don't hold her using enriched air against her -- the fact that she was able to dive and perform (act) at her age is incredible no matter what!

sk3pt1c8 karma

Holy fuck, she’s 73?!

Excuse me while I have an existential crisis 😅

Yeh I’m not holding it against them either, it just would be best if they talk about it openly 😊

Delta9_TetraHydro28 karma

I'm a man of action, a swashbuckler, a rogue, a wanderer. A man who can hold his breath for ten minutes!

sk3pt1c3 karma

Flo?

JonesP7716 karma

Did the actor really free diving? I thought they were not under water, it was all CGI. Saw a video where they explained it a bit and how they made the effect so that it looked like they are under water. Guess just for safety reason that would make sense.

sk3pt1c19 karma

No, they did shoot while freediving 😊

frostymoose27 karma

Is there an issue with using pure O2 or you just mean it's less impressive because of that?

sk3pt1c13 karma

No real issue, they’re actors with safeties around them etc etc, it just makes it seem like they’re superhuman when in reality getting to a 6 minute breath hold usually takes quite some time and training 😊

blimundane3 karma

So You're saying the bajau thing was all untrue? Genuinely curious because I've seen that docu

sk3pt1c8 karma

Yeh the reported numbers are whack, I’ve linked the paper elsewhere, their actual dive times are at less than a minute, what’s impressive about them is that they can do it for hours on end with very short surface intervals.

DriveGenie-4 karma

National Geographic is a pretty well respected publication. What evidence do you have to offer against their claim other than holding breathe for 10 minutes sounds kinda unbelievable for a general population?

sk3pt1c5 karma

The actual paper by the scientist who went there to study the Bajau, it’s here.

greem108 karma

Which organization certified you?

What do you teach students that wouldn't be obvious to someone who already knows scuba and snorkeling?

sk3pt1c159 karma

Apnea Academy, I took the instructor course in Tenerife under Umberto Pelizzari.

A lot of fine tuned equalization stuff for sure, a lot of bodily awareness stuff too, we only have one breath so you have to be super aware and make sure you are conscious and relaxed enough to use it well 😊

nhorvath98 karma

How do freedivers avoid decompression issues when there's no time to pause? Is it just that you spend so little time at depth that it doesn't matter?

sk3pt1c188 karma

Decompression meaning the bends etc?

Not so much of an issue because you don’t breathe pressurized recycled air, you take a breath of atmospheric air and take that down and back up.

DCS can be an issue though with very deep very fast dives or lots of dives with short surface intervals (ideally they should be min 3-4x the dive time).

nhorvath59 karma

Ah ok didn't know you stay at the surface to reacclimate in between dives. Thank you. Follow up: what's the deepest you can dive as a freediver?

sk3pt1c118 karma

The deepest anyone has ever gone under their own power is 132m, assisted by a sled was around 210m.

nhorvath45 karma

That's incredible. Did they prebreathe oxygen to reduce nitrogen concentration and extend their breath to do it?

sk3pt1c76 karma

Nope, just a regular normal breath of 21% oxygen air 😊

CelphCtrl18 karma

Do you hyper ventilate or attempt expel as much gas out of your lungs before taking a breath and diving?

sk3pt1c37 karma

No because that can lower your CO2 which can lead to a blackout because your O2 is too low by the time you realize it.

hughk25 karma

As a certified recreational scuba diver I don't go anything like that deep without special mixtures and such (which I'm neither trained nor certified on) but I stick to air and don't normally go below 30m but did a training dive to 55m.

So, when freedivers go to 50m+, it freaks me out.

sk3pt1c33 karma

Haha yeh i can imagine seeing some dude without any gear just gliding past you 😅

lamb_pudding71 karma

Any advice on how to get over a phobia of water? I get nervous just thinking about swimming and once water gets above my chest I start to panic.

I really wish I didn’t have this phobia. People have so much fun in the water and I want to be able to experience it.

sk3pt1c99 karma

You need to find an instructor that is kind and patient with you and can ease you into it. Take it slow, go at your own pace and explore with comfort little by little. It’s a beautiful otherworldly environment, I’m sure you’ll do great and enjoy it soon! 💙

zegg69 karma

What is the best exercise to increase how long I can hold my breath underwater?

sk3pt1c92 karma

Definitely pranayama I would say, easy to get into and can benefit you greatly in everyday life too!

And just water time, as much as possible 😊

GlacialElectronics32 karma

What about "packing" or whatever forcing extra air in is called, I heard this can lead to surface blackouts. Is this a technique a beginner should avoid?

sk3pt1c72 karma

This is a technique many people should avoid. We don’t know the long term effects of continuous packing (at the very least it could mess up the elasticity of the lungs), it can lead to surface BOs like you said and also you’re using precious breath hold time and muscles to do it so not really that great. It’s also a shortcut many people use in place of learning to take a proper full breath and utilizing their air effectively.

HaikuBotStalksMe46 karma

Surface BO can be remedied easily with a product called Degree. Or Brūt.

sk3pt1c14 karma

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

ImposterBot9k60 karma

When you watch movies with people holding their breath under water do you also hold your breath? Any movies made you think: ok they're faking it?

sk3pt1c72 karma

Hahaha yeh I sometimes do! That one mission impossible movie definitely felt odd but then i watched behind the scenes etc and it seems to have been legit.

MrStolenFork45 karma

Can people who have once had an epileptic episode freedive?

Thank you

sk3pt1c83 karma

That’s a doozy but personally I would say yes, although I would need clearance from a doctor and you to sign a typical waiver.

As I teach first aid too, a one time episode does not necessarily mean there is an underlying condition but best make sure to be safe.

Islanduniverse44 karma

How far would I have to dive to not have to hear anything else about a movie I don’t care about at all?

sk3pt1c99 karma

About tree fiddy

Islanduniverse17 karma

So, all the way back to 1999? 🤔

sk3pt1c26 karma

😅 Let’s say about 5-10m is enough to experience a different world 😊

scaradin6 karma

What about with rice?

livluvlaflrn36 karma

Freediving - 10 Freediving with rice - 7

Rice really does go with everything.

sk3pt1c6 karma

This guy rices!

Craiss40 karma

How do you help students that struggle with equalization? Assuming some do and it's not just my personal 3-4m struggle.

sk3pt1c38 karma

Patience. A lot do, i do too just deeper than most. I try to make sure they’re relaxed and aware first and then try as many ways as i can think of to make them realize what they have to do. But yeh, patience 😊

Montallas12 karma

I can not equalize for the life of me. I suspect that I have very messed up sinus cavities and I get horrible and allergies and frequent debilitating sinus infections if I’m not incredibly mindful. And even then I still get them several times a year.

Do some people just lack the physical sinus cavity structure to equalize properly?

sk3pt1c17 karma

You might actually be able to equalize handsfree but the best thing would be to approach a freediving instructor and have them work with you in a pool setting, much more controlled, safe and comfortable for you. And remember to drink lots of liquids throughout the day 😊

amitton1334 karma

What's your favorite memory made while freediving?

sk3pt1c76 karma

Oh man, just being in the water makes me happy, but one of my favorites is seeing the sun rays moving around like waves as I’m coming up from a dive, so magical!

ketorin2330 karma

What's the common mistake rookies make the most?

sk3pt1c66 karma

Hm, technique is the obvious one but I’d say thinking they have to go deep rather than focusing on diving well in a relaxed way. I’d be much happier if someone dives well to 5m and comes up with a smile than if they go to 10m messily and come up stressed.

n-some26 karma

Do you SCUBA dive as well, or are you exclusively a free-diver?

If you have SCUBA dived, what would you say the difference in experience is like? Obviously you can stay under longer with SCUBA, but maybe you've noticed some other interesting differences.

sk3pt1c48 karma

I have the Open Water certification in Scuba as well, it was a lot of fun cause you can take your time and look around but moving around is super clunky, I basically sat on a rock and looked around the whole time 😅

justthenormalnoise24 karma

Ahhh ... so you're the one they based the game Abzu on. Thank you!!

sk3pt1c18 karma

Guilty! 🤪 Haven’t played it actually but from what I’ve seen it looks hella cool!

PyroDesu4 karma

Speaking of such, played Subnautica?

sk3pt1c7 karma

No, don’t really game much anymore 😅

Happy cake day!

Atiggerx335 karma

I've always wanted to try Scuba. Unfortunately the ocean by me has awful visibility and nothing much to see when visibility is good, so it kinda feels pointless to get certified since I'll never really get to use it.

Wish I lived somewhere with a reef or something.

sk3pt1c3 karma

Come to Greece!

DO_A_BARREL_ROLLL20 karma

Techniques to clear your ears while diving down? I don't have any issues when SCUBA diving but I can tilt my head upright which helps.

sk3pt1c19 karma

We use an equalization technique called Frenzel for the most part, it has lots of different variations depending on depth etc, it’s a huge topic!

DO_A_BARREL_ROLLL13 karma

Thanks, looks like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenzel_maneuver is a good place to start.

sk3pt1c13 karma

And this

UnderSampled5 karma

This is an incredibly helpful video! If the goal is to just dive 3-5m, to escape the snorkeling surface, what other beginner things should we know to be safe and relaxed?

Also, I'm always a little afraid of ear-infection, with water getting trapped there for a while. Are there precautions to take for that?

sk3pt1c4 karma

Aharon is the GOAT, I love him to bits!

I would really recommend taking a course with a certified instructor 😊

As far as ear infections go, there are over the counter products you can use to clean your ears from the outside and you can try jala neti to clean up on the inside.

bumbletowne17 karma

Can you freedive longer when the water is colder and conversely, is your freedive limit shorter when the water is warm?

I had a dive instructor in Indonesia try and explain something like that to me but I don't think I understood it well. There was a significant language barrier.

sk3pt1c26 karma

That depends on the temperature, but when the water is really warm, like above 30C, you kinda get the opposite effects that you usually do when freediving which can be detrimental.

On the other hand, water too cold (<15C) is a bitch to dive in, tenses you up and makes equalization nigh on impossible.

What was your instructor talking about specifically?

bumbletowne8 karma

We had been diving in Padang Bai where the water was very warm (27c) and headed over to Lombok to dive with the whalesharks where it was 19C above thermocline and like 12C beneath it.

Our dive master, back on the boat, told a story where he'd had his weight belt on but not his fins or bcd while he was working on the boat. He hopped in the water to help with something and sank straight down. By the time he'd released the weights it was a significant swim up even for an EXTREMELY experienced freediver. But it seemed like he was saying it was easier because the water was super cold.

sk3pt1c6 karma

Wait, bcd and freediving don’t go hand in hand, I’m confused a bit 😅

bumbletowne4 karma

It was an unintentional freedive. He is a very experienced freediver who did a lot of stuff including freediving with our friend including a liveaboard around PNG/Komodo and Rajah Ampat for several months so I don't doubt it. He described his survival due to being an experienced freediver and then explained the cold water helped him survive and I was wondering if he was possibly saying something else, bullshitting me or something.

sk3pt1c12 karma

Huh, can’t really see the reasoning behind it 🤔

Temperature affects buoyancy but it would be negligible in these conditions.

Maybe the colder water kept his heart rate low so he didn’t use more O2?

Not sure.

ThisPlaceisHell9 karma

I distinctly remember when I was a kid, I could hold my breathe underwater for upwards of a minute to a minute and a half no problem. Now as an adult, I am lucky if I can hold for 15 seconds. In your experience, is it possible for someone like me (an admittedly unhealthy adult male) to ever get back to that minute or is it a once you're too far gone there's no going back, thing?

sk3pt1c12 karma

You can do far more than a minute and a half if you take a course with a certified instructor 😊

Ct-5736-Bladez9 karma

What are some advantages to free diving over scuba diving?

sk3pt1c28 karma

First off, both are cool cause you’re in the water 😍

I would say freediving is more intimate, meditative, physical and needs much less and much cheaper gear.

khinzaw9 karma

Do you also like SCUBA diving? Personally my favorite activity.

sk3pt1c7 karma

Yes, it’s also fun!

KmartQuality8 karma

Ive always had intolerable pain in my ears beyond 3 or 4 meters. I've tried everything my friends tell me works for them.

One day I tried scuba, against my desires. I thought it would be a waste of money. Boy, was I wrong. Absolutely no pain at all. It was wonderful being able to relax and look at things.

Do you have any pro tips so I can use a snorkel and dive deeper? I would really like to participate more when my friends go abalone fishing.

sk3pt1c13 karma

That’s probably cause you didn’t equalize at all.

Try this video and let me know how it goes 😊

benbraddock57 karma

So what happens if you don't turn back up soon enough and your mind (and body) is screaming for air? How can you force yourself not to reflexively try to get oxygen by opening your mouth or breathing in water?

sk3pt1c8 karma

By training and increasing your comfort and depth gradually, you learn to recognize signs and how to keep holding your breath until you surface.

benbraddock56 karma

Can you explain that last bit, about how you hold your breath until you surface? Doesn't your mind go into a panic, maybe entirely out of your control, and tell your body to breathe?

Have you ever had an experience in which you did try to breathe in before you could surface?

sk3pt1c9 karma

I have never had that experience because that means certain death basically.

At some point you get contractions, which is your breathing muscles moving to take an inhale, you obviously resist this urge. You become aware of these first in the pool where it’s safe. Then slowly you build your tolerance to them, it just takes time 😊

twiglet217 karma

How deep can you dive without your ear-drums breaking?

sk3pt1c11 karma

Me personally is around 60 m but overall the world record is over 200

Ragidandy6 karma

Can you hold your breath until you pass out (above the water)? Is it dangerous to try?

sk3pt1c15 karma

You can yes and it can be dangerous so don’t try 😅

Ragidandy3 karma

Huh. I've always wondered. Thanks.

Do you know what makes it dangerous?

sk3pt1c14 karma

It might take some time for systems to start up again, causing injury. Also not great to purposefully starve your brain of oxygen to the point or blacking out 😅

Murky_Macropod6 karma

Do you wear a weight belt ? When I’ve tried without a belt or fins I use far too much energy trying to fight my buoyancy

sk3pt1c11 karma

Yes, you have to wear a weight belt, the amount of weight that you have on the belt depends on your body composition and the thickness of the wetsuit you’re wearing, as well as the water you’re in.

hubbabubba2776 karma

Opinion / thoughts on Pipin Ferreras? Thoughts on Audrey Mestre‘s death?

sk3pt1c8 karma

Oooh man, that’s a subject everyone tries not to touch as everyone in the community kinda knows someone who knew someone who is friends with etc etc.

I have no inside info on that one but given the inside info I have from other accidents, I would say that there definitely must have been tomfoolery at play, negligence at the very least.

nine_legged_stool5 karma

Do you know any jokes?

sk3pt1c24 karma

No but google gave me this:

"How do freedivers gain enlightenment?"

"By dropping their weightbelts."

mahade5 karma

Sooo... when you're freediving, because you're not working with compressed air, you can just go up without stopping from, say, 30m deep? To me that sounds amazing. I can hold my breath (normally) for about 2 minutes (without hyperventilating or anything special) and I'd love to get into freediving.

Also: Do freedivers take a tiny hand-carried breathing device just in case?

sk3pt1c16 karma

Correct, you go down and come straight back up 😊

You should get into it, find an instructor near you!

We don’t take any extra air, no, that is dangerous. If we breathe in air at depth, that air will expand on the way up and might rupture our lungs.

SirMCThompson5 karma

Is it easier to train in shallow or deeper water?

sk3pt1c5 karma

I would say for a beginner it’s nicer to start shallow is better because it’s comfortable to see the bottom and have the bottom of the rope be at the bottom of the sea, it gives you a nicer feeling to actually touch down and it’s also safer cause you can’t go deeper. With increased comfort, you can increase the depth 😊

CosmicChameleon774 karma

Is there a way to dive/free dive without being able to equalise properly? I have a medical issue that means I can lose hearing and ability to equalise with it and am worried I can’t dive again

sk3pt1c4 karma

No, you need to be able to equalize.

What is your medical issue?

saiyaniam4 karma

I know you might of been asked this many times, but how long can you hold your farts?

sk3pt1c4 karma

A very long time!!🤣

Kelter_Skelter3 karma

What does your skin care routine look like? Do you get dry and painful a lot due to being in the water?

sk3pt1c4 karma

Yeh my skin looks like scales from the salt, sun, chlorine etc 😅

I got an expensive body cream and use that daily after showering.

CMDR_Remyzero3 karma

One of my all time favourite movies is The Big Blue, have you seen it and if so what did you think of it? Edit: a word

sk3pt1c14 karma

The Big Blue is like the freediving bible for us freedivers 😅

I went to Amorgos where some of it was shot to pay pilgrimage 🤣

It’s a horrible depiction of what freediving should be but a kinda realistic one of what it actually is 😁

CMDR_Remyzero3 karma

Do you know of other movies that you could recommend?

sk3pt1c3 karma

There is this old russian movie which is probably the oldest to feature actual freediving, although not as we know it now 😅

satansballsonfire3 karma

have you dived with whales/dolphins/sharks? what are each of them like? how responsive are they to humans?

sk3pt1c6 karma

Nope but I’ve dived with loggerhead sea turtles, each has their temperament, if you move very slowly and keep a distance they are usually pretty chill.

Oh, I saw a seal once recently too, super cool!

austin926563 karma

Do you ever breath out a bit of CO2 during your longer dives? Someone had told me that Freedivers do this during longer dives to extend time by relieving the feeling of needing to breath a bit, but I had always heard that it’s not worth it due to losing precious O2 along with the CO2.

sk3pt1c8 karma

Definitely not, you do not exhale until you breach the surface! And you cantaloupe exhale just CO2 anyway.

im_daer3 karma

A parenting account on IG just lost a husband to shallow water drowning. Any suggestions on prevention? (Speech sisters IG)

sk3pt1c8 karma

Comfort in the water, lots of water time, don’t push your limits and always dive with someone else who can recognize the signs and perform first aid if need be.

TheGuv699 karma

This is the part so many freedivers & spearos miss. Having another person watching at all times who you know can get down to your depth & competently 'rescue' you in case of shallow water blackout.

I'm training with an experienced freediver & this was one of the first things we practiced. I had to dive to 10m, bring him up & perform safety/revive protocols. We now know we are safe at 10m.

sk3pt1c4 karma

Well done, dude!

shwarma_heaven3 karma

Is the danger of shallow water blackout ONLY from hyperventilating before a free dive, or can it also be from over exertion while at depth?

sk3pt1c6 karma

Shallow water blackout is caused mainly because the partial pressure of already low O2 drops suddenly during the last 10m of the ascent, hyperventilation makes this even worse.

Rxasaurus3 karma

Ever experience the squeezes?

sk3pt1c6 karma

Yep, I’ve had my share unfortunately! Trying to iron out the details so that it never happens again! And it’s a great lesson to use to help students not get them 😊

CaptnSauerkraut5 karma

I have no idea what the squeezes are. Could you explain? Big fan of this ama by the way. Will definitely try to make a stop at your place on my next Greece vacation. Supercurious about freediving since I went snorkeling around Milos two years ago. Can't wait to get back.

sk3pt1c4 karma

Milos is beautiful indeed!

Would be great to meet you, dude 😊

A squeeze is a pressure related injury, like mentioned by the other friendo below.

It can happen to the lungs or trachea and is usually caused by bad body position or lack of relaxation.

There is some blood in the sputum etc and it can be from mild to serious, depends.

bigboneboy3 karma

I couldn't hold my breathe and dive deeper than 2m before i experienced pain behind my eye. Any recommendations to overcome this condition? It has been an obstacle for me since I was a kid.

sk3pt1c5 karma

Pain behind the eye is a sinus issue, do you have frequent issues with your sinuses?

Were you equalizing?

AnxiouslyTired2472 karma

There's a 2nd Avatar?

sk3pt1c2 karma

A what?

Vpleaseg1 karma

Avatar 2? Did not know there was an avatar 1. How does that make you feel?

sk3pt1c2 karma

No feelings towards your statement whatsoever, you don’t have to know or like these movies.

This just gives me a nice excuse to talk about freediving 🥰