Freediving Risk Assessment

 text by By Jim Chimiak, MD, and Juan Valdivia-Valdivia, MD

THE RAPID GROWTH OF FREEDIVING in the U.S. brings a positive light to a sport that is mentally healthy and physically inspiring but has little tolerance for error. Shallow-water blackout and respiratory barotrauma are the most feared consequences of freediving, but they can be minimised with training and good safety practices.

Serious consequences have been linked to freedives that lacked the basic one-up-one-down rule, bypassed the buddy system, and pushed limits without proper safety measures. But not knowing your blind spots is perhaps as dangerous as not knowing how to freedive. Risk assessment implies assessing the scene and anticipating problems before starting the freediving session. It involves ensuring safety measures are in place in case of an unexpected event.
 
That assessment includes having a written emergency action plan (EAP) for any freediving event, whether competitive or complex recreational. An EAP specific for your dive site and scenario is crucial and clearly delineates what to do in an emergency. The following are basic items to consider when doing a thorough mental risk assessment and building an EAP for freediving.

Certification
Make sure all participants are certified freedivers. A freediving certification teaches the basic safety standards to follow and provides prevention tips. No checklist replaces successfully completing a certification course with a qualified instructor in person.

Dive Site Inspection
A thorough inspection of a freediving site considers potential marine life hazards, water currents, sea state, and water visibility. It is a safe practice for all participants to use a lanyard attached to the vertical line when visibility is poor. Remember to inspect the access to water (e.g., rocks, boats, walkways, etc.) to prevent out-of-water trauma or falls.

Identify Closest Medical Facilities
Smartphones have made it much easier to map the fastest route to the closest medical facility, but don’t skip identifying the nearest appropriate location to treat freediving emergencies before you dive. This precaution can save a life. Do this each time you plan a freediving session, whether the dive site is new or well-known.

Evacuation Methods
Have a designated person who’s responsible for being the evacuation driver of your preplanned method of transportation in case of an emergency. Predetermine a safe evacuation route to take to the nearest medical facility.

Communication
Ensure you have an adequate cellular signal for your phone at a dive site, which can be an issue in remote areas. Plan to have alternative communication methods to contact emergency services using a marine radio, satellite phone, or personal locator beacon.

Emergency Oxygen and First Aid Skills
While it is not mandatory for new freedivers to have first aid certification, we highly recommend taking a basic life support certification course before taking your first freediving course. Better yet, take a freediving-specific first aid course, if available. Having a DAN oxygen unit with you and available for every freediving session can save a life.

Briefings
Before every session, take at least five minutes for a dry briefing to discuss what you will do with your freediving buddies. Establish basic life support roles, identify safety teams, and assign buddy pairs. Ensure all freedivers present understand the underwater safety framework of how the buoy and line are set up, how lanyards are attached and disconnected, and the presence of any underwater lights.