Free Diving courses - do I need one?

[Nickpicks]

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Just out of interest what happens to the lungs at that depth.

Obviously they are compressed but do they get damaged as
they fold over themselves and separate from the chest wall?

Often wondered and not sure if I've had it explained before.

taz

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I don't think they separate form the chest cavity wall (otherwise there would have to be air / vacuum between the lung and the ribs). As the air in the lungs compresses, the diaphram will be pulled up so the abdomen will be pushed in to take up the space (so the beer gut will look better )

[PBrown]

.

Just out of interest what happens to the lungs at that depth.

Obviously they are compressed but do they get damaged as
they fold over themselves and separate from the chest wall?

Often wondered and not sure if I've had it explained before.

taz

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Basically the gap between the chest wall and the lungs fill with blood:
http://divewise.org/science/freediving-science/

I've also wondered about DCS and narcosis. Is it that there is not enough nitrogen in one lungful (or should it be two lungsful?) to cause problems?

Both are possible, albeit at the extremes:
http://divewise.org/science/neurological-injury/
http://divewise.org/science/tanya-st...ogen-narcosis/

cheers,
Paul

[Tim Digger]

To take issue here slightly. Having read some of the linked article.
1. The blood does not fill the space between the lung and the chest wall, it is within the blood vessels of the lungs and since fluid is not compressible you need a litre or so to keep the chest wall from caving in. This is quite possible to be diverted from periphery to lungs. There have been cases of pulmonary haemorrhage (bleeding into the lungs) from this over distension of the lung blood vessels but this is not into the pleural space (the POTENTIAL) space between lung and chest wall. This was poor writing in the article quoted.
2. It is definitely possible to get DCI from free diving, but it does require multiple free dives over a relatively short period. Combining SCUBA with significant free diving is definitely not a good idea.

[Fraga]

On holiday in the Azores last week, the boat owner was saying that last year his anchor got stuck when diving the Princess Alice Seamount. One of the dive guides was kitting up to go and free it when a free diver on board offered to go and release it which he did. It was only at 63M after all! I would think that some serious training is required before trying that!

May I ask if you know his name?
At that depth... it might well possibly have been my uncle.

[Neilwood]

Not being a freediver I can't comment on if the courses are worth it but I would personally think about taking one to try to improve my efficiency. If training can get me anywhere near the results mentioned earlier (1minute to 7 minutes over a week of training) then it is probably well worth doing it.