Silent Killer -- Spearfishing blackout stories

[@Reelcool74]

Thanks for sharing guys it's so easy to forget how dangerous this sport can be, glad your close calls didn't turn into tragedies. Dive Safe!

[@DALEGPEKEL]

Thanks for posting and sharing your stories guys - Big fan of your videos and customer of Nautilus Spearfishing!! I'm just getting into the sport and trying to learn as much as I can - My training in freediving has been with PFI and here are some key points they teach to surviving a blackout: 1. Your buddy should be able to touch you as soon as you reach the surface - So he or she can immediately protect your airway....... 2. Watch your buddy for no less than 30 seconds after surfacing....... 3. Don't over weight yourself - You should still be able to float at the surface after a "passive" exhale so you don't start to sink if you do blackout....... Interesting facts: 90% of blackouts or sambas/LMC's (loss of motor control) happen at the surface after 2-3 breaths and some type of "OK" sign. Another 9% of B/O's happen between 15 feet and the surface due to the rapid change in partial pressure.......For these reasons they recommend a 3 member "Spearo Team": 1 diver, 1 safety and 1 on deck. From my research this is rarely, if ever done in spearfishing, but would dramatically enhance the safety of the sport if it was.

[@normos11]

Awesome video as usual. Great message SWB is no joke. Get trained...Know your limits...Dive safe.

[@Spearheads]

+Collin Walters Thanks man! Getting trained is a must!

[@FloridaWelcomesYou]

This is great stuff. When I introduce my boy to skin diving these types of videos will be a big part of the curriculum.

[@furai333]

Firstly, at last spearheads is back! Secondly THANK YOU to everyone who shared their stories, it really hits home how different each of those stories could have been. Thank you again I'll be posting this to my dive buddies as well.

[@Spearheads]

+furai333 Thanks for the kind words! We are grateful both JD and James were willing to share their story. Thanks again for your support!

[@freedivingpassion4289]

Thanks for doimg this film. This stuff is essential for everyone wheter they dive 2 or 50 metres. Great work!

[@veidorje1681]

keep your weightbelt hooked to a float line and float or wear a second belt with a reel with the hook attached to the belt's buckle so in case of problem you can drop your belt on the bottom and go back up more easily then you'll pull it back from the surface i always wear a second belt with dyneema a small bungee and a stainless hook that i clip to the weightbelt buckle can be of a good help too if you catch a bigfish with a small size speargun 75cm with no reel keep your tuba in your mouth when you dive it may save your life take care :)

[@trdshortbus8009]

this is why i never dive alone.

[@Spearheads]

+William Mcspadden Agreed!

[@trdshortbus8009]

+Spearheads i have only been a spearo for about 2 months and a portion of it has to do with being a type 1 diabetic. but i am still signing up for an Fii freedive class so i can get educated the right way.

[@Spearheads]

+William Mcspadden Definitely agree with getting trained. Sucks about the type 1. Keep your head up man.

[@trdshortbus8009]

+Spearheads i have had it for 20 years after February 5th but its better than having cancer etc and i can still enjoy the ocean. :) always a positive side tk everything. where abouts are you at? i am located in OC, Ca.

[@johnmacedo4483]

+William Mcspadden: I am a hemodialysis patient. And I absolutely love hunting, fishing and spearfishing. They just take me away and help me forget my problems. But never over doing it, of course. One has to just keep on thinking positive. And remember that there is always somebody out there that are in worse situations than we are.

[@slow_diver]

Great video, very educational. I hope people that watch this take the great advice.. Do a free dive course and always dive with a buddy. "'EXHALE' - A must watch for all Freedivers" is another video to watch if this doesn't convince you.

[@albertograupera8390]

Glad to see you guys making videos again. This video is great for awareness, never dive alone and it's not too catch more fish but to be aware of your dive buddy with the one up and one down system. I would of probably gone for the dosey-doe position with that LMC at the end of the video to increase the rate of return. I definitely recommend Martin's Fii course. Good job!

[@Spearheads]

+Albert Graupera Thanks for the kind words!

[@tjashton]

good work - thanks - all freedivers should watch this

[@aidanclarke7275]

Great video guys- more awareness raised around this risk the better. Whilst we do jump in the water knowing these risks, people need to know how to help mitigate them.

[@benmoro]

Very excited about doing this sport, but am a loner. So i guess better call it a pass, better safe than sorry in this case

[@krazed0451]

Find a local group who participate already, most people are very willing to share their passion :-)

[@solsist__3291]

Ben Tj Whats the point of living if you dont risk your life?

[@krazed0451]

Solsist Roblox Acceptable risk is the key, I don't think solo freediving is acceptable... I also don't think it's difficult to find other freedivers.

[@Maineriverandtide]

Do it just focus on learning limits and listen to your body bad day don't dive only dive alone when you're hydrated rested fed and not stressed...

[@BBAxAvEnGeRx]

This is why you always dive with a buddy.

[@000scubasteve]

WOW Great vid guys. I just picked up a "65 Blacktip Custom that I cannot wait to try out!!! I know when trying out new gear there's always that kind of " I want my first fish on my new gun to be something special" kind of mentality so it's definitely something that I will be uber-cogniscent of.

[@johnschreiber1574]

12/30/18, Gregory Schreiber lost his life to shallow water blackout near Pedasi, Panama. Poor visibility, "safety" diver did not see the event. R.I.P. my son. Please carry a spare air, everyone, and beware of euphoria!!! IF you feel euphoric, stop everything, get the spare air in your mouth, and go scuba to the surface.

[@christophercalvo3512]

Really interesting video guys! Love watching your videos.

[@Spearheads]

+Christopher Calvo Thanks so much!

[@antiguabarbuda]

sounds like breathup issues. not feeling like you're needing to breath when you usually would have.... probably not much co2 in there then.

[@scottedgar2752]

Great video guys!!!! 👍👍👏👏👌

[@Spearheads]

+Scott Edgar Thanks!

[@terrydottin6495]

Thanks for the post, hope the divers in Barbados understand team work

[@floridahuntsman7915]

Thank you for sharing . Live and learn , I did also .

[@josephsaeteurn9158]

super scary stuff. if you blackout, how long before you drown? I mean, even if your friend is diving with you, he may not even noticed or see you for a few mins.

[@franjaserra]

Great instruction and knowledge.. now the why.. Why this happens? lack of circulation, poor training, lack of experience? Depth? Temperature of the water? Digestion? what.. Thanks

[@Spearheads]

+Francisco Serrano I don't think we're knowledgeable to answer that completely. I would google it and you should be able to get your answers. If not, let us know and we'll put you in touch with people that can answer for you... Thanks!

[@franjaserra]

+Spearheads Thank you... I've also been freediving for yrs and can just presume that some factors like water temp, state of your body (tired or rested), depth (pressure), even ear water pressure can affect negatively in your mind... that the combination of factors can bring you to blackout? maybe Im missing something..

[@uncommonlogic2851]

It happens when push it too far, when you know you should surface and you take that extra 10-15 seconds to take a shot or whatever it is, it hits you on ascent, I have gotten foggy, dizzy on verge of pass out by not listening to myself to surface when I should.

[@imade31]

it happend to me this year & i was alone , i was lucky i didn't die i did feel so deezy & my hands was so havy , in that moment i knew i'm gonne die but i was lucky i didn't panic so Thanks for posting and sharing your stories guys

[@HH-cf3or]

I got hypoxic doing 25 meters under water for a hour . I couldn't think or speak . I felt extremely happy almost high . After a hour or two out of the water I was ok with it . But the next day I was sick to my stomach that I could have died

[@christophercalvo3512]

Just out of curiousity how long are these guys staying underwater for?

[@Spearheads]

+Christopher Calvo Most are underwater between 1 to 1.5 minutes.

[@NicoleStevensHays11x]

Some go up to 10 minutes. Look up “mammalian diving reflex.” Still, it’s like … asking to die

[@jeffreysimpson2218]

great video!! a little spokie. It can happen just that quick

[@rumbleray]

I hope I can try spearfishing someday. having said that, I would think that a fail safe compact oxygen device would have been developed by now to help in situations like this? Something to give a person just a few more breaths of air to make it back up. Also, don't people time their selfs? Seems to me that timing would be essential to this activity. Forgive me for my ignorance, but I know nothing about diving.

[@r.schmid5023]

The first guy blacked out without an other diver to help him and he still survived. He really really was lucky.

[@brodenthornton4331]

Scary. Been solo diving for awhile no worries and some reason Ive been watching these videos alot lately..

[@fraka899]

I hope you're still alive and well. I'm doing solo when I do some shallow ambushes (up to 15 m of depth), but when I plan to go deeper I'm with a buddy. Still, too damn dangerous

[@coolskatebow7769]

I am a free dive for more then 30 yers I dive alone whit no one and I haven’t got a blackout and I recommend to any one to dive alone is match better 😋 for me Don't push your limits

[@seanmunsie8707]

yea you need to know how long and deep you can go

[@narcis3720]

I have not even started the free-diving course yet, why am I doing this to myself

[@newbreedian]

Gr8 info thank you.

[@Darksagan]

He did everything youre not suppose to do.Great video.

[@JustPeaceLoveAndKindness]

There’s a great deal of physiology that you all describe, but don’t quite understand. I am not a diver, but I suspect that black out happens for several reasons. 1) Hypoxia sets in faster as you get deeper, due to collapse of your deep air spaces/alveoli. This is enhanced by the surroundings water pressure on your body. When it occurs, there’s more shunting or bypass of blood in the lungs. This will extract more oxygen from your already oxygen depleted blood cells. And reduce further oxygen exchange from the lungs into bloodstream. 2) build up of acidity and CO2 is increased as your body metabolism is increased from swimming around. You might think that you have trained your body to ignore the urge to breathe, but that higher CO2 actually lead to an anesthesia effect on your brain. You blackout because you are anesthetized. The hypoxia likely doesn’t help on top of that. 3) The negative buoyancy at depth is going to be pulling you deeper, and accelerate the process by removing your respiratory reserves that you rely upon to work out of this spiral to death. It’s not something wise to do. Like a roll of dice. You risk not coming back every time...depending upon whether the situation or conditions are right to knock you out. The videos of free diving look so cool, and it’s so alluring. But is it really worth risking your life to go that deep to spear fish? Everyone has to answer this question based on your own experience, training, and risk tolerance. Like I said, I am not a diver, and can’t speak to that. I am a snorkeler, and have briefly gone a little deep at times. I hope y’all think about this every time you get out there, and not push the envelope. Hope this information can help you get a better understanding of your physiology. Dive safe. Peace!

[@alessandrodamario3319]

did he say he was alone? but who was filming?

[@SalamSulawesi]

Good......

[@dirtychina5964]

His lips were purple that was a real close call. Dive safe bro!

[@robertschweppie5256]

I'm an old guy I don't push it, stay doing my shallow 0 - 4m dives small fish and crayfish. I STAY DOING MY ROCK HOPPING.LOL

[@mrsolved8512]

Fuck, iv been diving alone all my life cuz I live right on the beach. But now I'm scared

[@Glendarussellcates]

stay in your comfort zone - diving in Port Fourchon the top 20 ft of water is brown - no one can see you

[@Glendarussellcates]

+Glenda Cates - this is the old man - Stan

[@imanipulavell]

OH MY FUCKING GOD this is the sacariest shit I'EVER seen on my entire life .

[@diyfreediver]

I was hoping to find a samba dance partner here

[@SubCultureMEDIAHilbert]

11:00 Been there :) Samba

[@timlindner9150]

Wtf what is he telling at 6:00? Yuo get blacked out because you get out of the water so high? This cant be real.... there is nearly no difference from Gravity in 30 cm Air

[@Ishoyu]

Lucky you weren't Shark Bait

[@rentaldetectors4397]

😳

[@maartenperdeck798]

So blackouts save fish life?

[@BenBaron]

Oh you lucky son of a gun...Thanks for sharing man!