ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Unlike the bulky gear you'd need in a scuba dive, a free dive is just a wetsuit, pair of fins, a snorkel, and a weighted belt. But don't let this minimalist activity fool you.
- 23-year-old freediver died Saturday after dive off Pasco County
- Businessowner: You're not necessarily out of danger once you resurface
- You should always freedive with someone who can help, instructor says
"What people don’t realize is that once you come to the surface and you start breathing, you’re not free and clear," said Bill Van Deman, owner of Abyss Freediving based in Apollo Beach.
He says the most common issue with freediving is blacking out.
"Ninety percent of blackouts happen after someone takes their first breath," Van Deman said Sunday.
Just a day earlier, the U.S. Coast Guard in St. Petersburg was sent to Thompson Reef, where crews found a 23-year-old man unconscious after a freedive.
The department said it's not releasing the cause of the man's death.
Free diving instructor Tyler Sultenfuss said it's always imperative to have someone watch you throughout a dive.
"It’s important that when you dive, you dive with someone who knows how to help you in case of an emergency," he said.
A free dive can turn fatal if the weights on the weighted belt are too heavy.
Van Deman said if you pass out when you reach the surface, you can exhale, losing the buoyancy you need. And if the weights are too heavy, you can sink.
"Just that extra 3 pounds, that's the difference between finding him at the surface and it goes from a rescue to a recovery typically at that point," Van Deman said.
Experts urge anyone interested in free diving to take a course first.
“If you learn everything there is about this sport, it can be enjoyable," Van Deman said.