Blackout parachute

[cp1204]

Thought just striked me:
When accending, on last 15-10m, unlock weight belt, but hold it's end, so it won't slip if you are still concious. If you blackout, the belt will fall off, and your wetsuit will take you to the surface, where your chances for survival are much better.

[naiad]

Good idea. That is on some of the threads on safety tips.
http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=21888
http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=63565

Still you must have a buddy. On the surface you will still probably float face down, so a buddy is essential.

Lucia

[cp1204]

Thanks, a lot of useful tips there.

[Tim1]

OK, I know we should dive with a buddy and if I don't, which is usual, I take care not to remotely approach my limits.

Unlocking your belt is very good advice but perhaps with some lateral thinking the idea could be taken a step further.

Consider that if a weight belt were to be jettisoned that its loss, in the case of a SWBO, would automatically operate a small lifejacket which would float you face up. The life 'jacket' would not need to be large as the natural bouyancy of the suit would serve for floatation.

I'm just thinking aloud but maybe an entrepreneur will see an opening here...

[matrixed82]

Originally Posted by Tim1

Consider that if a weight belt were to be jettisoned that its loss, in the case of a SWBO, would automatically operate a small lifejacket which would float you face up. The life 'jacket' would not need to be large as the natural bouyancy of the suit would serve for floatation.

Did you mean something like the safety vest discussed here?

[Tim1]

Originally Posted by matrixed82

Did you mean something like the safety vest discussed here?

Precisely! There ain't nuffin new is there

[Seacidal]

As a participant in the development of the freediver safety vest project currently underway, I try to fully explore all previous or other current efforts to produce similar products.

From your comments, it appears that you believe that other previous products have incorporated all of the features of the safety vest presently being developed. I would greatly appreciate hearing more about which products you are aware of, as well as their capabilities. After all, as they say, "why reinvent the wheel?"

Please post back with some additional information on these other products, and I'll see if I don't already have information on them in my files.

Thanks for your valued discussions and input.

[trux]

As far as I understood it, Tim (in response to a link descring your vest) told "There ain't nuffin new is there", which was certainly not meant against your vest, but rather in the reference of his previous post proposing a kind of life jacket for freedivers, hence realizing that he did not invent anything new

[Seacidal]

Trux,
Thanks for your explanation. I am always eager to explore other's ideas and efforts, and have spent countless hours researching and reviewing articles, patents, etc. Still, there is always the possibility that something escapes my search. That's why I welcome hearing from others. Recognizing of course, that an idea is a far cry from an operable design.
Clearly, anyone with any exposure to the ongoing and senseless deaths and injuries resulting from freediver blackout would think that there has to be a solution. That is what drives all of us in our efforts.
Thanks,
Chip

[adolphin]

Seacidal,
I've just visited the website www.freedive.net .. amazing project, wish you all the best, I sent an email to Terry Maas, here .. I was too excited to read on through the post here before I sent the email .. .. I assume now that the vest is not yet in the market .. well here is a copy of the email, coz I posted an idea to add on to the vest features .. please tell me what you think:

Dear Terry Maas,

I've visited your website www.freedive.net and was
amazed with the freediver's safety vest! a product
that I 've been searching for through the net for the
past year. I would like to ask where can I buy it from
? (I hope it's already launched).

I read the features presented in the pdf file, it's
amazing how deep the idea was developed taking in
consederation all possibilities, I still miss one more
program: that is to fire the vest at will, I mean that
the freediver while underwater be able to fire the
vest at any time other than the limits he/she preset
before the dive with regard to time and/or depth. I
have two possible reasons why one will need such a
feature:
1. Say I set the parameters of depth at 20 meters and
time at 2 minutes and dive, then either at a depth
exceeeding 20 m or after 2 minute has already passed
the vest doesn't launch ! and I noticed that,
remembering that I entered different values by mistake
(I thought I set it for 20m but actually 30), now I am
in the middle of the water already passed the limit I
wanted to set but mistakengly didn't! I would surely
want to fire the vest (coz that's what I originaly
wanted to program the vest to do for me).
2. In some cases those limits that I know I can reach
and for some reasons (physical, psycological or for
water conditions) become too far from my reach, in
case I didn't evaluate the conditions correctly before
the dive or even during the early phase of the dive, I
would be already in trouble when I recognize it and
may want to fire the vest to be in the safe side or
because I know already that I'm too deep or too late
to reach the surface concious.

In both cases 1 and 2, firing the vest while I'm
concious help in two things:
A. being as an aid in lefting the diver so he/she will
use less effort or no effort and therefore saves
percious Oxygen on those critical last few seconds.
B. In case the diver goes unconcious on the way up,
he/she has already fired the vest and on his/her way
up, saving time, otherwise he/she could have been
waiting UNCONCIOUS for the vest to fire when it would
reach the preset limits.

I don't know if this feature is already set in the
device, it's not mentioned in the pdf file, I believe
it's an important add on, the same three button
sequence code that is available on surface to
deactivate the firing of the vest can be used when
underwater to actualy fire it at will! this way no
need to make any altrations in the body of the device
or number of buttons but rather in the programing
only. The sequence could be different than the
deactivating 3 button sequence as well, specially if
you want to make the firing at will feature available
at all times (even after surfacing in case the diver
don't feel well, surfaced away from his buddy who
needs time to reach him, or simply want to inflate the
vest and relax).

Awaiting your reply ASAP,

Thanks and,

Best Regards,

Adel Abu Haliqa

[Seacidal]

Originally Posted by adolphin

Seacidal,
I've just visited the website Freedive.net & Terry Maas: book or video on apnea freediving, snorkeling, spearfishing .. amazing project, wish you all the best, I sent an email to Terry Maas, here .. I was too excited to read on through the post here before I sent the email .. .. I assume now that the vest is not yet in the market .. well here is a copy of the email, coz I posted an idea to add on to the vest features .. please tell me what you think:

Dear Terry Maas,

I've visited your website Freedive.net & Terry Maas: book or video on apnea freediving, snorkeling, spearfishing and was
amazed with the freediver's safety vest! a product
that I 've been searching for through the net for the
past year. I would like to ask where can I buy it from
? (I hope it's already launched).

I read the features presented in the pdf file, it's
amazing how deep the idea was developed taking in
consederation all possibilities, I still miss one more
program: that is to fire the vest at will, I mean that
the freediver while underwater be able to fire the
vest at any time other than the limits he/she preset
before the dive with regard to time and/or depth. I
have two possible reasons why one will need such a
feature:
1. Say I set the parameters of depth at 20 meters and
time at 2 minutes and dive, then either at a depth
exceeeding 20 m or after 2 minute has already passed
the vest doesn't launch ! and I noticed that,
remembering that I entered different values by mistake
(I thought I set it for 20m but actually 30), now I am
in the middle of the water already passed the limit I
wanted to set but mistakengly didn't! I would surely
want to fire the vest (coz that's what I originaly
wanted to program the vest to do for me).
2. In some cases those limits that I know I can reach
and for some reasons (physical, psycological or for
water conditions) become too far from my reach, in
case I didn't evaluate the conditions correctly before
the dive or even during the early phase of the dive, I
would be already in trouble when I recognize it and
may want to fire the vest to be in the safe side or
because I know already that I'm too deep or too late
to reach the surface concious.

In both cases 1 and 2, firing the vest while I'm
concious help in two things:
A. being as an aid in lefting the diver so he/she will
use less effort or no effort and therefore saves
percious Oxygen on those critical last few seconds.
B. In case the diver goes unconcious on the way up,
he/she has already fired the vest and on his/her way
up, saving time, otherwise he/she could have been
waiting UNCONCIOUS for the vest to fire when it would
reach the preset limits.

I don't know if this feature is already set in the
device, it's not mentioned in the pdf file, I believe
it's an important add on, the same three button
sequence code that is available on surface to
deactivate the firing of the vest can be used when
underwater to actualy fire it at will! this way no
need to make any altrations in the body of the device
or number of buttons but rather in the programing
only. The sequence could be different than the
deactivating 3 button sequence as well, specially if
you want to make the firing at will feature available
at all times (even after surfacing in case the diver
don't feel well, surfaced away from his buddy who
needs time to reach him, or simply want to inflate the
vest and relax).

Awaiting your reply ASAP,

Thanks and,

Best Regards,

Adel Abu Haliqa

Thanks for your enthusiastic interest and suggestions. Both are very welcome.
With regard to the possibility of manual activation of inflation while underwater, several means are being evaluated for providing the freediver with an ability to command inflation of the unit underwater. Of course, such means should not be subject to accidental or unintentional activation, yet at the same time, should be readily available to the freediver.
We believe that through the prototype testing and evaluation process, a suitable means for accomplishing these goals will be determined.
Best regards,
Chip Bissell
For more information and updates, please go to:
The Freedivers Safety Vest; A device to protect those who suffer freediver blackout (shallow water blackout) by bringing them to the surface

.

[adolphin]

Thank you Seacidal ..

Very professional effort as I can see it on the website .. I saw that the team have put the "command inflate" into account .. great !.. I received a reply from Terry too .. I think that a sequence procedure for firing the vest at will would be more safe than the 10 seconds underwater, 30 seconds on surface hand to chest procedure .. I don't know actually if it's better to open the comments and suggetions here, through Terry's email, or through other means that your team might have set as a channel of communication with the freediving community to receive ideas?

You are stepping a very important step in the freediving history .. words can't explain .. all the best ..

[Seacidal]

Thank you for the complements and your support. One of the objectives to be achieved through extensive prototype testing is the evaluation of different methods and variables for performing certain functions. I believe it is safe to say that a number of various methods for implementing a diver-triggered "command inflation" function will be tested and evaluated.

Experienced divers are probably able to appreciate the difficulties inherent in implementing a "manual" inflation command. There exist competing needs to make such a command simple and straightforward to operate when desired, yet virtually impossible to be triggered accidentally.

The continued input and suggestions of knowledgeable freedivers are always welcome, as we welcome the support and participation of those who are most likely to benefit from this progress.

Chip Bissell
for updates and additional information, please go to:
The Freedivers Safety Vest; A device to protect those who suffer freediver blackout (shallow water blackout) by bringing them to the surface


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