Community education is essential for reducing freediving accidents and fatalities. By sharing evidence-based safety information, we can help freedivers at all levels make informed decisions about their training and diving practices.
How to: a basic neuro exam
A simple field neurological check can document mental status, speech, pupils, eye movements, facial symmetry, arm and leg strength, sensation, coordination, gait if safe, and symptom changes over time. Record exact times and findings for the receiving clinician.
Papers to bring
Remote teams should keep key freediving DCS/DCI, pulmonary edema, blackout, and treatment papers downloaded for offline use. These can help non-diving medicine clinicians understand breath-hold-specific mechanisms and consultation priorities.
Community safety messaging
Education should repeatedly reinforce trained buddy systems, event-specific EAPs, oxygen availability, rescue practice, avoidance of unsafe hyperventilation, conservative progression, and transparent incident reporting.
Fatality Reporting & Analysis
Accurate reporting and analysis of freediving incidents and fatalities helps identify trends and develop better safety protocols. The freediving community benefits from transparent sharing of lessons learned.