The Risk of Diving Versus Other Activities
There is no such thing as a zero-risk dive. Yet, the percentage of accidents in freediving is very small
compared to scuba diving (reportedly 1.8 casualties per million recreational scuba dives). When
comparing the risk of diving to other activities, it would be fair to say it's more dangerous than flying
but less dangerous than riding a motorcycle.
Here are some statistics of some well documented activities:

Motorized transport fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles:

• Motorcycles: 26.16
• Cars: 1.33
• Flight: 0.04

Other activities that are known to shorten life expectancies by years:

• Smoking -13 years.
• Alcohol overuse -24 years.
• Obesity -14 years.
• Drinking sodas daily -2.5 years.
• Living with air pollution -2 years.

Most of us engage in activities that could potentially be fatal, yet we choose to do them anyway. As
an educator, it's important to explain these dangers. However, the decision of what risks we want to take is personal. In this chapter, we will further explain how divers get into trouble and
what they can do to avoid it.

Note of Caution About Drowning
Drowning is the second most common cause of accidental death. FCOA recommends keeping
non-swimmers in shallow water, which is defined as water shallow enough for individuals to stand
in. The water should reach no higher than chest level; however, knee-deep water is safer and
sufficient for starting initial lessons.
Even in chest-deep water, people can still drown, especially if they have buoyant legs because it makes
standing up difficult.
Before participants move to deeper areas, they should demonstrate their ability to swim 200
meters in shallow water without standing up.

Note Of Caution About Secondary Drowning
If someone has inhaled water into their lungs but appears fine afterward, it is crucial to keep a
close watch on them. Water in the lungs can trigger a chemical reaction that draws more bodily
fluids into the lungs. Some individuals that have survived a drowning have died hours later in their sleep. 
To ensure safety, the individual should either stay in the hospital under observation or be closely
monitored at home. If monitoring at home, sleep nearby and set an alarm to check on them every
30 minutes. Listen carefully to their breathing. If you hear any sputtering or liquid sound, seek
immediate medical attention.

Note of Caution on Group Think
Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon occurring when a group prioritizes harmony over sound
decision-making, leading to irrational outcomes. Group cohesiveness may push members to agree
without critical evaluation. An important 2015 Divers Alert Network (DAN) study revealed that 83%
of drowned freedivers were with companions. Having a buddy does not eliminate all risks. Cultivate a solo diver's mindset, if you wouldn't engage in a certain activity by yourself, then certainly ask the group why they think it's a good idea.  

Note of Caution About Depth Adaptation
FCOA recommends limiting personal best depth increase to no more than one arm span per dive to
allow for the body and mind to gradually adapt to the increase in pressure.

Note of Caution: Keep Your Hands Free (hands free solutions)
Cameras should not be tied to the wrist. We recommend tying cameras to the chest, so that your
hands are free when performing rescue drills. Bungee cords are often the favored for securing
cameras. For your students it would be good to have a bundle of straw rope available that they can
use to tie their own hands-free solutions.

Note of Caution About Boat Traffic
Boats kill divers and swimmers every year. Especially jet skis since they are often operated at high
speed by unaware tourists. But also, surfers and sail boats can kill swimmers, you won’t always hear them
coming. Being visible is your best defense but it’s not a guarantee. Learn to identify collision
courses far in advance (in FCOA lesson 8) and practice swim sprints and exhale dives to increase
your ability to get out of the way of a fast-approaching boat that just didn’t see you.

Note of Caution About Hyperventilation
Hyperventilation: In the freediving world this is when you do more than 2 breath ups.
When we hold our breath, the O2 level in our body goes down and CO2 level goes up. When CO2 is
high enough it triggers your brain to breath, then the CO2 reduces again and O2 comes back up.
When you hyperventilate the O2 does not really go up because your blood is already
saturated by default. But your CO2 drops lower and lower. Now if you hold your breath, you can
hold it longer. You might never feel the urge to breath. You could deplete your O2 without
warning. This is called the SHALLOW WATER BLACKOUT. Athletes have drowned in their bathtubs
and swimming pools due to this so don’t take it lightly. If you want to experiment with
hyperventilation, then your bed is the safest place to do so. When you bring it to the water make
sure, you have a competent safety buddy to look after you.

Note of Caution About Packing
Packing is an advanced technique used to force extra air in the lungs. The benefits of it are
debatable. Many freediving instructors' advice against the practice because when done excessively it
could cause a lung overexpansion injury. For those that like to try out packing for the first time it’s
advised to not pack more than 5 times. If this feels comfortable during the whole dive, then one
extra pack can be added per subsequent dive. (One pack is equal to one mouth volume that gets
pressed down in the lungs)

Note of Caution About Scuba Diving
Scuba divers should not offer compressed air to freedivers. A freediver taking a breath of
compressed air at 10 meters would risk his lungs to over expand to double the size and rupture on
the way up. The moment a freediver breathes compressed air he is no longer a freediver, he should
now follow scuba diving protocols including safety stops and slow ascent rates while breathing at a
normal rate.

Note of Caution About Freediving After Scuba
To reduce the risk of decompression sickness, refrain from freediving, flying, or mountaineering after
scuba diving. Adhere to the recommended surface intervals by scuba diving organizations. For
example, PADI recommends a 12-hour surface interval after a single scuba dive and an 18 hour
surface interval after 2 scuba dives.

Note of Caution About the Risk of Decompression Sickness
For recreational freedivers the risk of decompression sickness (DCI) is neglectable. How ever for
competitive freedivers there is a small risk, this risk can get reduced by applying appropriate
surface intervals between deep dives. Yet the chance is always there. DCI can cause numerous
symptoms depending on where the nitrogen bubbles get stuck in the body. What the symptoms
have in common is that the patient has likely never felt them before. To treat DCI the patient should
breath 100% Oxygen while his vitals are being monitored. The first aider could call DAN (Divers
Alert Network) for treatment tips and to find out if a decompression chamber is currently available
in the region. In Water Recompression (IWR) is something that could be part of a DCI treatment
plan especially for remote locations.

Note of Caution About Physical Contact
When it comes to touching each other we all have different boundaries. Yet when you're teaching there will be moments that physical contact could be practical and even necessary. Make sure your student is ok with it. If not sure just ask. For example: “Do you want me to support your back while you practice the survival float”?

Note of Caution About the Difference in Buoyancy Between Fresh and Salt Water
It’s easier to float in the sea than in a pool. It’s possible that a person floats in sea water but sinks in
fresh water.

Note of Caution About Skipping Logical Steps in Learning
Often students are excited to get out there and see the underwater world. Yet they still lack
swimming skills. Take your time for it. If you can’t comfortably swim 200 meters yet, then you belong
in shallow water.

Note of Caution About Equipment Dependencies:
Check your self on the following dependencies:
1. Mask dependency: Feeling anxious without, not wanting to dive without
2. Snorkel dependency: Finding it hard to swim longer distances without snorkel
3. Fin dependency: Without them you feel handicapped, you seem not able to move
4. Nose clip dependency: you fear that water will go in your nose.
5. Dive line dependency: without the line you find it hard to go down
6. Dive watch dependency: For knowing your depth, you're not yet used to counting arm
spans or sensing and interpreting pressure on your years and the size of your lungs.
7. Dive buoy dependency: You’re not yet familiar to recover from your dive without holding on
to something floating
8. Dive buddy dependency: Your uncomfortable swimming and diving by yourself, often
relying on a buddy.
9. Calm water dependency: When there is a current or when there are waves you become
uncomfortable.
10. Wetsuit dependency: When even in warm water you feel uncomfortable without your wetsuit.

Many former non-swimmers have learned to freedive without acquiring basic swimming abilities.
However, they become helpless if they lose their fins or struggle to breathe without their snorkel.
More advanced divers often heavily depend on the dive line, the buoy or their watch.

How to overcome dependencies?
1. Become aware of your dependencies, which ones are you ok with and which ones you wish to change?
2. Come up with ways to safely practice without the item you depend on even if it is just for 10
minutes per session.
3. Gradually increase the level of difficulty
4. Repeat no equipment dives for recency

With the right skills, you won’t depend on any specific gear. Practice frog kicking in all directions and try
diving without a mask until it feels routine.

Note of Caution About Learning Scuba Unprepared
Anyone can book a scuba dive, even if they are not confident swimmers. However, many scuba
incidents occur due to mask problems, equalizing issues, and panic caused by lack of control over the
heart rate. You can practice these skills inexpensively while freediving. Master these skills before
embarking on your scuba adventure to greatly increase your joy and safety.