The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! - Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum

tmaas · 02-11-2006, 07:53 PM

Freedivers have no safety device to help prevent death from shallow water blackout. Two dedicated freedivers from Ventura, California have formed a corporation dedicated to the development of the first important safety device for freedivers. Since our Internet forum started last April, work has progressed steadily. Now, after spending over $100,000 and procuring a patent to protect their investment, commercial development of the freediver’s safety vest is well underway. Please follow this link for a new study of shallow water blackout and information on how the vest works. Note that while I am an enthusiastic supporter of the freediver’s vest concept, I have no economic interest in the company, nor do I plan to in the future. http://www.freedive.net/swb.htm
Thank you,
Terry Maas

Marcus · 02-11-2006, 08:08 PM

Terry,

Let me be the first to offer you a warm welcome to the board. Excuse me for taking the liberty to say for all of us that we are proud to have you.

Polystigma · 02-11-2006, 08:22 PM

Wow, this vest could potentially save many lives. Freediving is becoming a very safe sport as it seems. Glad to know people are thinking of the saftey of thier fellow divers.

Old Bateman · 02-11-2006, 08:32 PM

One of my best friends have a SWB episode while I was diving with him some 20 years ago. He blacked out about 20 feet from the surface. By the time I swam over him and descended, he had dropped to almost 50', well beyond what I had ever free dove before. As I grabbed him by the collar and started back up, I thought there was no way we would make it, but the Lord gave me the strength, and we made the surface. Upon raising his head above the water, he started coughing and woke up, not even realizing he had passed out.
This safety vest will undoubtedly save many lives, that dive buddies would be unable to. Kudo's to these guys for the time, money, and effort they are investing to develop this. Is this the one Sheri Daye had some input on?

tmaas · 02-11-2006, 08:43 PM

Indeed, Sheri had, and continues to have, considerable input on the devopment of this device. I even borrowed the title line above from an edit she made to the piece!

normanhghntr · 02-11-2006, 09:41 PM

welcome to the board , what an excellent idea this vest is!! im not sure if i missed it but how does it look deflated?, will there be different sizes based on your weight and how much weight you carry?

would you be interested in doing a spearfishing- freediving seminar at the key west open this may? we would love to have a few of you west coasters come to the keys!!

mattymatt · 02-11-2006, 10:37 PM

Welcome Tmass!!! Can you or someone else elaborate/explain "We also anticipate that some divers will reach the surface, deactivate the vest then pass out while exhaling." Also wondering what the price will be? Whatever the price, it sounds like this will an invaluable piece of equipment and mandatory for all freedivers.

tmaas · 02-11-2006, 11:23 PM

Matt,
Thanks for the welcome. Originally, we thought we would not allow deactivation of the vest until the diver reached the surface. Now that we understand that it is possible for the diver to deactivate the vest on the surface and THEN pass out, we are programing in a safety period. If the diver descends within 15 seconds and goes deeper than 10 feet, the vest will fire even though it was "deactivated."

SpearMax · 02-12-2006, 01:41 AM

Terry, this device is fantastic! I read the description at http://www.freedive.net/swb.htm and was very impressed. This will save lives and I congratulate you and your team for developing it. I am going to pass the word to all my freediving friends. Welcome to Spearboard! Tony

WreckHunter · 02-12-2006, 03:19 AM

Terry,
Welcome to Spearboard. We hope to see alot more of you here. That vest is a great idea. I am surprised nobody thought of it before. But then that is what they say about all great inventions.

deadend · 02-12-2006, 06:56 AM

Terry, I'll mirror everyone with a Welcome to the board! It's good to have you here and I'm sure that your books and stories have inspired many others as they have myself.

titaniumdiver · 02-12-2006, 07:49 AM

Welcome Terry, it is honor to have you here...Always an innovator

*DISKSKO* · 02-12-2006, 08:24 AM

Nice to see that we continue to evolve...great thinking!

extremediver · 02-12-2006, 10:11 AM

Terry Speedy Here Welcome To The Board .john Bettua And Myself Have Been Using A Vest For Years Its Made For Sailers It Comes In To Ways Manual And Auto Inflate When Its In Water We Use Manual Mode Its Save My Patner Twice . My Concern Its A False Sence Of Security We Need To More Info And Not To Push Our Limits. I Hope That The Vest Makes A Differents For Others.

chasintail · 02-12-2006, 11:58 AM

How bulky will it be?How easy will it be to operate?How many of you guys will actually wear it?

PS Good to have you on board!

Your book is responsible for the thousands of dollars of gear and travel expenses I pay out yearly.


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02-11-2006, 07:53 PM	#1
tmaas Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ventura California Posts: 345	The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Freedivers have no safety device to help prevent death from shallow water blackout. Two dedicated freedivers from Ventura, California have formed a corporation dedicated to the development of the first important safety device for freedivers. Since our Internet forum started last April, work has progressed steadily. Now, after spending over $100,000 and procuring a patent to protect their investment, commercial development of the freediver’s safety vest is well underway. Please follow this link for a new study of shallow water blackout and information on how the vest works. Note that while I am an enthusiastic supporter of the freediver’s vest concept, I have no economic interest in the company, nor do I plan to in the future. http://www.freedive.net/swb.htm Thank you, Terry Maas

02-11-2006, 08:08 PM	#2
Marcus Naval gazer extraordinair Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 42,214	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Terry, Let me be the first to offer you a warm welcome to the board. Excuse me for taking the liberty to say for all of us that we are proud to have you. __________________ “If the natural tendencies of mankind are so bad that it is not safe to permit people to be free, how is it that the tendencies of these organizers are always good? Do not the legislators and their appointed agents also belong to the human race? Or do they believe that they themselves are made of a finer clay than the rest of mankind?” ― Frederic Bastiat, The Law

02-11-2006, 08:22 PM	#3
Polystigma No Bananas! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: CA Posts: 4,750	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Wow, this vest could potentially save many lives. Freediving is becoming a very safe sport as it seems. Glad to know people are thinking of the saftey of thier fellow divers.

02-11-2006, 08:32 PM	#4
Old Bateman Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Location: Brandon, Fla. Age: 67 Posts: 1,155	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! One of my best friends have a SWB episode while I was diving with him some 20 years ago. He blacked out about 20 feet from the surface. By the time I swam over him and descended, he had dropped to almost 50', well beyond what I had ever free dove before. As I grabbed him by the collar and started back up, I thought there was no way we would make it, but the Lord gave me the strength, and we made the surface. Upon raising his head above the water, he started coughing and woke up, not even realizing he had passed out. This safety vest will undoubtedly save many lives, that dive buddies would be unable to. Kudo's to these guys for the time, money, and effort they are investing to develop this. Is this the one Sheri Daye had some input on? __________________ Rick http://www.fishkillaproductions.com/#

02-11-2006, 08:43 PM	#5
tmaas Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ventura California Posts: 345	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Indeed, Sheri had, and continues to have, considerable input on the devopment of this device. I even borrowed the title line above from an edit she made to the piece!

02-11-2006, 09:41 PM	#6
normanhghntr Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,220	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! welcome to the board , what an excellent idea this vest is!! im not sure if i missed it but how does it look deflated?, will there be different sizes based on your weight and how much weight you carry? would you be interested in doing a spearfishing- freediving seminar at the key west open this may? we would love to have a few of you west coasters come to the keys!! __________________ never saw it coming

02-11-2006, 10:37 PM	#7
mattymatt Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: santa barbara/hollyweird Posts: 444	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Welcome Tmass!!! Can you or someone else elaborate/explain "We also anticipate that some divers will reach the surface, deactivate the vest then pass out while exhaling." Also wondering what the price will be? Whatever the price, it sounds like this will an invaluable piece of equipment and mandatory for all freedivers. __________________ Matt McCalla mjmcphoto@gmail.com

02-11-2006, 11:23 PM	#8
tmaas Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ventura California Posts: 345	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Matt, Thanks for the welcome. Originally, we thought we would not allow deactivation of the vest until the diver reached the surface. Now that we understand that it is possible for the diver to deactivate the vest on the surface and THEN pass out, we are programing in a safety period. If the diver descends within 15 seconds and goes deeper than 10 feet, the vest will fire even though it was "deactivated."

02-12-2006, 01:41 AM	#9
SpearMax Forum Administrator Join Date: May 2005 Location: Florida USA Posts: 16,467	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Terry, this device is fantastic! I read the description at http://www.freedive.net/swb.htm and was very impressed. This will save lives and I congratulate you and your team for developing it. I am going to pass the word to all my freediving friends. Welcome to Spearboard! Tony __________________ "Spearing is the path to enlightenment." --- Lao Tzu “Live this day as if it will be your last. Remember that you will only find 'tomorrow' on the calendars of fools.” ---- Success Unlimited Author Og Mandino b.1923 - d.1996

02-12-2006, 03:19 AM	#10
WreckHunter Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Melbourne, Fl Posts: 406	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Terry, Welcome to Spearboard. We hope to see alot more of you here. That vest is a great idea. I am surprised nobody thought of it before. But then that is what they say about all great inventions. __________________ Chris

02-12-2006, 06:56 AM	#11
deadend hurter of feelings Join Date: May 2004 Location: atlanta, ga Age: 50 Posts: 726	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Terry, I'll mirror everyone with a Welcome to the board! It's good to have you here and I'm sure that your books and stories have inspired many others as they have myself.

02-12-2006, 07:49 AM	#12
titaniumdiver Non discript" H20 avatar Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Panama City Beach,Florida Age: 53 Posts: 1,534	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Welcome Terry, it is honor to have you here...Always an innovator __________________ When fish see my shaft they ((((Quiver))))

02-12-2006, 08:24 AM	#13
DISKSKO Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Underwater...or Madrid Posts: 998	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Nice to see that we continue to evolve...great thinking! __________________ www.spearfishingtravel.com ---------------------------------- Spots that are listed (or will be) on SpearfishingTravel.com: S. Africa, Madagascar, Morocco, Egypt - Thailand, Bali, Saipan, India - Australia, Coral Sea, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tahiti - Mexico, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Panama, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Brasil...Hawaii, Florida, Luisiana, New Jersey, California, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, N.Carolina - Spain, Norway, Turkey. Ben.

02-12-2006, 10:11 AM	#14
extremediver speedy Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: davie fl. Posts: 205	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! Terry Speedy Here Welcome To The Board .john Bettua And Myself Have Been Using A Vest For Years Its Made For Sailers It Comes In To Ways Manual And Auto Inflate When Its In Water We Use Manual Mode Its Save My Patner Twice . My Concern Its A False Sence Of Security We Need To More Info And Not To Push Our Limits. I Hope That The Vest Makes A Differents For Others. __________________ http://extremedivers.homestead.com LET LIFE NOT BE MEASURE BY THE NUMBER OF BREATHS WE TAKE, BUT THE MOMENTS THAT TAKE OUR BREATH AWAY ! EXTREMEDIVER FREEDIVING SPEARFISHING CLUB MEMBER

02-12-2006, 11:58 AM	#15
chasintail Hell Diver Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Ocean Springs MS Age: 48 Posts: 4,701	Re: The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME! How bulky will it be?How easy will it be to operate?How many of you guys will actually wear it? PS Good to have you on board! Your book is responsible for the thousands of dollars of gear and travel expenses I pay out yearly.

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