The freediver's safety vest--IT'S ABOUT TIME!

[Rbautista01]

About how long will it be until you guys come online with these devices? I am already anxious to get one for my wife and I.

[tmaas]

The company is still sourcing the basic building blocks. They do have the logic and much of the software developed. A prototype is still a year off and the final tested assembly perhaps 2 years. But it is coming!
Terry Maas

[dendelo]

Just imagine how many lives can be saved with this device. It has to be cool looking and must come in Camouflage blue and green.
Thanks Terry for effort. PLEASE just do not get discouraged if you encounter problems, we need this.
I am getting one for sure!!!

[BradMM]

My first post and I don't want to sound like I'm questioning anyone's expertise here... but how do those stats compare with other activities such as SCUBA? Yes, every life wasted unnecessarily is a shame but I was just wondering how big of a threat this really is? I've recently gotten more intrigued with free diving in general - not for fish but just for the experience - and this caused me to rethink it. I used to be a SCUBA diver but the gear got to be to cumbersome and my family and I decided to just snorkel. My son and I have done our version of free diving when we go on our annual summer vacations to the Carribean so that's how this all got started.

[Lobsterman]

Dr. Maas,

I have recently read your article in Hawaii Skin Diver on SWB, which you in turn included info on the vest. I personally am only "breaking the surface" (no pun intended) on my freediving career, with a PWI course planned for Sept. Being a former commercial diver for 5 years, an avid scuba diver/ spearfisherman for 20+ years, and more importantly a husband and father of 2, I am in full support of the vest and will most likely purchase one upon availability.

Thank you, Sheri and everyone else involved. Your book and continued research and support of our sport is not without appreciation.

Steve Miller

[Durango]

I look forward to seeing this vest. Since it was brought up how many fatalities do freedivers suffer from SWB (USA & Worldwide)?

[Omerkid]

Originally Posted by Old Bateman

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?

WOW.Thats a scary story.Good looking out.

[l0keman]

Still no word of when this thing will be available to buy?

[Isurus]

Everyone seems to have a story about SWB. I used to read the stories and think, Lord, I hope that's never me. Well, about 10 years ago, I was freediving in the keys in about 35fsw (shallow by most standards). I was in excellent shape, warm weather, sunny, no currents, clear water, not spearfishing. My breath-hold was only about 1:30mins, and as I came to the surface, I could feel the most powerful urge to breath that I have ever had - it came out of nowhere. I came as close to losing it as possible without passing out. My face went numb, I lost my peripheral vision, got a dull headache and realized I would never put myself at risk like that again. I really miss performance free-diving. Perhaps this new vest will help save lives. The only way to determine if that is possible, is if enough people start using the device. Otherwise it will be impossible to measure a difference in the incidence of SWB - as its baseline frequency of occurrence is so low.

[bayboy]

that is sweet i hope to see it out there soon

[joshrau]

looks cool!

Do you know if there are any plans to make it accept a CO2 cartridge or something like that so you don't need a tank to refill it?

[l0keman]

I was wondering about this thing and came across this on their site:

March 23, 2007: Chip Bissell and Terry Maas each make 20 drop dives to 50 feet following the same track down the anchor rope. Half of the dives were made wearing the vest, and in the other half no vest was worn.We were astounded to find that, because of the hydrodynamic shape of the "turtle back" fiberglass bowl used to streamline the inflation unit, the diver with the vest actually moved quicker through the water column—actually 7% faster! If we assume that speed through the water column is directly related to drag, then the vest design actually improves freediving performance—a pleasant finding, indeed, and one we may be able to improve upon further.

Just can't wait for it to come out now!

[bug_power]

Mr. Mass,
Growing up as a Navy/CG brat in my youth I've been around ton's of surplus stuff. The sailors rigs people mentioned earlier or even the newer PFD that are CO2 activated are fairly effective. Especially for people not overweighted. Have you considered making a device that would screw between the C02 cartrige and the vests so it could be worn and a timer device used to arm and disarm the system. Simple logic could be used to do the firmware. For example.

I know my bottom time is 1 minute. I can set the timer for 1:15 I push some arm mounted (bicep or belt mounted) trigger to start the timer....dive down. I have 1:15 to push the stop button (clearly labeled) or the c02 inflates. This could be made MUCH cheaper and be an addon you could put on a PFD which could pull double duty. I'd be willing to test something out, but honestly can't figure why it wouldn't work. I imagine you have the patent on such a device so I'm not even going to attempt it. I can explain it further if you need.

[Kevin Sheets]

I would definitely use the vest, but I would like to see weight integrated pockets like the SeaSoft free diving weight vest. This is a great idea whose time has come. Will you sell direct or through distributors.
Kevin

[Seacidal]

Regarding the use of a CO2 cylinder and standard PFD -- In order to have enough capacity to bring a diver up from depth, a disposable CO2 cylinder would be both size and price prohibitive. There are a number of other issues to consider as well, and much time and effort has been spent in carefully exploring, discussing and considering these and many other aspects of the design currently underway.

The suggestions and expressions of support are appreciated, and we'll keep releasing updates as key stages are reached.

Thanks,
Chip Bissell
www.OceanicSS.com