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29/10/2006: "FREEDIVING IN THE 1960's"
In the early sixties we were all free divers at first.
The less capable spearmen or free divers gravitated to scuba then called lung diving an abbreviation of the trade marked name aqua lung by Jacques Cousteau and the US Divers Corp.
Eventually scuba replaced aqua lung as the generic term.
As free divers we knew little of the physical limitations of our bodies.
I learned the taller and younger divers by nature have the larger predicted lung capacity. Older and shorter people have the smallest predicted capacity.
IN 1964 I did 108 feet, with lead belt and handspear – but did not need to touch the bottom.
I hit a grey nurse shark with a 12 gauge powerhead at Montague Island.
It was a shocking dive – and when still 30 feet from the surface vowed never do this depth as a breath holder again.
The merits of power-heading grey nurse sharks in 1964 were very educational and necessary.
Today there would be a $220,000 fine for anyone duplicating the deed.
If you consider that was bad, consider this, there will be underwater actions occuring today acceptable and necessary that will in forty years from now, be seen as appalling and negative.
Such is the nature of our evolution of knowledge. I have chosen not to hide past actions as little evidence remains in film libraries. Some good may therefore come from this information.
My friend Vic Ley and I went to the University of Sydney Department of Medicine to have our lungs measured for the vital capacity and residual volume. It was a free test and the only place in Sydney that offered it.
We hoped this information may help with an understanding of our limitation with deep free diving.
It emerged my lung capacity was 20% above normal predicted capacities, thanks to free diving.
Emphysema is a shocking disease. Perhaps our free diving introduction to diving will be of benefit.
Another aspect of free diving is it builds the best and strongest scuba diver.
Nobody should be allowed to learn scuba diving before they are able to free dive ten meters deep with ease.
