SSI Freediving Responsible Diver Code
Freediving/Breath-Hold Diving - any diving activity where the participant holds their breath, including dry land breath-holds, surface breath-holds, and/or in-water breath holds, which may include the use of equipment like mask, fins, or snorkels, as well as specialized freediving/breath-hold equipment like monofins and nose-plugs to achieve longer breath-holds durations, deeper depths and longer distances.
Freediving is an adventure activity that requires the use of specialized equipment and professional training to explore the underwater environment without the use of life-support equipment. As with other adventure activities, freediving has elements of risk that cannot be totally eliminated regardless of the amount of training, care, caution, or expertise. SSI believes these risks may be reduced through the SSI Diver Diamond - development of proper Knowledge, Skills, Equipment and Experience. Ultimately it is up to each individual diver to assume the inherent risk associated with freediving, and it is each diver’s responsibility to minimize the risk through exercising good judgment, common sense, respect, and personal awareness during all diving activities. SSI has developed a Freediving Responsible Diver Code to remind freedivers of your responsibilities for each freedive.
As a Responsible Freediver - I pledge to:
Dive Competently
Always dive within my training, certification, experience, comfort, and ability.
Maintain Appropriate Diver Health
Including appropriate fitness, physical health, and mental awareness to freedive. If I experience any signs or symptoms of hypoxia, or discomfort/pain when equalizing my air spaces while freediving, I will not dive for the remainder of the day and until the condition is fully resolved.
Utilize a Dive Plan
Plan my freedives and dive my plan for each freedive. Listen to and follow dive briefings.
Be a Responsible Freediving Partner
Remain with my freediving partner from the start to finish of our freediving activities, and maintain the "one up - one down" philosophy. Know our plan to take action if we become separated while freediving.
Inspect my Freediving Equipment
Before each freediving excursion, I will inspect my equipment and make sure everything is working properly. I will establish proper weighting and know how to quick-release my weights. If using a lanyard, I will know how to release the lanyard and I will test the quick-release function before I enter the water.
Freediver Awareness
I will monitor my depth and perform descents without pushing my equalization limitations. When conducting target depth freedives, I will use a fixed dive line with the target depth clearly marked. I will always monitor my freediving partner when it’s their turn to dive.
Maintain Proficient Freediving Skills
I understand freediving skills and knowledge are perishable. If it has been more than six months since my last freedive, I understand the importance of assessing my skills with my freediving partner or participate in an update with a freediving instructor if I am not confidant in my abilities.
Respect the Environment
Be aware of currents, waves, visibility, temperature, weather, boat traffic, slippery, uneven and unstable surfaces, overhead environments, entanglements, and hazardous marine life. I understand boats are unsteady surfaces and will always use one hand to stabilize myself. I understand boat traffic can be particularly dangerous to freedivers and it is my obligation to take every precaution to avoid being hit by a boat. I understand the importance of participating in an orientation freediving session with a local professional when freediving in unfamiliar environments. I will obey all diving and applicable regulations, statutes and codes.
Plan for Emergencies
In addition to inspecting my equipment, I will verify my freediving partner’s equipment is functioning properly and configured appropriately, and that I know how to remove their weights and lanyard in case of an emergency. I will know freediving hand signals and how to alert others in case of an emergency. I will have an emergency action plan in case my freediving partner or I have an emergency.
Accept Responsibility
I am ultimately responsible for my safety during all freediving activities. Failure to comply with these responsibilities will increase my risk of serious injury or death. Incidents can happen, even when all safety guidelines are followed, therefore I should obtain personal freediving incident insurance.