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Chapter 4 — 5
Hypoxic Blackout - Prevention
1.
Do not hyperventilate before breath-holding
2.
Do not dive deep
3.
Avoid excessive exercise
4.
Avoid competitive behaviour resulting in the above activities
5.
Ensure buoyancy near the surface
6.
Dive with a buddy or have a safety observer/rescuer
7.
Educate breath-hold divers of this hazard
Snorkel Diving
All the difficulties associated with breath-hold diving occur with snorkel diving – which is just
breath-hold diving with a snorkel. Snorkel breathing is a convenient way of obtaining air whilst
on the surface and with the head immersed, however it has several physiological and physical
limitations due to the snorkel’s structure (see Chapter 5).