Have you ever wondered “What is a freediving float? Why do I need another piece of equipment?” Here at FreeDepth we are firm believers in never going freediving with out a float. Why? The short answer to why is self explanatory and quite simple. Safety. Safety both for yourself and for other water goers. A freediving float provides more than just safety however, as we will discuss in this article.
In this article we will explore in more detail what a freediving float is, the different kinds of floats, and why you should make a float an essential part of your free diving kit.
What Types of Freediving Floats Are There?
Float
A freediving float is an inflatable device with several key features designed specifically to be used by free divers or aquatic athletes.
Freediving floats should be made of a bright, durable material that can withstand some harsh treatment with out failure. Most freediving floats are in the shape of a large ring. They should have several handles and D-rings spaced around the perimeter edge to facilitate a firm grip and the mounting of accessories.
In the centre of the inflatable ring, many floats will have a removable cover secured by Velcro. That cover turns the interior of the float into a very useful storage compartment.
Another common feature of freediving floats are the addition of a weighted line that can be dropped from the float. This line serves as the guideline for divers.
Some floats will also come with an attached dive flag to provide added visibility and certainty to nearby boaters that there are divers in the water. In some jurisdictions there are minimum requirements for the size of the dive flag a buoy or float must display when divers are in the water.
Buoy
A freediving buoy is a much less complex system than a freediving float. It merely provides some floatation and its main purpose is to mark a divers location in the water. While some freediving buoys are hard plastic, most are inflatable.
Buoys like the DiveSafe Torpedo Buoy are a perfect example of an inflatable buoy. It provides good visibility, and packs up very small so it is ideal for traveling. For more information of traveling with freediving gear check out these articles by the FreeDepth team : Flying with Freediving Fins
Why do I Need a Freediving Float?
For Visibility
Imagine you are freediving with a friend in relatively cool waters, it is an over cast day and you are both wearing black or blue wetsuits. You are also properly weighted for your wetsuit thickness. One of you begins a dive and the other safeties. With one of you completely under water, and the other with their face in the water, how visible to a passing boat do you think you are? If you guessed not very, you would be right. Especially if it is a fast moving boat.
This is the one of the most important reasons why you need a freediving float or buoy, to be visible in the water. Freediving floats should be a bright color, red, yellow, or orange usually so they can be spotted from a distance. Even if a passing boater does not recognize that the float signals divers in the water, they will probably maneuver to avoid you. For all they know, the float could be a net or fishing trap which could damage their boat.
A bright float will also be exceptionally useful if there is every a need to be located by emergency services. Even in calm conditions the dark colours of many freediving wet suits make being spotted from a boat or from the air very difficult. The visible distance for most freediving floats is at least 300 meters.
For Use As A Recovery Platform
Whether you are recreationally freediving to visit your favorite fish, or training for your next personal best, every time you complete a dive you feel fatigue. Without proper rest between dives, that fatigue can quickly escalate, effecting your performance and comfort in the water.
Large inflatable freediving floats allow you to stay afloat without having to kick and waste precious energy. This is especially important on breath up intervals where its crucial to increase oxygen saturation in your muscle tissues and blood. If you have to keep kicking to stay afloat, you are negatively affecting your performance and safety in the water and at depth.
Large inflatable freediving floats also prove crucial in the event of a shallow water black out, loss of motor control or other medical emergency. The added floatation, grab handles, and emergency supplies that a freediving float can provide can quite literally save someone’s life.
For Us As A Storage Platform
Talking of emergency supplies, freediving floats provide you the storage necessary to take your safety gear with you in order to practice safe diving. Things like a first aid kit, extra masks, extra lines, straps, and water. Even emergency oxygen if the float is big enough.
The storage also lets you keep important things like a wallet, keys, a phone, or even a camera. You can make this storage extra secure with the addition of a small dry like this one.
Its never a bad idea to have a handheld flare or two just in case you need to signal for assistance, especially in reduced visibility. Without the storage a float provides, you would have no where to safely store such a flare.
For Dive Safety
Finally, you need a proper freediving float to ensure you are diving safely once you leave the surface. Many freediving floats come equipped with a weighted dive line that can be lowered to a target depth.
A line is critical when diving to depths, especially in compromised visibility. It is all to easy to become disoriented. Disorientation can become deadly serious when at depth. Being attached to a dive line can reduce the potential danger caused by diving to depth, especially when there are currents or compromised visibility. When diving to more extreme depths or diving with out a face mask, a line becomes vital.
Knowing you are diving safely will do wonders to reduce any potential anxiety you may also be feeling on your dives.
The dive line attached to many floats will prove a valuable training aid as you will be able to set the depth of the bottom plate weighting down the line. That way, you know exactly how deep you are diving even without the having a dive computer.
Conclusions
Every freediver should have a dive float or buoy. They should be an integral piece of your safety equipment. Not only that but they provide key storage, and can help elevate your dives and training to the next level.
If you find your self travelling and don’t have a float, a floating ring that you can get at any beach side shop will be better than nothing. After all, the most important function of a freediving float is safety.
As always, respect the ocean and dive safely.