Shallow Water Blackout Spearfishing is enjoyable for many people, whether it be for recreation, commercial or food to live on. Families that depend on spearfishing for nutrition or income teach their youngsters how to do so at an early age. For many, it seems like a second nature, others are trained very thoroughly with training programs, beginning in pools and eventually making their way to the ocean waters. Regardless of how a person is trained, any diver and person who goes spearfishing is at risk for a condition known as shallow water blackout. This condition can be severely damaging to the human body, and often results in death. As a matter of fact, research has shown that there is an average of 7 thousand drownings per year in the united states as a result of shallow water blackout. While shallow water blackout is often associated with spearfishing and diving in natural waters, shallow water blackout can occur in training facilities and swimming pools. Any depth of water for can be a risk for someone to experience the terrifyingly real condition of shallow water blackout. What is Shallow Water Blackout? Shallow water blackout is being heavily researched by scientist and rescue teams, but there are still some questions raised about the condition. There are far many more deaths and drowning incidents as a result of shallow water blackout, and therefore more is being done to try to avoid the condition. Cerebral hypoxia is the cause of the loss of consciousness. This most often occurs towards the end stage of a dive in which you hold your breath in shallow water, usually less than five meters. Divers that experience shallow water blackout are often times strong, fit swimmers who have had plenty of experience holding their breath while diving. It has been suggested that those who fall prey to shallow water blackout have no medical conditions which would suggest them being prone to this condition. Shallow water blackout occurs because the swimmer doesn’t feel the urgency to take a breath, and hence the body is cut short of oxygen. Oxygen deprivation leads to syncope, or fainting. People who do shallow dives or those who do laps in a pool or training facility are most prone to shallow water blackout, as they tend to hyperventilate prior to submerging their body under water in order to be able to hold their breath longer. How Does Hyperventilation Affect Shallow Water Blackout? Hyperventilation alone is not dangerous when it is done properly. Unfortunately, victims of shallow water blackout often tend to over hyperventilate and that is when the problem occurs. Hyperventilation is defined as breathing too quickly within a small time frame. Usually this means exceeding 3 to 4 breaths at a time, but each person is different, so the amount of breaths may vary. Divers are frequently trained to utilize hyperventilation as a way to increase their diving time, as it is a way of gulping in extra air, and hence following the assumption that the oxygen should last longer. In reality, the carbon dioxide levels are also lower due to the dangerous increase in oxygen. Carbon dioxide is what signals the brain to force the body to breathe, and when the levels are too low, the body does not have the need to breathe. Often times, hyperventilation will lead to a breathing level so low that the body can no longer function, and the person passes out from lack of oxygen and can do so without warning. Those who drown from shallow water blackout are given little or no warning before they faint, and then become a victim of drowning. How to Avoid Shallow Water Blackout There is no way to guarantee cessation of shallow water blackout cases, but there are ways to avoid the likelihood of falling prey to this commonly deadly condition. Safety tips and precautions can help a person become aware of the circumstances, and they can take measures to try to avoid shallow water blackout.

• Avoid hyperventilating prior to swimming or diving
• Do not hold breath for extended time under water; playing diving or breath-holding games can be dangerous
• Never swim or dive alone
• Keep your activity level to a minimum while under water
• Always come up for air if you feel the urge to breathe
• Familiarize yourself with the dangers of shallow water blackout before diving or swimming

One thing to remember is to never dive alone. If you have planned a spearfishing expedition make sure you bring a friend along. If you succumb to shallow water blackout you will have someone there to help.