International Freediving Safety Summit Announces New Blackout Prevention Guidelines
Leading freediving organizations gather in Sharm el-Sheikh to establish comprehensive safety protocols aimed at reducing shallow water blackout incidents.
The first-ever International Freediving Safety Summit concluded in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, with the announcement of groundbreaking new guidelines for blackout prevention during training and competition.
Representatives from AIDA International, CMAS, and various national federations spent three days reviewing incident data, discussing best practices, and drafting new protocols.
Key recommendations include mandatory buddy system requirements during all training sessions, standardized safety diver positioning at competitions, and new depth limits for unsupervised training.
"We analyzed over 200 incident reports from the past five years," said Dr. Maria Santos, the summit's chief medical advisor. "The data clearly shows that most incidents are preventable with proper safety measures."
The new guidelines are expected to be adopted by major freediving organizations within the next six months, with a transition period for training facilities worldwide.