Spearfishing Spearfishing Safety and Dive Planning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'samba' in the context of spearfishing safety?
- A type of underwater swimming technique
- Involuntary muscle twitching signaling impending blackout (Correct answer)
- A spearfishing knot
- A fish species behavior pattern
Correct answer: Involuntary muscle twitching signaling impending blackout
Samba refers to the involuntary convulsive movement a diver experiences just before or during shallow water blackout, signaling a dive emergency.
Question 2: When planning a spearfishing dive near a river mouth or in variable current areas, what is the most important pre-dive check?
- Water temperature
- Tidal charts and current direction (Correct answer)
- Salinity levels
- Moon phase only
Correct answer: Tidal charts and current direction
Tidal charts and current data help divers avoid being swept away from their boat or entry point, which is a major safety risk.
Question 3: What does a spearfisher's dive float primarily serve as, beyond marking location?
- Extra weight storage
- A platform to rest on if fatigued, reducing drowning risk (Correct answer)
- A fish-holding cooler
- A navigation beacon
Correct answer: A platform to rest on if fatigued, reducing drowning risk
A dive float gives the diver a surface rest point, reduces fatigue-related accidents, and supports the Diver Down flag.
Question 4: Which condition dramatically increases the risk of shallow water blackout?
- Eating a light meal beforehand
- Pushing to maximum depth on every dive (Correct answer)
- Wearing a wetsuit
- Diving in saltwater
Correct answer: Pushing to maximum depth on every dive
Repeatedly pushing to maximum depth stresses oxygen reserves and elevates blackout risk; divers should stay well within their comfortable limits.
Question 5: What is the proper first response if your spearfishing buddy goes limp underwater?
- Wait to see if they self-recover
- Immediately ascend them to the surface, supporting their airway (Correct answer)
- Signal for a boat first
- Remove their weight belt at depth
Correct answer: Immediately ascend them to the surface, supporting their airway
A blacked-out diver must be brought to the surface immediately to restore oxygen supply; delay causes brain injury or death.
Question 6: Why is it dangerous to spearfish alone, beyond the obvious blackout risk?
- It is legal but discouraged
- Equipment entanglement with no one to help can be fatal (Correct answer)
- Boats cannot see solo divers
- Fish behave differently around solo divers
Correct answer: Equipment entanglement with no one to help can be fatal
Spear line, kelp, or anchor rope entanglement can trap a solo diver with no one available to cut them free.
Spearfishing Spearfishing Safety and Dive Planning 2
What is 'samba' in the context of spearfishing safety?