Indigenous Ability

In prior articles in this series we have dealt exclusively with descending, preparing to descend, and how to manage comfortably while at depth. Now, let’s talk ascents as there are some dangers here as well, but, again, a marriage of science and indigenous diving wisdom renders these dangers negligible. As we have discussed, when the human body descends to even shallow depths we experience great pressure changes, so great that even if we had a snorkel one meter long we would lack the muscular ability to intake a breath of air to survive. At a depth of 10 meters [approximately 30 feet] we are already experiencing twice the pressure at the surface. The pressure at even greater depths is so extreme that deep sea fish brought to the surface often evert their viscera as the gas in their swim bladders expands and forces their guts out though their mouths. Now, we are not deep-sea animals and seldom traipse along at such depths without extreme mechanical measures, but can we be s...

[This article is best consumed in series with the prior offerings regarding Aquatic Tactics.] In the previous lesson we covered the science behind the essential need for pressure-equalization when working sub-surface and ran through a series of methods to accomplish this end that required a free hand, i.e., “The Pinch Series.” We closed that exploration with the following observation… “ how do we account for equalizations made by indigenous divers at depth who may have a fishing spear in one hand and a sea-harvesting basket in the other or a clutched surface-line? Let alone the horrible contingency of a sub-surface swim with hands shackled behind one’s back.” Without hands being free, how does one make the vital equalization? Turns out there are few hands-free methods used by indigenous divers that we can adopt for our own uses. We won’t go over the same anatomy lesson offered in the prior offering but wisdom dictates that if one is refreshed as to how we used contro...

[This article is best consumed in series with the prior offerings regarding Aquatic Tactics.] If we have developed the skill to swim, possess a reasonable breath-holding capacity [a comfortable one-minute is sufficient across many cultures], and have a willingness to work our aquatic tactics fully, the limiter at this point is often pain in the ears. Many a good warrior feels limited or excluded from aquatic tactics because of ear trouble, but, again, a look to the wisdom of indigenous diving cultures and how they have coped with the malady is most instructive. Along the way we will use a bit of science to interpret some of these tactics. First… Ears & Submersion : Diving to depth is often accompanied by pain in the ears. This is due to the middle ear being an air-filled chamber that does not freely exchange air with the outer ear. As we descend the air within the middle ear chamber contracts and exerts pressure on the eardrum which bows inward—this bowing inw...

Action films and cartoons share a common idea, well, many ideas, but I will call your attention to this familiar situation. Our hero be he Bugs Bunny evading Elmer Fudd or a warrior on the run encounters a river. To thwart pursuers, he plucks a reed from the surrounding vegetation and submerges himself with only the reed protruding above the surface. He remains stealthily submerged until the pursuers have passed. There are also more than a few accounts in legend of various feats of escape that utilized this same breathing-though-a-reed trick. Our surface interpretation of this feat is that it is plausible, after all, the reed is operating as a snorkel and snorkels do a fine job of allowing one to breath while submerged. But, let’s look at the bare-bones physics behind this. First -The deeper we submerge the pressure change prohibits us from being able to breathe non-pressurized air—scuba tanks contain pressurized air. When we use a reed, we are attempting to draw dir...

[Note: This offering is best if preceded with the information presented in Indigenous Aquatic Ability: The “Bends ”] Continuing our theme of increased tactical ability on or beneath the waves let’s look to one of the most well-known of indigenous diving cultures, that of the Ama of Japan. The Ama diving culture has existed for over 2000 years and this longevity provides excellent utilitarian lessons for the modern student of aquatic tactics. The Ama are sea-harvesters, both above and below the waves. Below the waves the sea-floor is reaped for shellfish, sea slugs, octopus, sea urchins and seaweed. They also dive for Akoya-gai , a mother-of-pearl shell used for pearl cultivation. In the woodblock prints of Ukioy-e artists we see young women, nude to the waists, harvesting the sea. Flash-forward to the 21 st -cetury and we see that this is the exact same practice. The Ama divers [by tradition all women] young and old bare the upper-body and perform their amazing task ju...