Event Details

AIDA 2024 Oceanoid Pool Freediving Challenge

AIDA 2024 Oceanoid Pool Freediving Challenge

Start date: 2024-03-01
End date: 2024-03-02
Location: Lord Byng Pool and Fitness Centre, Vancouver, Canada
Event Type: Pool Competition
Organizer: Matthew Townsend
Additional info: -
Disciplines: DYNB DYN DNF STA
Safety Qualifications: All safety freedivers have AIDA Competion Safety Freediver certification
Competition medic is certified Emergency Medical Technician
Safety plan: Safety and emergency plan and procedures

The following constitutes the file on safety protocols, safety team members, and other safety considerations for the AIDA 2024 Oceanoid Pool Freediving Challenge pool competition to be held on March 1st and 2nd, 2024.

Location and dates

Location : Lord Byng Pool and Fitness Centre
Address: 3990 W 14th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6R 4H2
Ambulance access via front parking lot

Date: Friday March 1st and Saturday March 2nd, 2024 (Zero time to be determine based on number of competitors)

Friday March 1st: Static Pool specs (25m recreational pool, rented 6:00PM-8:00PM):
We will be using the shallow part of the 25m lane pool.
Lane pool to be divided into 3 zones by Oceanoid: training zone, transition zone, and competition zone.
Lane pool is 1.4M deep at the shallowest, 4M at the deepest.
Water temperature 28C

Saturday March 2nd: Dynamic Pool specs (25m lane pool, rented 5:00PM-7:30PM):
We will be using the lanes 1-6 in the 25m lane pool.
Lanes 1-3 are warm up lanes, lane 4 is transition zone, lane 5 is for video, and lane 6 is the competition lane.
Lane pool is 1.4M deep at the shallowest, 4M at the deepest.
Water temperature 28C

Safety plan and protocols

Location of nearest hospitals
UBC Hospital Urgent Care Centre, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5 (2.5 km)
Vancouver General Hospital, 899 W 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9 (8 km)

2. Safety Plan
In-water safety
Will be handled by the competition safety team
1 team member/competitor for static apnea
1 team member/competitor for dynamic apnea
Additional team members will provide safety in the warm-up zone
In the case of a hypoxic blackout: when competitor has recovered EMR will administer pure oxygen (10L/min) for 5 minutes. Pulse oximeter will be present for use at EMR’s discretion.

Out-of-water
Volunteer Emergency Medical Responder will be on site dedicated solely to the supervision of our event as a member of the competition safety team (see Section 4 below).
Pool lifeguards will receive daily briefing. In the event of a major emergency (unconscious competitor not responding to recovery efforts of EMR), the competitor will be transferred to the pool lifeguards who will initiate their own safety protocols (911, CPR…)

One in-water safety will be in the competition lane at all times. Two more safety team members will be available to provide safety oversight for competitors in the warm-up lanes.

The static competition will take place in a shallow pool where competitors and safety team members will be able to stand at all times. The dynamic apnea competition lane is on the side of the pool therefore the competitors will most likely complete their performances by taking support on the pool edge. But for additional safety our team will be carrying kickboards (two kickboards taped together, provided by Oceanoid) to hand to the dynamic apnea competitors if they come up mid-lane and away from the pool edge.

All in-water safety team members have, as part of their AIDA certification, been trained in support and recovery of freedivers who are in a hypoxic state. In the event that a competitor requires assistance from one of the safety team members (i.e. the competitor suffers from a hypoxic loss of motor control or blackout), the safety team will:
Assist the competitor in maintaining their airway integrity (keeping their face out of the water)
Bring the competitor to the pool edge
Remove competitor’s facial equipment and support the competitor through recovery
If the competitor is unconscious and has not recovered within 15 seconds, they will be transferred to the pool deck where the EMR will administer 3 resuscitation breaths
If the competitor is still unconscious after 60 seconds the EMR will commence CPR protocols
If a competitor suffers an hypoxic event they will be administered pure oxygen for a period of 5 minutes under the supervision of a qualified safety team member.

3. Equipment

Pocket masks and first aid kit (provided by Oceanoid)
Oxygen tank (provided by Oceanoid)
Pulse oximeter (provided by Oceanoid)
Cell phone for emergencies (provided by Oceanoid)
AED (provided by the pool)
Spinal board (provided by the pool)
Pool size: 25m
Maximum pool depth: 4m
Minimum pool depth: 1.4m
Main Judge: Roberta Cenedese
Other Jury Members: Matthew Townsend
Assistant Judges: -
Performance Safeties: Bruce Passmore, Daniel Pelchat
Warm-Up Safeties: Colene Bentley, Trever Bass