Dear Dr. Milner & Mr. Griffiths,
My name is Martin Stepanek, and I am the Director of Education and Development for Freediving Instructors International (F.I.I). I recently viewed your interview on CNN addressing the dangers of shallow water blackout and I am appreciative that someone is so passionately addressing this important issue. As you are aware, this matter is becoming more and more urgent as the younger generation is increasingly drawn to the outdoor water sports – inparticular, freediving & spearfishing.
Prevention of shallow water blackout for freediving and in-water activities has been for the past decade and always will be, the sole interest of Freediving Instructors International. Besides the great amount of hands on field experience with such incidences, I have been privileged to assist to and co-work with some of the top researchers in freediving physiology addressing key issues such as latent hypoxia (shallow water blackout.) This experience has served as a strong foundation for establishing the safety standards and procedures for safe freediving and spearfishing that have been applied to the FII educational system. FII is currently the largest freediving education agency in the United States and it is recognized worldwide as a leader in modern freediving education.
As I have mentioned earlier, I have an immense amount of respect for your efforts, and I would like to offer our support. I would certainly be interested to hear how we (F.I.I.) can be helpful to your endeavors. Please feel free to contact me directly via email or call anytime.
Respectfully,
Martin Stepanek