HybriDiving, by Mike deGruy

by Eric Cheng Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Mike deGruy just sent out an email with a link to a new video about what he calls “HybriDiving,” which features the Lunocet monofin.

Inspired by Nature, enjoyed by Humans… HybriDiving. Fusing the best of SCUBA diving with the freedom of freediving, join 4 characters having a blast in the Cayman Islands.

OK, the video’s sort of like an advertisement, but it does look like “HybriDiving” is a lot of fun. Is anyone here on Wetpixel using Lunocet fins with little pony bottles?

Streamlined diving already exist. It's called using a plate and a single tank wing :) Freedive or use a tank but don't mix the two imo.
Posted by Dakine on 2009-11-08 20:21:56 Also, if you go to the Vimeo video page directly, you can download the video at 720p: http://vimeo.com/7319373
Posted by Eric Cheng on 2009-11-08 02:53:06 Simon - you should probably contact Mike directly. We are only involved in posting his video online...
Posted by Eric Cheng on 2009-11-08 02:52:27 Mike, My name is Simon Dixon, I am one of the instructors at Divetech that you met whilst in the Caymans, I actually trained Sterling in the above post and I am the bubble ring diver in the vid!! I am having a few issues with getting the vid to play consistently, any where I can download it?? Hope DEEMA is going ok, loved the fin and Im really interested to see what sort of response you get from the diving community to your Hybrid idea. Simon
Posted by glorifiedfisherman on 2009-11-04 19:13:41 Mike deGruy here I agree wholeheartedly, this is unconventional and potentially dangerous. But I have been using this profile for over 20 years, primarily in open water shooting footage of whales, etc, where I like to freedive. I started taking a pony bottle for a breath or two, then easing my way back to the surface. I think sterlingz is right and anybody doing this should do as he (she?) suggests - the moment you take a breath, you are a SCUBA diver and should act accordingly! However, if you use prudence and your scuba knowledge, this works - it has for me for many years. Again, use it wisely and carefully, but so far, hundreds of HybriDives have lead to no issues. I'm convinced, after 20 years of this, that it can be safe if you use your head and knowledge base built up with experience. It may counter what is convention, but after many, many such dives, I have had no problems. And it is a blast. MdeGruy
Posted by MdeG on 2009-11-04 14:49:56 I just completed the IANTD Advanced Free Diver course at DiveTech in Grand Cayman (which ironically enough is in the background of one of the shots in this video), and one of the first things they teach you is that you NEVER mix SCUBA and Free Diving. Once you take a breath from a reg, you become a SCUBA diver and are bound by all the limitations from that point forward. It is not even recommended to do SCUBA and free diving in the same day - especially free diving after SCUBA - the DCS risks are very high. This HybriDiving seems like an incredibly bad idea. The IANTD course is excellent by the way, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in improving their breatholding and free diving technique. There is a lot more going on physiologically than one realizes, and I think it's really important for safety to have some grounding in the theory behind breath hold diving. I learned a ton during the two days of training, and was able to complete multiple dives to fifty feet while completing various tasks by the end of the course.
Posted by sterlingz on 2009-11-04 00:03:11 I can see a lots of people getting bent with this gimic and a few burst lungs for good measure!
Posted by jason spafford on 2009-11-03 12:00:17 Scuba to breath-hold to scuba. Repeat? Watch that ascent.
Posted by Gutted on 2009-11-03 08:05:10