3) Scuba Gear requires a compressor which is more expense and maintenance.
4) You can free dive all day and not have to a damn about decompression times (exceptions occur for very aggressive repeated deep drives, which is not happening here). This is untrue for Scuba
Decompression time is a function of depth, time, and N2 concentration. (Yes, O2 matters for because of O2 toxicity, but that's not a decompression issue.) Scuba can let you breathe different mixtures than the standard atmosphere but need not increase decompression time.
I have some extended family who alive along a rugged expanse of the pacific. The after there is amazing wild. There is all types of sea life living in the rocky outcrops and kelp forest. My family there free dives to get abalone with a dull metal knife. Watching them do it is crazy. You begin to worry after they’ve been down a long time. There is no economic incentive for them. They just like to do it.
