CWT Beginners and Squeeze

[Krismidd]

Hey all, I know many of you checking the boards are absolute experts so I would like to describe my current sensations while free diving. So I have been training regularly for a few months now, no depth work at all, just dry land or in a pool. I have done some simulations of depth with conservative exhale dives in the deep end of my local pool.

I am now in Bonaire.... the pool just got a whole lot deeper... Today was my first "real" experience free diving. I went to 80 feet after warming up with 3 exhale statics at 10-15 feet and a dive to 60 feet. At 80 feet I can feel the pressure on my lungs. It isn't uncomfortable at all but just like I blew out some of my air. Not dissimilar from the warmup exhale dives. In fact the exhale dives may even be more of an "empty" feeling. I returned to the surface with no urge to breathe. My question is, knowing that beginners are at risk for lung squeeze, how do I know where "too deep" is? I have spotters too so no worries there.

 

[fpernett]

I'll say that you're doing it in the right way. Try to focus on your feelings rather than on depth gauge. Keep yourself in the comfort zone, and don't struggle with equalization. Use the search function to find a post where I put some reccomendations
Posted via Mobile Device

This is the old thread with a lot of advice

 

[Bill]

You need to check. Can you easily exhale air, while inverted, at 80 feet? This will change, depending on the speed of descent and many other variables. When you don't have any air left to exhale you enter the slow, easy, one five foot step at a time. Be careful with arm movements and don't arch your back. The big caution here is that symptoms may not show up for a day or so.

 

[Krismidd]

I will do the exhale test tomorrow, that is a very good idea. I do equalize using my tongue (Frenzel) naturally so its hard to gauge if I am just using air in my mouth or if I can still exhale (Valsalva). I could just have very bad ERV if I am out of gas for equalization at ~80. Tucking my chin to my chest this morning made a difference. I slowed my descent a bit as well. Had a very slow relaxing dive to ~95ft. Thank you so much for the tips and pointing me in the right direction.

 

[JennyWren]

Definitely relaxing is key, makes it so much easier to equalise.

For me I know if I am squeezed if I feel pain after the dive. Going slow (as you are doing) and making gradual increases in depth is the way to go.

 

[Krismidd]

No trouble exhaling at 80 ft and a little more of a push at 100 ft but still easy to exhale. I think longer stretching, tucking the chin, and slowing down made the difference. all tightness I felt on the first day at has disappeared. I think this is plenty deep for now and increasing bottom time might be best for the long run. Time to really research how to train depth in a pool with exhale for the rest of the year... Thanks again all.