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Epiglottis leaking - problem keeping it closed

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

MGF

Member
Aug 4, 2014
9
1
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38
Hi everyone. im new to deeperblue and i've been searching the forums for someone with the same issues but cant really fint anyone that is similar.

I've been doing freediving for a couple of years now and learning a lot all the time. Now my PB is at 42 and I have some issues i need to address before I can go any deeper.

I feel as if im able to equalise deeper then this with negative pack but as i've been squeezed a couple of times I want to figure out how to keep my mouthfill and thats where I have the challenge.

So, first of all: When im doing all the epiglottis, frenzel and mouthfill exercises (fattah etc) I dont have any problem. When dry and on surface there are no issues. I can indepently control the epiglottis, soft palate, tounge and manage the valsalva and frenzel techniques quite well. Mostly when diving Im just using frenzel and refilling the mouth.

BUT when going deep, past 30m, it feels as if the epiglottis gets more and more leaky.
At perhaps 25 meters, I can control it and equalise before "pushing" the air into my lungs.
At 30 I am pushing about the same amount of air into my lungs as using to equalise my ears.
At 35+ I need to negative pack an entire mouthfill to equalise 3-4 times. this "mouthfill" takes me to 42-43 on a good day.

The contractions added to the equation takes a bit of air as well but I feel as if I can manage these. on a bad day the contractions takes away maybe 2 equalitions out of the mouthfill.

The feeling inside of me is a squeeking sound in the throat when the air goes down into my lungs.

I've started training doing the epiglottis music and other fattah exercises from the frenzel document and the movie by zuccari with open mouth rv breathholds but still without results.

Just experimentally I tried locking the neckweight between my jaw and throat on a dive with some sort of results but werent able to try it out further as it didnt cause for a relaxed dive.

Anyone with the familiar problem and things done to help?

Cheers
 
I'm right where you are and experiencing similar problems. Recently, I've been training exclusively on mouthfill. Last year when I started practicing, a full exhale mouthfill from the surface would only take me down to 4-5 meters. This year I started doing 9-10. With persistence the depth increased day by day. I can now reach 16-17. In the past few days I've switched from empty lung mouthfills to practicing full lung mouthfills. And at around the same depth that my first fill finishes (15-16m) I take another and can get to 30m. Of course relaxation and concentration on correct mouthfill technique was key. I believe with gradual progression I'll be able to take the first mouthfill down to 20-25 and the second to 40 and beyond. Yesterday I tried to fill my mouth at the bottom which was 31m and could get a decent fill if not very full with ease. This got me pretty happy too )
Anyway, keep practicing. It'll come I'm sure.


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