Equalizing!

[Franke]

Hello!
I´m seeking info about equalizing techniques that doesn´t involve pinching your nose.
Can anyone help me in my quest??

 

[Herman]

To equalise, extend the lower part of your jaw, and jerk it forward.
At the same time, open your jaws a bit, but try and keep you lips sealed.
While doing this, move your head from side to side, to "pull open" the tubes in your ears. (its called estachien-or-something tubes)

This way one can equalise up to about 20m-30m.
If you want your hands to be free, you can use a nose clip.
The problem then, is that you cannot exualise your mask.
To solve this, you can fill the mask with water, or not dive with a mask at all.

Hope it helps

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Frenzel-Fattah technique

Franke,

Welcome to Deeper Blue!

Eric Fattah has produced a great document that extends the Frenzel Technique.

You can find it here: http://www.deeperblue.net/content/2001/freediving/frenzel/1.shtml

Let us know how you get on.

 

[Uli]

As this is frequently mixed up:

Frenzel as well as Frenzel-Fattah require both to pinch your nose. The difference to Valsalva, however, is that the pressure to "blow open" the ear tubes is created by a tongue block and the cheeks. Valsalva uses the lungs to create that pressure. That's why you get only a pressure of about 50 mmHg by Valsalva, while you have about 100 mmHg with Frenzel. Furthermore, Valsalva tends to disrupt the bradycardia ("diving reflex").

The technique, that doesn't involve pinching your nose is Delonca. You use muscles close to the ending of the ear tube to open it. So no pressure has to be created.
Unfortunately not everybody is able to learn it. Try to yawn and hum (the latter to check whether your ear tubes are open) and then to isolate the use of these muscles. Good luck! (For me it works only on one side -- sigh...)

Greetings
Uli

 

[andrsn]

uli,

i just recently mastered the freznel my last trip diving. i thought it was going to be alot harder to do, but after a few dives it totally came to me. now it seems that it's tremendously easy. my eustacian tubes get irritated and inflamed after quite a few hours in the water, but using the freznel technique i can still squeeze air in to equalize even when the regular vasalva won't work.

also, my first day diving, i tried that delonca technique and was able to do so to about -18m no problems, although i had to go slowly. it was the coolest thing in the world. i had to really extend my lower jaw and twitch my ear muscles, but once it starts you can just feel the air flow in. real cool. it's just once my e. tubes swell the least bit it's back to the freznel.

later,
anderson

 

[Franke]

Hi, guys!
I´d just want to thank everybody for the replies to my question about equalizing. I´ve really improved my technique in this area and by doing so I´ve also managed to improve my bottomtime.

 

[thin_air]

while i was thinking about how to equalize, without using your hands here in my idea

i you make a one sided nose clip or a plug for one nostril you could then pinch the otherone shut (using muscles in your face) and then you relaxe those muscles and equalize the mask

ill try it tommorrow night at uwh and see how it works

oh well my 2 cents

 

[Stephan Whelan]

You might want to...

You might want to check out this thread as well...

Tearduct Equalization

A couple of methods were discussed.

 

[thin_air]

well i tried the one nostril plugged and i worked quite well

although i had to use my finger instead of a plug(i didnt have enough time to make one to much homework.......)
i think that if i make a plug it might work really well for me

if anyone else is interested in trying please, go ahead and tell me how well it worked for you

thanks