Hi guys
I wonder if anyone can help out a complete newbie (or even pre-newbie!). I'm doing a beginning freedive course in a couple of weeks and I'm starting to worry that I won't be able to equalize well enough. When snorkelling (prob down to about 3-4m) I used swallowing, which works fine but I can only do one swallow every few seconds. Will this be enough? I've tried Valsalva while inverted in a pool (only 2m deep, that's the kind of pools we have round here) and Valsalva just doesn't work for me at all. Nothing happens! From what I've read the Frenzel technique is the way to go, but everyone seems to have a different idea on how to do it and I can't get any of them to work. Is there anyone out there who found an easy-to-explain way of doing it?
(I guess they'll cover equalisation on the course, my worry is that the Frenzel looks so difficult, that maybe I need to get in some practice first or I won't get deeper than a couple of metres.)
Also, when coming up from the bottom of the pool (2m) I get a bit of a "reverse block" which clears when I swallow at the surface. I thought reverse block only happened when you've got a cold and the medication wears off. Is reverse block a common problem with freedivers? (scary thought, since you can't hang around for ages at depth until it wears off).
Needless to say I'm really looking forward to the course, I love being underwater, I just don't want my ears to let me down! Hope someone can help or reassure.
I wonder if anyone can help out a complete newbie (or even pre-newbie!). I'm doing a beginning freedive course in a couple of weeks and I'm starting to worry that I won't be able to equalize well enough. When snorkelling (prob down to about 3-4m) I used swallowing, which works fine but I can only do one swallow every few seconds. Will this be enough? I've tried Valsalva while inverted in a pool (only 2m deep, that's the kind of pools we have round here) and Valsalva just doesn't work for me at all. Nothing happens! From what I've read the Frenzel technique is the way to go, but everyone seems to have a different idea on how to do it and I can't get any of them to work. Is there anyone out there who found an easy-to-explain way of doing it?
(I guess they'll cover equalisation on the course, my worry is that the Frenzel looks so difficult, that maybe I need to get in some practice first or I won't get deeper than a couple of metres.)
Also, when coming up from the bottom of the pool (2m) I get a bit of a "reverse block" which clears when I swallow at the surface. I thought reverse block only happened when you've got a cold and the medication wears off. Is reverse block a common problem with freedivers? (scary thought, since you can't hang around for ages at depth until it wears off).
Needless to say I'm really looking forward to the course, I love being underwater, I just don't want my ears to let me down! Hope someone can help or reassure.