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Hi all.

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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sv0atc

New Member
Feb 13, 2021
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Hello all. I will give some background on myself where I ended up here.

It's 2021, I'm 42 years old, Canadian never dived. But spent many a summer in pools/lakes..have gone 4m deep without ever equalizing and just enjoyed swimming. I am a very strong swimmer and feel very comfortable in the water. I've had a friend once say everyone swims but it's like I dance underwater.

I love water.

Lived all my life in Canada and I bought a boat in French Polynesia so I could come out here and enjoy life. With the plan of going to the atoles for months and diving enjoying the wildlife and mostly living off fishing.

I came at the end of 2020.

Now when I started spearfishing I started like anyone with smaller fish and gradually try for bigger and bigger.

I have the disadvantage of never having spearfished. I compare myself to people who have done it for years and I'm a rookie. But I get fish daily.

One problem I encountered was a few weeks go I learned about equalizing and tried to but realized my cartilage is tough. And makes equalizing quite hard. I learned of exercises you can do to give elasticity to your ear drums. I did them but not very diligently also learned of breathing exercises and also did them but not very diligently. What I did do diligently was go fishing everyday. Being in the water is what it's about.

I I've been diving and fishing and going 5-8m with very bad equalizing or none.
But I tend to stick to 5m and I used to swim in 4m in pools so cant figure that last m is that drastic.

And only.doing. 7-8m when my arrow gets stuck down there... And these are the time I focus and equalize the best I can.

At 5m I fish and relax. But deeper I diligently equalize.

Yesterday I fished a couple hours also this was my first time trying out a couple weights on a belt. Got a napoleon right as I got in water and nailed afish the size I wish I'd get. But he got away. Bah. Those scales are too tough on some fish.

I fished and never noticed a problem even when I came out of the water cause sharks were getting kills around us I still didn't notice

Our dingy is inflatable and is total.junk and deflates. I spent quite some time inflating it and noticed nothing

but then we got back to the catamaran. And.... Bam my ear is ringing maybe it was when I rinsed with cold rainwater

Or maybe not. I don't know.

Dtoday the ringing persists.

I came here because of a thread about these things and figured I would register and maybe start comenting.

And honestly ask below ith equalizing I need it. Can't let this happen again.

Thanks and hope someone here can help me learn.

-Phil-
 
Also while I was in water I felt great I thought I had found a nice equilibrium and could five all day this way.

Boy was I wrong. So weird but felt good
 
Hello,
I've been a scuba diver since the late 1970s and recently completed a freediving class taught by the esteemed Emma Farrell approximately three years ago. If possible, I suggest that you take a freediving class where you will learn equalization using the Frenzel technique and many other important skills. Otherwise, you may benefit from watching YouTube tutorials on the Frenzel method -

I also suggest that you begin equalization at the start of your descent within two meters and continue equalization as you descend.

Cheers,
Ken
 
Reactions: Mr. X
Thanks Ken. I will lookup if I've already seen the Frenzel and if not I will learn itig yes then I will.try to commitmto it more

My ear is still ringing and itsbeen three days
 
Reactions: GreatLaker
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