Equalizing
To clarify the frenzel-fattah method: Please don't worry if You don't master ALL the exercises as prescribed in the famous fattah.doc. Personally I haven't managed yet to use my tongue as a piston to pump air against the roof of my mouth. Enlightening for me was the fact that every equalization without the help of the lungs will be useful to apply this technique , whether it may still be called Frenzel or not. What is so brilliant about this document: There we find more than most of us would ever need in order to go deeper. Even partial application (as in my case) helped tremendeously. The transparency of this document makes it a real gem in the freediving world and should serve as an example of how to be a good steward of know-how, not leaving the rest of the world in the dark.
The most important thing is to close the epiglottis and push air through it into Your cheeks (as if You would clear Your throat). This should be done 15-20 Meters BEFORE failure depth. For us mortals that means @15-20m depth, afterwards it's too late. With increasing water pressure the cheeks collaps again, however I am still able to get little portions of air out of my lungs - in my case that would be between 20-28mt, where there is still enough air left to "refill" them. In a good, concentrated dive I should have my cheeks refilled for the last time @28mt. From there I have no more lung support and "live off" the air in my cheeks. By this time I have already been equalizing with my cheeks for (at least) the last 10mt. I have to, otherwise I "loose" the air that is trapped in my mouth. It would escape through my open epiglotis right back into my lungs. (For "conventional" dives down to 35mt I don't need that technique, in fact, here I can even equalize freehand). It takes a little practice to fill the cheeks, use them to equalize the next second and then to refill them again. The greatest difficulty is keeping the epiglottis closed while pumping new air into the cheeks and while pressurizing the air further into the eustachian tubes. After 28mt (IMHC = In my humble case) it get's easier, since no longer I am pumping air into my cheeks, but I am only squeezing air with my cheeks into my tubes. By this time I am already in a free-fall and can totally focus on my "cheek-vasalva". Please don't forget to prevent the air from being sucked back into Your lungs - the epiglottis must be shut from -15/20mt until You reach the bottom! It takes practice in the pool AND also in deep water to keep that from happening.
To answer the question about pressure on the lungs: I can only say this: the shape of the day and psychological uneasyness have a lot to do with that. Consider also: if we run out of air for equalization, we are psychologically convinced that we run out of air period. (eg: no more air to survive). To immerlustig: If pressure gets uncomfortable, work on Your depth in half-meter steps, You will have plenty of time and opportunity. I wish You great fun in Dahab!
To clarify the frenzel-fattah method: Please don't worry if You don't master ALL the exercises as prescribed in the famous fattah.doc. Personally I haven't managed yet to use my tongue as a piston to pump air against the roof of my mouth. Enlightening for me was the fact that every equalization without the help of the lungs will be useful to apply this technique , whether it may still be called Frenzel or not. What is so brilliant about this document: There we find more than most of us would ever need in order to go deeper. Even partial application (as in my case) helped tremendeously. The transparency of this document makes it a real gem in the freediving world and should serve as an example of how to be a good steward of know-how, not leaving the rest of the world in the dark.
The most important thing is to close the epiglottis and push air through it into Your cheeks (as if You would clear Your throat). This should be done 15-20 Meters BEFORE failure depth. For us mortals that means @15-20m depth, afterwards it's too late. With increasing water pressure the cheeks collaps again, however I am still able to get little portions of air out of my lungs - in my case that would be between 20-28mt, where there is still enough air left to "refill" them. In a good, concentrated dive I should have my cheeks refilled for the last time @28mt. From there I have no more lung support and "live off" the air in my cheeks. By this time I have already been equalizing with my cheeks for (at least) the last 10mt. I have to, otherwise I "loose" the air that is trapped in my mouth. It would escape through my open epiglotis right back into my lungs. (For "conventional" dives down to 35mt I don't need that technique, in fact, here I can even equalize freehand). It takes a little practice to fill the cheeks, use them to equalize the next second and then to refill them again. The greatest difficulty is keeping the epiglottis closed while pumping new air into the cheeks and while pressurizing the air further into the eustachian tubes. After 28mt (IMHC = In my humble case) it get's easier, since no longer I am pumping air into my cheeks, but I am only squeezing air with my cheeks into my tubes. By this time I am already in a free-fall and can totally focus on my "cheek-vasalva". Please don't forget to prevent the air from being sucked back into Your lungs - the epiglottis must be shut from -15/20mt until You reach the bottom! It takes practice in the pool AND also in deep water to keep that from happening.
To answer the question about pressure on the lungs: I can only say this: the shape of the day and psychological uneasyness have a lot to do with that. Consider also: if we run out of air for equalization, we are psychologically convinced that we run out of air period. (eg: no more air to survive). To immerlustig: If pressure gets uncomfortable, work on Your depth in half-meter steps, You will have plenty of time and opportunity. I wish You great fun in Dahab!
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