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Learning hands-free equalization

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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I have been practicing for a while with the technique you describe where you hold the nose and swallow to create low pressure in the inner ear and then using various equalization techniques. It seems a good to 'test' to see if something is working but it doesn't feel as if I am actually 'practicing' my EQ ability because it feels different from being at depth.

Yesterday I tried to equalize in the pool combining BTV and Frenzel against the pressure of the mask and it worked without too much effort. It is another sequence of maneuvers and I obviously need more practice to become sufficient. Thank you Ishuyi for your advice and the link. I have read true most of the things out there and feel that I am still making progress because of all the tips I find scattered around.
My goal remains the same, to equalize using pure BTV only, without having to resort to applying additional pressure, just the muscles. I will see if I can take it further from there and practice to keep the E-tube open continuously. I figure if I get this far I might as well keep going.

As a means of practice I am know trying to apply BTV head down and sometimes it works. I am trying to go very slowly and it remains key to be focused on all my sensations and not let the pressure build up too much. I am considering setting up a line in the pool since this will help controlling decent speed and aid during practice.

I am keeping notes as I progress hoping to share my experience at some point. I wish BTV to everyone, it is an enhanced diving experience.

In case you are wondering it has taken me considerable practice to get to this point. I started researching Frenzel and it's variations until I ran into a description of someone who was able to wiggle his ears and connected that to the ability for BTV. Since I can wiggle my ears (the right one is easier and it is also easier to equalize on my right side, the strength of the muscles on that side must be higher I suppose) I figured I should be able to learn it somehow.
Conclusion:
If you are an 'ear wiggler' there is hope for you.
 
Reactions: ishuyi

Just to give an update! I have managed to do pure BTV down to 16 m on free immersion without using mask pressure. I am currently at Freedive Flow at Gili Air and the coaches here are comfortable helping the student explore Hands Free. (Remember this place if you need Hands Free coaching.) My coach has been asking me to relax and increase the frequency of my hands free so I am not fighting against big pressure but small pressure.

I have isolated the movement of BTV into 2 steps for me. Lifting up the soft palate and then a gentle pull backwards. I am so happy I don't have to use the mask pressure anymore because it's an additional step that occupies my mind and makes me tense! And I dislike very much the feeling of tightness in my mask.

Muscle memory helps so much. The more I do it, the easier it comes. I find that if I turn on a music with a nice beat and click to it with my hands free, the way you may snap your finger to the beat, it helps train my BTV in a relaxed and fun manner. You can try it. I'm BTVing to Dave Brubeck's Take Five.
 
Reactions: SubSub and Kodama
I'm not a ear wiggler by the way. Non-ear wigglers, you have hope!

If you know Italian, Andreas Zuccari has made a video on this:
I've translated one part using google translate:

Different Hands Free Compensation
  1. False - Use mask strength to increase pressure in the nasal cavity
  2. Confuso - He knows he can compensate without bringing his hands to his nose, but he does not know how to handle the compensation
  3. Pure - With the contraction of the tensor and lift of the veil the pendulum and the accessory muscles opens the hearing conduits.
  4. Advanced - It voluntarily opens and keeps hearing conducts open
y the
 
Great tip with the music / beats, probably pretty good exercise!
 
In the water, in order for me to equalize hands free, I have to go to no more than 3-4 feet, feet down, and then spend about 30 seconds struggling to flex the hands-free muscles as much as humanly possible.

Yes, I watched two of my friends learn to BTV. Usually they start off similarly that they can only begin doing it a few meters in the water and they cannot go very deep because they take very long to open the tubes. So their dives are very slow and the total dive time can be very long. But with practice, they eventually become efficient at opening the tubes and go much faster and deeper.

Keep practising, you'll get better and better with time.

And check out these resources I have created to help people improve their hands free (BTV/VTO) equalization:

1. Hands Free Equalization for the Beginner and the Curious: Is it Possible to Learn at all?

2. Lessons about Equalization: General Principles that Can help you Master any Equalization Technique

3. Learning to Hands Free Equalize: How I Did It and How You Can Do It too
 
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