My trip to the SETT!

[naiad]

I guess everyone wants to know what happened about my trip to the SETT! (Deeperblue Community Awards prize)

Well, here goes!

On Friday I got the train to Portsmouth. It was a very hot sunny day. Then I got lost. People gave me wrong directions and I ended up walking for an hour with a heavy trolley suitcase in the hot sun. :duh At last someone told me how to get to the hotel and I could leave my heavy stuff there. I had arrived early and there was nothing to do for the rest of the day, so I decided to go for a walk around the beach. I must have walked miles, and it was so hot that I wanted to go for a swim in the sea. I would have jumped in if it had not been for the fact that I had only one set of clothes, and my mobile and keys were in my pocket. I just waded around a bit, very cold but it didn’t seem bad. It was the first time that I have been to the coast in many years. I’ll be back soon.

The next day I went to the SETT, and after the classroom session I got in the tank. It wasn’t as scary as I had imagined, but it looks very deep. It is so warm! I hadn’t quite believed it when people said it was very warm, because I’m used to people saying that the pool is warm, then I discover that it is cold. For me, warm is 30+C.

I started with free immersion to 5m. It was very difficult to equalise, so I couldn’t do any more than 5 or 7m. I had to keep stopping and making several attempts to equalise, so it was slow progress. Then in the next session in the tank I managed to get to 15m! I couldn’t do it again that day because it became impossible to equalise.

Afterwards I walked around the Portsmouth Harbour area. I saw some fish, probably mullet, and some crabs. I also waded around in the sea again, I was pleased with myself for finding a spot where it wasn’t deep enough for my clothes to get splashed, but then a wave splashed me. Back to the hotel with soggy trousers.

There was a nice stretch of beach with no people on it, so lots of space to explore. It was strange because other areas were crowded. Maybe everyone else had read the tide chart.

The next day in the SETT I started off with about 5m, and it was very difficult at first, but then the equalisation suddenly started to work. In the second session I did about 22m! I was so pleased with myself, after all the trouble I had with 5m. I saw the picture of a mermaid near the bottom. I wasn’t anywhere near running out of air, the only thing that was difficult was the equalisation. I used mostly Valsalva, but it needed a lot of force to make it work, so it was much harder after 15m, and impossible from 20m, because I didn’t have enough volume of air in my lungs. I can do BTV but it is unreliable, and I couldn’t always make it work. I will work hard at it in the pool, because it should be much more useful for me than Valsalva.

I did a practice rescue from 5m. It was not as difficult as I had feared, but still my least favourite thing.

I didn’t do any constant weight, because it would have been impossible to equalise, and I also get tired very easily, so I didn’t want to risk it. I will try it when I have got the equalisation problem sorted out.

A big thankyou to everyone in Deeperblue who helped to make it happen. It was my first ever diving trip, and my first experience of deep diving.

There’s definitely a trip to the coast for some freediving coming up soon.

Lucia

 

[fcallagy]

well done Lucia glad you enjoyed the trip
equalising btv I can do a bit but not reliably i go down and maybe clear once but on a second attempt a bit deeper, one ear often catches and cant clear with out frenzel with the hand so I usually use that and mess with btv in the pool.
Well done on the depth esepcially with equalising problems.
Its a really cool place to go i loved it

 

[SanderP]

Hey Lucia, you had never dove along a line or in open water (overall vertical diving)? What did you do until now, pool sessions? Hehe, I'd never belived it, considering the time you've been in the forums.

Anyway, glad you got to try the S.E.T.T.! The experience was surely something really special. I'm hoping to get my chance too someday.

Keep on going!

 

[Evita]

Hi Lucia

Glad you enjoyed your prize.

It sounds like a nice place, also with your walking trips around town (planned and accidental, I would do the same ) and by the sea. Maybe I'll take a trip over the North Sea for a dip in the tank sometime this autumn.

Have fun and let us know what happens on your next deep dives.

 

[naiad]

Hey Lucia, you had never dove along a line or in open water (overall vertical diving)? What did you do until now, pool sessions?

Yes, just pool sessions. I'm bored of pools! Not deep enough and no fish.

 

[Pastor]

Yes, just pool sessions. I'm bored of pools! Not deep enough and no fish.

Oh do I detect a new spearo in the making?

 

[oferdegi]

Hey, Lucia, I'm so happy for you! I was looking forward to read your account, and it sounds like you had a really good time, with a taste for more.

I just began tackling the equalization thing, now that our sea has warmed up enough to go there without a suit. I found out that playing around with my jaw really helps in equalizing a rebellious ear. I'm just playing around with equalization all the time now, in the water and out.
Cheers,
Ofer

 

[cdavis]

First time in deep water, 22 meters is outstanding, congratulations. Ain't depth fun?

Connor

 

[jimqpublic]

I agree, congratulations!

Two weeks ago my deepest ever was probably the deep end of a pool at less than 3m. I took the PFI class and was somewhat disappointed to only hit 20 meters. Especially considering I didn't have much trouble equalizing. In hindsight it was 17 meters deeper than my previous depth. Somehow I had imagined going to 30 meters and just sitting there for 60 seconds before ascending. A bit overconfident I suppose.

Jim

 

[Apnea_Addict]

Hi Lucia,

this brings back memories from my own visit last year:

I was also walking around near the SETT when some Millitary type came over and asked me what I was doing and where I was going ;-)

The deepest dive I did was also around 24 metres I think - pulling myself down head up. I also found it hard to equalize head down below about ten to fifteen metres.

The course they had was very comprehensive - probably the best one I had so far.

I would like to come back some day.

best wishes
Holger

 

[iceselkie]

Hiya Lucia, I just wanted to drop a HUGE Congrats your way too! I remember when I first became interested in freediving I was swimming in the pool and reading on the internet about the SETT tank and thinking how cool it was for the UK to have such a place (i wish we had something like that here)!
May you have many more deep dives, and ocean adventures! I look forward to hearing about them

bri

 

[samdive]

Hey Lucia

nice account, glad you enjoyed it. If you want to try REAL deep water (ie open water) come along to SaltFree some time.

Fergus - you too!

Competition is 9/10 September if you really want to see what you can do, everyone welcome even if you just want to come and chat/help

www.saltfreesplash.com

 

[Adrian]

Congratulations for your depths Lucia, I was stuck at around 8 - 10 meters for years until I learned to Frenzel. The Valsalva just didn't work for me head down.

 

[DeepThought]

Hey Lucia, those are good achievements, as you have probably noticed - depth changes everything.
From what I've seen equalization is the number 1 set back for most who begin diving vertically.
A few pointers:
Learn the frenzel - use Eric's document, you have enough pool time to make this perfect.
Take notice of your head position - looking towards the bottom usually messes with equalization, try looking at where the horizon should be, or even try looking towards the surface when going down.
Equalize VERY frequently - the bigger the pressure difference between your middle ear and the surrounding the harder it is to equalize. Negative pressure in your eustachian tubes narrows them. Equalize 5 times a meter if you have to, descend slowly, first let your euqalization run, then work on descent speed and pace of equalization.
If you hit an equalization block - stop descending!! try again (never forcefully!!) and if it doesn't work just enjoy the depth you are at and try again the next dive.

I hope you'll have the chance to try again soon.

 

[Apnea_Addict]

Hi Lucia,

what problem did occur when you tried to equalize ? On both ears at the same time ?

I´ve tried out a few tricks since my trip to the SETT and some actually worked: I still have trouble with my right ear though.

best wishes
Holger

 

[naiad]

Thanks everyone! :thankyou

I will definitely be doing more deep diving.

what problem did occur when you tried to equalize ? On both ears at the same time ?

I mostly used Valsalva, but it only works if I use a lot of force, sometimes as much as possible, and even then it doesn't always work. Up to 15m it was working very well the last few times, though only in a head up position. From 15-20m it was very difficult, as the volume of air in my lungs was much less, but I could just about manage it by pulling in my diaphragm very hard. After 20m it was impossible.

Sometimes I just couldn't equalise at all, so I had to stop at about 4m and come up.

I can do BTV, but it is unreliable. I need to work on it a lot more, but I think it will be much more useful for me in the long term than Valsalva.

 

[DeepThought]

I mostly used Valsalva, but it only works if I use a lot of force, sometimes as much as possible

Don't use force, you might rapture an ear drum, or even worse - your oval window. Most of the time equalization problems are technique related.

From 15-20m it was very difficult, as the volume of air in my lungs was much less, but I could just about manage it by pulling in my diaphragm very hard. After 20m it was impossible.

Sounds to me like you should start incooporating residual volume stretchs into your stretching routine.

 

[Almostafish]

Hey Lucia!

B.

 

[Apnea_Addict]

Thanks everyone! :thankyou

I will definitely be doing more deep diving.

I mostly used Valsalva, but it only works if I use a lot of force, sometimes as much as possible, and even then it doesn't always work. Up to 15m it was working very well the last few times, though only in a head up position. From 15-20m it was very difficult, as the volume of air in my lungs was much less, but I could just about manage it by pulling in my diaphragm very hard. After 20m it was impossible.

Sometimes I just couldn't equalise at all, so I had to stop at about 4m and come up.

I can do BTV, but it is unreliable. I need to work on it a lot more, but I think it will be much more useful for me in the long term than Valsalva.

BTV - is where you keep the tubes open - I can do that with my left ear but then I still need to do something with the right one.

I am still working to get the Frenzel right and underwater in a head down position - not looking down sometimes helps sometimes not.

I heard that you can train your eustachian tubes a little - so if you equalize a lot it gets better with the time. And you need to keep well hydrated.

I hope it works better for you the next time you go deep diving - are you going to the "saltfreesplash" ?

best wishes
Holger

 

[naiad]

Don't use force, you might rapture an ear drum, or even worse - your oval window. Most of the time equalization problems are technique related.

I am very careful not to put too much strain on my ears. Even if I use a lot of force, it is not transmitted to my ears because only a small amount of air gets through. I know it's not a good situation, and I will work on it.

Sounds to me like you should start incooporating residual volume stretchs into your stretching routine.

I can't do anything which creates negative pressure in my lungs, because my breathing sounds squeaky afterwards. It doesn't hurt, but I don't want to damage anything.

I hope this will get better when I move out of London. I am very sensitive to air pollution, and it is the main cause of the problem. I could give it a try in the pool because it is in a less polluted area.