Trevor Hutton's Equalization

[uwboyscout]

Hello Freedivers,

I was wondering if anyone could tell me how Herbert Nitsch and Trevor Hutton equalize the type of mask they use? See picture at http://www.freediver.co.uk/finalsite/webevents/trevor/index.htm

Since there is no nose pocket on this mask, how do they transfer air to the space inside?

I once saw a guy on David Letterman's "Stupid Human Tricks" who took a gulp of milk, plugged his nose and shot the milk from out of his nasolacriminal canal. This canal gives passage to the tears from the lacriminal sac to the inside of the nose. This couldn't be the same pathway (save milk, of course) these freedivers are using, could it?

Sincerely,

Patrik D.

 

[Cliff Etzel]

I use this goggle made by Technisub for swimming laps as a part of my training.

My understanding is that they wear schlerel(?) contact lenses with the goggles and fill the mask up with warm saline solution. It provides a sterile environment for the eyes and is virtually non-irritating.

Since liquids don't compress under pressure, there is no need to equalize the goggles and all that is needed is a nose clip for equalizing the ears.

Hope this answers your question.

 

[efattah]

Aquasphere Goggles

Cliff is right, the most popular alternative to fluid goggles is the aquasphere goggle filled with water, and using CIBA vision scleral contact lenses (or Bausch & Lomb). The problem with these soft contacts is that if they slide or displace, you can't see anything, as happened to Herbert on his freshwater record.

However, I do know that some divers CAN force air through their tear duct. Herbert showed me how air flows through his tearduct when he equalizes hard. He discovered this when diving with a mask. He was pinching his nose constantly, and he never needed to equalize the mask, because air was flowing through his tear duct into the mask.

Similarly, sometimes when you use fluid goggles or water filled masks, the fluid can flow from your eye, through your tearduct and into your sinuses, giving you a 'runny nose.'

Eric

 

[bruno]

Hello all,

Indeed, it is possible for some people to blow air trough the eyes.
I can do it very easily. When pincing my nose and opening my mask a little i can empty it several times... through my eyes.

Anyone else can ???

bruno

 

[clogz]

more about equalizing

Heh, my wife can also do that

How much more performance water-filled fluid goggles give vs. low volume mask?

How hard it gets to equalize ears when diving such deep as -80m or -160m in no limits?

 

[Herman]

Hoezit !

Trevor fills up his mask with normal water most of the time.
He uses the water that he is diving in.

He only uses this mask to protect his eyes from objects in
the water.

// I can blow air out of some parts of my body pretty good....but its somewhat disgusting, and its not my eyes !

 

[teppo]

blowing from eyes

Bruno,

I can blow from both of my eyes, I just tried. This makes also funny noise.
Earlier I thought I can blow only from my left eye, but when blowing hard enough the air comes out from both eyes.

The amount of air is not same in both eyes, this means there must be only one airspace in goggles (Technisub). With very tiny goggles with separate airspaces for both eyes, I should have to blow enough to fill also the right eye (loosing some air out from left goggle).

According to AIDA rules, the competitor is not allowed to use nose clip. This means that in competition this method is useless
(see http://www.multimania.com/aidafrance/AIDA/Rules_indiv.htm
section 5.17 ).
And when doing records, the diver can use contact lenses or fluid goggles anyway.

Does anybody find any good reasons to equalize through eyes?

 

[thin_air]

how well can you see through fluid filled goggles?

isnt it the air space that allows you to see so by filling it with water doesnt it just defeat the purpose.

 

[efattah]

How can you see?

With goggles filled with fluid, you can see by either having special lenses in front of your eyes, or special contact lenses on your eyes. This has the advantage that there is no airspace, thus the goggles do not need to be equalized, and you can use a nose clip and have your hands free at all times, and you save air while freediving.


Eric Fattah

 

[Jon]

Eric was kind enough to let me try a pair of his when I was at a clinic.
The vision was amazing. Because the goggle is so small, and close to the eye, your field of view is equal to, or better, than any mask that I have ever tried on. I was wearing them above water and could still read signs on the wall across the dive store from me. I was totally amazed by them.
They have a special zircronium (spelling?) crystal lens inside them that allows you to focus in water.
I say that they are the single coolest piece of dive gear that I have ever tried- even beating out carbon fiber fins and rebreathers.
Now, if Eric could just get them perfected so that we could all afford a pair.
Jon