No hands equalisation.

[DeepThought]

How many of you can Equalise with no hands?
Does it work for all depths?
Please also mention if you're using a technique which is not BTV, since so far it's the only one I've heard of allowing hands free equalisation.
I'm pretty curious to know how common this thing is, my sense of inferiority should be put into propotion at last!!

*Nose clip not included, don't be a smart a**.

"Wherever you go, there you equalise."

[unirdna]

BTVS4ME

I go hands free until the air in the tanks gets too squeezed to cooperate. Then I'm forced to stumble with the old pincheroo (I've never been good at any of those techniques). On bad days the cut off is at 50 feet, and on good ones it's over 100. Mostly depends on how much snot I have in my head. I'm grateful to always have the free hand while I'm hunting.

Ted

[cdavis]

Hi Deepthought,

I just open the valves, always could. From what I've read, this must be BTV. It seems to get a little harder beyond 20 m, but I do very little diving below15 m. Whats neat is that it seems to be something you can learn. Do a search for BTV. Lots of threads and much information

[Gerald]

None of the 4 options mentioned above apply to me, this is how my freehand-equalization works:

This may really be helpful, I have been practicing this for decades!
It takes a few careful tries until You get the feeling.
Starting from the surface going down, I allow a little pressure to build up in my mask very carefully. While I compensate my mask, moving my jaw a little bit, I take advantage of the pressurized air that is now escaping into my tubes (moving of the jaws facilitates the opening of the tubes). If You can equalize very easy by pinching Your nose You should not have any problems with the "mask-technique". As I continue to equalize, the mask is kept away from squeezing my face and at the same time the tube is acting like a valve, opening up at every blow into the mask.
I am not sure if the connection between mouth and lungs (epiglotis) has to be shut while You do it (I will check it out next time when I go diving). This technique as helped me to go -30m/plus in unassisted constant ballast (constant weight without fins) and added a lot of joy in freediving. However I am limited to a maximum of -40mt that way (with the last equalization around -36mt).

For maximum dives I have to resort to the newly acquired frenzel/fattah method. How I was able to apply this technique successfully, even though I failed in some of the exercises prescribed in effatah's famous document http://www.ericfattah.com/frenzel.doc, You can read on my homepage that is attached to my profile

[zipy]

Starting from the surface going down, I allow a little pressure to build up in my mask very carefully. While I compensate my mask, moving my jaw a little bit, I take advantage of the pressurized air that is now escaping into my tubes (moving of the jaws facilitates the opening of the tubes).

This is exakly how i do it!!!! Just one problem : i can only do it to about 10m, no more.

I gues it is a lack of practise

I first did this more by accident then intention -- well it works for me

Jure

[ivan]

hi

I envy you guys for being able to do this

cheers

[unirdna]

Originally posted by zipy
I first did this more by accident then intention -- well it works for me

Same way I discovered I could do it. I was priming my throat muscles to do a Frenzel, and it just happened. I felt like I won the lottery . Best way I can recommend to get hold of those hard-to-reach muscles is to pretend your listening to the mother-in-law go on about her new plans to decorate her house. In other words, practice yawning while keeping your mouth closed . Next time you feel a yawn, listen to the 'rumbling', [sometimes] followed by the gentle pop in your ears. That's the sound of success. When you can access these muscles, and make that same sound at will, you're on your way. To finally make it work for you underwater may require a tongue thrust, jaw wiggle, or stronger muscles. Everyone is different. That's the best I know how to teach this esoteric technique.

But hey, if it works for even one of you, then I'm sure glad I shared my 'advice'. And Andrew, if it works for you, I'll expect an open invitation to the down unda .

Ted

[BatRay]

I use the same technique uni.

A hood muffles the sound of the e-tubes opening, but it's always worked so far. I always surprised my scuba instructor when I didn't pinch my nose.

[DeepThought]

Wow! 10x Gerald and Ted!
I can't wait to try that!!

I just hope that I won't burst laughing underwater everytime I'll try the 'mother-in-law flinch' maneuver.

Gerald:
The connection between mouth and lungs (epiglotis) should be shut while You do it.

hmm, don't you mean the soft pallat should close the mouth and allow the lungs to fill the mask and ears?
I'm not sure I can equalise my mask that easly with my mouth....

[Nath]

I could do it when i was realy young. not knowing it ment anything, It all started while in the car driving around the mountains I think? With the changing pressure of altitude or something like that. Now I try to explain it and its hard to I just call it a click of a jaw thing and open valves you know. I recon Gerald explained it better than i ever could. Thank you

[Gerald]

Just to throw in another thought:
Instead of fighting the pressure under water, why not letting it work for you? This is the philosophy to my customized BTV (Beance Tubaire Voluntaire or voluntary tube opening), facilitated by water pressure.

I am not absolutely positive about the statement below:
"The connection between mouth and lungs (epiglotis) should be shut while You do it."

This weekend I will pay my utmost attention to observe how I do it, and I will bring You a word again on monday.

Have pleasant and safe dives
Gerald

[Skindiver]

You can try -SBT- "skindiver's back-pressure technique"

You simply use the back pressure / ( high pressure) of the mask and equalise against that. Push it against your face to help it to seal whils't learning if you must and strap it quite tightly. You will learn how loose you can make it before leaking air foils your SBT attempt.

1 ) Simulate the clicking that you hear in your ears when you yawn.
2) Hold the tubes open. *
3) Breathe out into your mask.
4) Do not not not close your throat.
5) Allow the air to enter the tubes whilst breathing out into the mask.

*You can practice holding the tubes open on land without mask by :

1) clicking ( opening up the tube)
2) holding the click ( ie do not relax the muscle once clicked)
3) Listening for your fairly hard nasal breathing in your head.**

**You will know that you are successful if you hold the click and breathe in and out through your nose and hear the air rush inside your head via your inner ear instead of outside. It sounds like a regulator delivering air on scuba.


With some observation you will find that you can actually feel your drums flex in and out with fairly exaggerated nasal breathing.

Tip: if your tubes wont open or only one opens ( common) then do a normal frenzel and then release the pressure in the ears with one click.. but hold the click and breathe in and out through your nose listening for your inner breathing.

(IIf you hear your breathing via the outside ear only, your tubes are still shut.
f you cannot get to hear your breathing in your head then you will prolly never get this right.)

Then try it in the water. Your can learn to do it on scuba much easier since the air is being delivered at ambient pressure, there is lots of it, and if your mask leaks it doesnt matter.

Then try apply what you have learned on a freedive.

Skin.

[OceanSwimmer]

"In other words, practice yawning while keeping your mouth closed . Next time you feel a yawn, listen to the 'rumbling', [sometimes] followed by the gentle pop in your ears. That's the sound of success. When you can access these muscles, and make that same sound at will, you're on your way."

---Ted, thank you for the best explanation I've read so far on the technique....it works!!!

[Mlaen]

i was spearfishing today and after a few hours I decided to do some freediving and then I realized that I can equalisate without hands (I have already voted here that I can't)
I just tryed and I did it. It was reflexive or something. I never tryed to do some exerices of anything like that...

[unirdna]

Glad it worked for ya Ocean.