Wet equalization?

[watts]

After reading about Patrick Musimus achievments in No limits and hearing about wet equalization i just wondering if anyone could shed some light on how this is done, at what depth and is it realy nessesary only being used in Variable & No limits depths and Frc.

Thanks Nathan Watts

[bam bam]

Depends on the individual!

if you take a look at loic, from what i recall he used air (and i think valsalva) for all his records, so just think what depth loic could do if he would learn wet equalising!!!!

[Tommy85]

I am more of a spearfishermen than freediver but i would like to develop my freediving, i am always looking to add better techniques to my diving could you please explain how do you wet equalize? thanks

[Longfins]

Wet equalization is a technique where the diver flood his/her sinus cavity with seawater at a certain point in the dive by removing his/her noseclip. The diver generally wears fluid goggles on no mask at all as this technique doesn't help with mask equalization.

The technique is used in VERY deep diving (100m+) where every mL of air is needed in the lungs. The down side of this technique is that sea water can be very irritating and can lead to long term sinus / middle ear problems / infections.

In your current condition don't even try! - It may lead to severe sinus infection. Best to learn more normal air equalization technique like Frenzel.

Peter S.

[efattah]

There are MANY variations of wet equalizing.

Some are totally safe, with no chance of infection.

One safe method is to dive with a mask filled with sterile saline solution (contact lens solution). After running out of 'air' to equalize, one then sucks the saline from the mask into the sinuses to continue equalizing.

Another method uses the saline mask idea only on the surface; by doing repeated 20m dives one then fills the inner ear with saline. Then, the mask is emptied of saline, and dives continue using air in the mask.

Another method is Murat's method, where he allows sea water into the sinuses but tilts his head to prevent the seawater from entering his eustachian tubes. This has a shallower depth limit than wet equalizing methods which flood the tubes as well.

Another variant is the watersuck method, which is the most difficult equalizing technique ever invented. Shortly before running out of air to equalize, one sucks water into the mouth, then opens the soft palate and allows the water to flow from the mouth into the sinuses. Then, the head is tilted to prevent the sea water from entering the inner ear. This method is the only wet equalizing method which can be done while using a standard air filled mask. It is also extremely likely to cause drowning if attempted!

All wet equalizing techniques are only necessary if going over 200m deep. The only other case they are needed is if you are doing negative pressure (full exhale) dives over 30m (which itself is equivalent to a 200m dive), or if you are doing FRC dives to over 65-70m (also equivalent of a 200m dive). In other words, for most people they have no use and introduce un-needed dangers and complexities.

[Tommy85]

Thanks for the replies, i guess i wont bother with wet equalizing, which method of equalizing would you recomend for mainly spearfishing, Seb Murat has taught me a hands free method, i cant remember what it was called, you pull your tounge down and back sort of, its hard to explain, i havnt yet mastered this, only feet first still, thanks

[DeepThought]

Originally Posted by efattah

Another method is Murat's method, where he allows sea water into the sinuses but tilts his head to prevent the seawater from entering his eustachian tubes. This has a shallower depth limit than wet equalizing methods which flood the tubes as well.

Is the e-tube block done by looking forward? (not that I intend to ever do wet equalization, but I'm curious).

Tommy, handsfree is also called BTV, if you can master it's the best for depths shallow than 30m or so.
Till mastering BTV, try the frenzel. There's a good explanation here, it also explains how to do the 'mouth-fill' equalization (aka Frenzel-Fattah) that is useful for greater depths and how to pack. First learn the Frenzel though.

[naiad]

Originally Posted by efattah

Another variant is the watersuck method, which is the most difficult equalizing technique ever invented. Shortly before running out of air to equalize, one sucks water into the mouth, then opens the soft palate and allows the water to flow from the mouth into the sinuses. Then, the head is tilted to prevent the sea water from entering the inner ear. This method is the only wet equalizing method which can be done while using a standard air filled mask. It is also extremely likely to cause drowning if attempted!

Is this possible? Has anyone done it?! I'm not about to try!

Lucia

[merio]

I've been swimming in the pool the other day, without a nose clip.
Pinching my nose, which was full of water, I got down to three meters.
When I equalized, all the water from my nose, have traveled to my ears.
It felt disturbing, but I didn't need to equalize any more...

The water came out a few hours later .

[iceselkie]

I did something similar today, though i didn't blow the water to my ears, and i wonder if pool water, chlorinated and whatnot, should actually be kept out of there (ie: not healthy)? Any thoughts? plus how can one avoid the sinal headache it incurs, or does that go away with practice?!
http://www.yoga-age.com/asanas/neti.html

[DeepThought]

I'd keep pool water way out of my middle ears and sinuses if possible, the chlorine is there to prevent the tons of junk in the warer from harming you, but if you bring the water inside you're making it much easier for a bug to cling to your mucous membrane...

Never had a sinal headache, so I'm not sure if I'm already immune or that water just never got there (though they did get into my middle ear). I found that the water up your nose feeling fades if you get that a lot.

[naiad]

I often let my sinuses fill with water in the pool. By now I hardly notice when it happens! This is because I don't use a nose clip.