Help with equalization

[u/LordAntares]

The only thing that works for me in terms of equalization (or at least, that I know how to do) is opening my jaw like I'm about to yawn and holding it like that all the time while I'm below the surface.

I've tried nose pinching and blowing as well as a few other techniques but I just couldn't get them to work. It just doesn't pop.

Anyway, it works up to a certain depth for me and also it's not consistent. Sometimes it works better and sometimes it hardly does.

What can I do to improve equalization and go past my limit (of about 5 meters, I don't know).

Any tutorial I've watched is very simplistic in nature, saying stuff like "pinch your nose and blow", implying it's not supposed to be that hard that I have to research it.

Any advice for me?

[u/DuPuisMLT]

You need to learn Frenzel, and not ‘blow’

[u/LordAntares → u/DuPuisMLT]

Seems a bit complicated, especially with the need to do it often but I'll try. I'm heading to the beach now.

I also, I read up on some other techniques.

One more thing that might allegedly work, is my method of keeping the jaw open, but I can try moving the jaw side to side.

I'd really prefer not to use my hands cause it seems like a giant nuisance but I will try what works for me.

[u/EagleraysAgain → u/LordAntares]

Learned to handsfree equalize as kid after hearing friends dad equalized down to 20m by moving his jaw around. It's not really about moving the jaws, but that motion can help activate the right muscles. You'll want to learn to frenzel regardless though. Being able to pressurize the air efficiently is important if your tubes are acting up with handsfree.

One simple cause for your frenzel not working could be you blocking your soft palate. Hold your nose closed very lightly when ylu try to frenzel, and if you feel air escaping, then you're building pressure in proper direction.

[u/LordAntares → u/EagleraysAgain]

I updated the thread today, saying I learned it by moving the jaw.

[u/Embarrassed-Fee-8841]

Ive got eustacian tube dysfunction and I cant really get past 16m due to eq issues

[u/Fabacura → u/Embarrassed-Fee-8841]

There is no difference in equalizing at 16m vs 20 or 25 or for a lot of people even 30-40. Only reason you’d hit a wall at 16 is due to not knowing how to Frenzel.

[u/Embarrassed-Fee-8841 → u/Fabacura]

Yea and I cant workout how to. Had 3 freediving coaches try teach me but I cant do it. Must be my constant blocked ears. Cant handfree occasionly but depends on the day.

[u/Fabacura → u/Embarrassed-Fee-8841]

If it was your blocked ears, you wouldn’t be able to EQ to 16m. 16m happens to coincide with about the depth where valsalva typically fails. If you had an ear problem, you wouldn’t be able to EQ with valsalva either because valsalva produces less pressure than Frenzel. Not saying you don’t have ear issues, just saying it’s not what’s causing you to fail at 16m.

[u/Embarrassed-Fee-8841 → u/Fabacura]

Possibly, some days I cant go past 5m though. All dependant on my tubes on the day. Do you have blocked ears 24/7 though? Bit out of your area if you havent got the same problem. Ive never met anyone else with my problem in my life.

[u/DuPuisMLT → u/Embarrassed-Fee-8841]

If you can go to 16 - you can go further. Your problem is most likely air shifting.

[u/Zestyclose-Task7633 → u/Embarrassed-Fee-8841]

May I know what do you mean by dysfunction? I have the same problem as OP, I went to ENT a few times but my doctor says it’s fine even though she never checked it with camera or anything. How is it diagnosed?

[u/sunrunnerdw → u/Zestyclose-Task7633]

Not an ENT, but I’ve just been through a months-long bout of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.

For me it meant a “fullness” feeling in my Eustachian tube after diving. Kind of like the feeling of water in your ear, but it doesn’t go away when dry. The tube is inflamed and struggling to deal with pressure changes.

It can take many months to return to normal, during which you are also at risk of re-injuring it and prolonging recovery (which happened to me multiple times).

There is also chronic ETD which is different. Mine was acute.

FWIW the ENT cleared me to dive when I was still feeing ETD fullness (and he checked with a camera), and I wasn’t comfortable with that. Look after your ears!

[u/DuPuisMLT]

Doing it often has nothing to do with frenzel. If you do hands free or frenzel, the rhythm needs to be the same. You will hit a wall with opening the jaw each time most probably if you don’t understand the mechanics of hands free. Some people out there teach it but it’s a long road. Frenzel is not complicated :-)

[u/LordAntares → u/DuPuisMLT]

I figured it out!

I'm doing the open jaw thing and instead of keeping it still like that, I constantly move the jaw left to right, back to forward.

Seems to work as I haven't felt any pressure.

[u/LordAntares]

Guys, I figured it out. If there's anyone else having the same issue, try this:

Open your jaw (not your mouth) like you're about to yawn. You should feel something in the ears as you do it.

Keep it open constantly when underwater but keep moving the jaw left to right and front to back. This seems to work for me as I haven't felt any ear pressure but I hear the depressurizing pops and squeaking as I ascend. Good luck.

[u/Classic-War-6396]

I used the pinch nose and blow but never worked for me with time i have found that pinch nose and swallow works for me fantastically you can also try it but try every way possible and use what works for you

[u/Embarrassed-Fee-8841]

My eustacian tubes are swollen and narrow and my ears are constantly blocked, 24/7 simce about 2017. Every day i unblock ky ears probably 500 times a day. And when Ive got a cold, I cant unblock them. A normal day, sometimes when laying down, I cant unblock them at all.