Can you handle the pressure?!

[Capt Nemo]

I can't do it. I can go down to 6 feet comfortably, but anything past 7 feet is suddenly excruciating. I tried holding my nose to pop my ears once, not only did that not help, it just made the pain worse. I haven't tried it since. I'm currently looking for clear ear plugs that I can use to keep the water out of my ears. I'm hoping that solves my depth issue. I live on top of a large hill that my city is built on, and when I go from top to bottom, the atmospheric pressure change doesn't bug me at all.

Check your ears on the surface. They should both pop when doing Valsalva lightly. You may have reverse squeezed your ears by blowing too hard if the pain got worse. It shouldn't take much of any force to get them to equalize.

[Mizuko]

My aim is to equalize hands-free. I hate the video of me diving to 15feet holding my nose, its so un-mermaid-like XD

[purefreediver]

Most pressure in the head is usually caused by sinuses. Your sinus cavity runs from the middle of the forehead all the way down to your teeth. If your feeling pain anywhere in between it is usually caused by sinus pressure. Drink lots of water it will help loosen mucus and relieve sinus pressure. Nettie pots can help if done correctly.
If the pain is coming from not being able to equalize your ears then I recommend learning the Frenzel maneuver.

PADI or scuba courses do not teach the proper equalization techniques used for freediving. Taking a freediving course you will learn how to equalize for freediving, the physics and physiology of your body when freediving, and how to dive deeper and longer so you can really enjoy the ocean on a single breath of air.

There is no better feeling like free falling into the blue abyss.

[roamingmer]

Hey purefreediver... where can one find such courses? Especially in Switzerland... Not so easy as California or Hawaii.

[purefreediver]

Hey purefreediver... where can one find such courses? Especially in Switzerland... Not so easy as California or Hawaii.

I am not too sure and I believe no one is teaching around that location. The closest to Switzerland would be my course this summer in Munich. Tell your friends this will be the first course I will be doing in Munich and am very excited.

[Blondie]

Most pressure in the head is usually caused by sinuses. Your sinus cavity runs from the middle of the forehead all the way down to your teeth. If your feeling pain anywhere in between it is usually caused by sinus pressure. Drink lots of water it will help loosen mucus and relieve sinus pressure. Nettie pots can help if done correctly.
If the pain is coming from not being able to equalize your ears then I recommend learning the Frenzel maneuver.

PADI or scuba courses do not teach the proper equalization techniques used for freediving. Taking a freediving course you will learn how to equalize for freediving, the physics and physiology of your body when freediving, and how to dive deeper and longer so you can really enjoy the ocean on a single breath of air.

There is no better feeling like free falling into the blue abyss.

That's interesting. I don't drink a lot of water. I've gotten better with drinking a few glasses a day but... I just hate the bland taste to it. Eventually it just feels like I'm drinking medicine after a while. So I'll have to drink up before I try to go deep again. That's for the advice ^^

And I'm sure that's one hell of a feeling. I hope I can do some real free diving one day.
Have you see this video before?

[purefreediver]

That's interesting. I don't drink a lot of water. I've gotten better with drinking a few glasses a day but... I just hate the bland taste to it. Eventually it just feels like I'm drinking medicine after a while. So I'll have to drink up before I try to go deep again. That's for the advice ^^

And I'm sure that's one hell of a feeling. I hope I can do some real free diving one day.
Have you see this video before?

Awesome video I really like this one, Nery just broke the french national record for the deepest constant weight dive with fins at the Vertical Blue freediving comp at this same spot Dean's blue hole in the bahamas. Check out Alexey Molchanov Just dove to 128m- new world record.

[Capt Nemo]

Old NASDS used to teach both. (or at least my instructor tried to) I can do Frenzel sometimes, but mainly rely on valsalvia.

[Mermaid Melanie]

A decongestant would help any of you suffering from sinus issues. Eventually you can also teach yourself to equalise without using your hands. But yeah Equalise OFTEN and EARLY before you feel any pain in the sinuses.

[Capt Nemo]

Be careful! I've had decongestants stop working around 60 feet! Most meds are not pressure tested, and may even become toxic at depth. The only real pressure testing done is for reduced pressure for flying or space travel. Nobody thinks much about divers, so little work has been done!

[purefreediver]

Hey Mermaids/Mermans,
I have a FII level 1 Freediving course in Orange County, CA on February 9th and 10th if anyone would like to join. Please contact me for more information about the course. It is a must if you would like to dive deeper and hold your breath for longer.
Aloha,
Dan

[Blondie]

I would love to do that if I were in CA :\

[purefreediver]

I would love to do that if I were in CA :\

I can travel if you have a group of four or more, I will host a course in your location if there is a lake or ocean deep enough.
Dan

[Mizuko]

I've got a question I'm hoping someone might be able to answer!
In the chlorinated dive pool where I swim I have to equalize at about 10ft. However, in the ocean I dont get any pressure in my ears til about 13-15ft; where I equalize anyway just because its a habit.
Is there a difference in pressure in a pool than in the open ocean?

[FreshWaterMermaid]

Iv never had problems of any kind in the water, its my element I guess. Furthest iv freedived is 50 feet, and its the most amazing view in the world when u reach the bottom and look upwards. I'm exited to take deep water photos in my tail

I'm the same way Ilonka, I don't even remember having to bw taught to equalize my ears or anything. I just feel like I'm supposed to be in the water, and I'm completely comfortable and happy.
I never want to leave.
And bringing up summer, (I can't wait!) My poor landlubber husband is gonna have to put up with me begging to go to the lake/river/etc everyday!

And @Mizuko to answer your question (possibly) perhaps your ocean swimming isn't quite as deep or deeper than your pool. So you think its deeper but isn't? The pressure should be equal regardless of the chemicals, unless you're more sensitive to them? Dunno...

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[Mizuko]

No, its certainly deeper in the ocean (thats why I go there- its too shallow in the pool!-only 16foot)) I can go 30 feet in the ocean no worries, but like I said the equalisation and pressure is completely different. I'm just wondering if there is a cause or if my body is better in sea water. haha!

[FreshWaterMermaid]

I have no idea. Like I said I didn't know people had problems with these things lol it just comes naturally to me
Maybe you're more relaxed in the ocean than in the pool?

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[MerMar]

There is one thing nobody has saying.


If you are doing free-diving without mask and nose clip some water comes in and might be causing all the trouble. Have you seen the syncro swimmers? They always have nose clip on, a spare one and both sew to togs. It should be a good reason for it.


Another thing I haven't read, I think, is a golden rule in scuba, put your mask on before get in, specially when you jump off a boat, harbour, etc. If you get in without cover your nose or blowing air through it then some water get into you sinus and might make impossible to equalize your ears.


Mizuko, salt water and still water have different composition, they're different, the key term is density that is also affected by the water temperature. Our oceans haven't the same composition, some have more salt that others and are warmer than others. Have you ever seen a video of people swimming in the Death Sea? Your buoyancy is better in salt water than in still. The reason is because the water is pushing you up, that's pressure. Therefore, in salt water, you should feel more the pressure because is more dense. The scuba divers have to change their belt weights when travel to other oceans; even though the gear is the same. So I guess your better performance in the sea is more linked with being more relaxed and rest better between dives. OMG I'm better stop buoyancy issues deserve a full thread

[MerMar]

By the way, yep! I can handle the pressure in my ears ... when I was small we played in diving pool and I avoid to be catch by going to the bottom and stayed still ... as I haven't any idea about equalised ears I ended with bigger sinus than others ... when I went to the mainland to the university my dentist was shocked with the size of my sinus. So I have an unfair advantage

[Mizuko]

Thank you MerMar! I wanted to be sure it wasn't just my imagination Its strange that I'd be more comfortable out in the open ocean with waves than in a secure pool, though! I must be a bit odd. haha!