Deepest you've ever been?

[Hank49]

Trace, how did you equalize at that depth....200 feet? I've been deep enough....I thought was about 80 feet but had no depth gauge at the time...where I could hardly get air up into my eustachian tubes.

 

[diverdoug1]

Deepest 115 feet. Average 40-60 feet.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Trace, how did you equalize at that depth....200 feet? I've been deep enough....I thought was about 80 feet but had no depth gauge at the time...where I could hardly get air up into my eustachian tubes.

Hank, valsalva and other maneuvers will still work quite deep. There are equalization techniques that are employed during extreme freedives such as flooding the eustachian tubes and sinuses with sea water. For me, that maximum depth was the end of the road for my ability to employ traditional equalization techniques.

 

[JohnniG]

Not much. Like 10 ft

 

[peterbj7]

A few years back (in the 2000's) I did a trimix dive off Miami. I forget the depth, but it will have been to 250-270ft. My buddy and I didn't realise that it was the job of the last divers to leave the bottom - us - to free the shot from the wreck so the boat could pull it up. Tom Mount was on the boat, having completed his CCR dive, and when the captain said to him that we clearly hadn't released the shot he elected to go down to do it. He came down as far as us, at around 200ft by then, stopped to pass the time of day by sign language, then continued to the bottom where he freed the shot. He again stopped to "chat" with us on the way up. All breath-hold.

Me? - I run out of breath groping for the bath plug.

 

[REVAN]

I've been to 200 feet a couple of times under fin power. Past 130 feet equalizing becomes difficult because there is not enough air in your lungs to force into your ears. Techniques for going deeper involve daily stretching of the lungs and diaphragm to improve flexibility in the chest cavity. Packing extra air into the lungs with the toung before going down will also make a big difference, but flexibility is the most important thing. That is how I got to 200 feet. Going beyond that will require a different equalization technique, where you reverse pack to bring air up into your mouth and then equalize the ears from that. After much practice in the pool, I think I may have gotten the technique for this down, but I have not had an opportunity to try it on a deep dive yet.

If anyone is going to try deep diving, dive with a competent dive partner who can safety for you. People have killed themselves by not taking proper safety measures with deep freediving.

 

[TMHeimer]

Wimp here. 12 feet for sure, maybe 15 once in Cuba (big shell down there). Don't like being down there without a tank. Not crazy about even being in water over my head swimming--from shore that is-don't mind it at all if I'm swimming in 100' water off a boat. Weird, no? And I've been in & around salt (and fresh) water my whole life. Don't know why. Been down 130' on scuba with no fears at all.

 

[Spimon]

Packing extra air into the lungs with the tongue before going down will also make a big difference

How does that work? Would you explain this in a little more detail?

 

[Dewit2it]

Freediving 40' and the beginings of SWB. I didn't have any feeling for need of air on that dive. Had ascent lasted a second longer, I would have probably gone out.

Scuba 100' and don't care to go deeper.

 

[REVAN]

How does that work? Would you explain this in a little more detail?

"Packing" refers to using the mouth and tong like a piston to pump more air into your lungs than can be drawn in through normal expansion of the diaphragm and ribcage. Packing on top of that final breath before going down will provide extra air for equalizing deeper than you could go without it. It is considered an advanced technique and you have to be careful not to injure yourself. Pack too much and/or move your body in the wrong way when over expanded, and you can tear lung tissue or pop a rib out from your sternum. If you are inclined to experiment, it is best to work with someone who can train you for safety. Most important is to go slowly and never do anything that causes pain. Your body will tell you when something is not right if you give it a chance and pay attention to it.

The following video shows an example of lung stretching exercises that includes lung packing.

YouTube - Jessy Stretches Her Lungs