sensations of a freedive -what to expect beyond 120'?

holdingmybreath · Nov 11, 2004

O.K. I'm going to go out on a limb here... I'm curious as to what I can expect in my next depths for freedives. For those who haven't been past 110' the sensations for me go something like this... the first 30' or so have become nothing... I barely remember to equalize but must be doing it subconsiously. As I approach 50' I'm aware of the need to equalize, but it's an easy frenzel manuever and is the same easy equalization until 70' when I have to focus and pay a bit more attention to equalizing than to the rope I'm generally swimming down, then I'm good to 80' where I bring more air into my mouth from my lungs for what can be an easier equalization there.... one more concentrated effort at equalizing at about 95 or 100' and I'm good for a few more feet of depth.. and there, beyond a 100' I haven't really found it the least bit difficult to get there.. and have really only been limited by the psych of the darkness of these inland lakes or the bottom. I think I'm good for several more easy equalizations that should get me to 120' or 130' but I'm just curious if I'm going to run into some wall again... that I'll have to learn to get through.. kinda like the one at 70' where I had to focus a bit more on equalizing because it was becoming more difficult or will it just be another mouth fill and call it a go? Any answers for me... or maybe you want to share your experiences with equalizing on your freedives.
Later.

freediver · Nov 16, 2004

holdingmybreath:
O.K. I'm going to go out on a limb here... I'm curious as to what I can expect in my next depths for freedives. For those who haven't been past 110' the sensations for me go something like this... the first 30' or so have become nothing... I barely remember to equalize but must be doing it subconsiously. As I approach 50' I'm aware of the need to equalize, but it's an easy frenzel manuever and is the same easy equalization until 70' when I have to focus and pay a bit more attention to equalizing than to the rope I'm generally swimming down, then I'm good to 80' where I bring more air into my mouth from my lungs for what can be an easier equalization there.... one more concentrated effort at equalizing at about 95 or 100' and I'm good for a few more feet of depth.. and there, beyond a 100' I haven't really found it the least bit difficult to get there.. and have really only been limited by the psych of the darkness of these inland lakes or the bottom. I think I'm good for several more easy equalizations that should get me to 120' or 130' but I'm just curious if I'm going to run into some wall again... that I'll have to learn to get through.. kinda like the one at 70' where I had to focus a bit more on equalizing because it was becoming more difficult or will it just be another mouth fill and call it a go? Any answers for me... or maybe you want to share your experiences with equalizing on your freedives.
Later.

hey holdingmybreath, i was hoping to see some other responses on this great topic. I think that equalization will be the limiting factor on how deep a person can ultimately go.
For me, the first 2 atmospheres of the water column are spent equalizing often, usually once every 12-15 feet. At 70' it becomes less often but increasingly difficult to that magical 100' mark. As my lungs get closer and closer to residual volume equalizing gets even more challenging. I don't have the nerve to flood my sinuses as i have heard from some competition divers. While i have been able to equalize easily it does require a conscious effort on my part.
Couple of questions for you: do you overpressurize your ears at the surface? do you stretch and warm your eustacian tubes up before the dive?
These things seem to help me a lot! By the way, what fins are you diving?

holdingmybreath · Nov 16, 2004

freediver:
hey holdingmybreath, i was hoping to see some other responses on this great topic. I think that equalization will be the limiting factor on how deep a person can ultimately go.
For me, the first 2 atmospheres of the water column are spent equalizing often, usually once every 12-15 feet. At 70' it becomes less often but increasingly difficult to that magical 100' mark. As my lungs get closer and closer to residual volume equalizing gets even more challenging. I don't have the nerve to flood my sinuses as i have heard from some competition divers. While i have been able to equalize easily it does require a conscious effort on my part.
Couple of questions for you: do you overpressurize your ears at the surface? do you stretch and warm your eustacian tubes up before the dive?
These things seem to help me a lot! By the way, what fins are you diving?

Hey freediver.. I said in my post that I thought I was good for several more easy equalizations at 100' and that should get me 120 or 130... but how soon I forget how difficult that last equalization really is... lift my head slightly to assist.. anyway- I have a bad habit of equalizing during the day.. so my e-tubes are generally ready to go. The fins I dive... I prefer my sporasub pures (even with all the duct tape holding them together) but will use the cressi 2000hf's or a waterway mono sometimes, but I must admit, after trying a pair of cressi 3000's I'm thinking one more pair in my line up might be nice. There was a definite difference between the 2000 and 3000 power curve and the cressi foot pockets really fit my feet well. Flooding the sinusus is very hard to imagine...hate to sneeze

freediver · Nov 16, 2004

holdingmybreath:
Hey freediver.. I said in my post that I thought I was good for several more easy equalizations at 100' and that should get me 120 or 130... but how soon I forget how difficult that last equalization really is... lift my head slightly to assist.. anyway- I have a bad habit of equalizing during the day.. so my e-tubes are generally ready to go. The fins I dive... I prefer my sporasub pures (even with all the duct tape holding them together) but will use the cressi 2000hf's or a waterway mono sometimes, but I must admit, after trying a pair of cressi 3000's I'm thinking one more pair in my line up might be nice. There was a definite difference between the 2000 and 3000 power curve and the cressi foot pockets really fit my feet well. Flooding the sinusus is very hard to imagine...hate to sneeze

holdingmybreath, do you get your Sporasub products from a dive store? I have been desperately looking for some Sporasub Spartak masks. They were discontinued (the good ones always are!) but i know there has to be a store out there with a few in stock. Anyone have an LDS that carries Spotasub?

holdingmybreath · Nov 17, 2004

freediver:
holdingmybreath, do you get your Sporasub products from a dive store? I have been desperately looking for some Sporasub Spartak masks. They were discontinued (the good ones always are!) but i know there has to be a store out there with a few in stock. Anyone have an LDS that carries Spotasub?

I buy stuff at the shops and internet, but as you know most good freediving gear is only available here off the net, shop purchases tend to be small items or spur of the moment I don't think I can live with out it items. Can't say that I remember seeing the sporasub brand at the dive shops but I'll keep my eyes open next time around for a spartak.

FreeFloat · Nov 17, 2004

During my scuba training, I had at least one incidence where my nasal passagges et al were completely flooded (during maskless drills) and I didn't even realize it until I went to use them (through breathing which resulted in coughing and choking LOL)

So, without having done so, I can imagine that flooding one's sinuses is about the same: that it only 'tickles' or 'stings' as the water is displacing the air, and once they're flooded you just don't notice.

freediver · Nov 17, 2004

hey freefloat, i regularly do a sinus rinse which is essentially flooding the sinuses. It stings a bit but actually feels great afterwards. Ny concern is flooding them at 120+ feet with no air source aside from what is in your lungs at the time. i have never tried but can only assume that this is NOT the time to get spooked by a little water in the sinus. Freefloat, would you mind trying this and let us know how it goes?

tuttt · Nov 18, 2004

freediver:
I don't have the nerve to flood my sinuses as i have heard from some competition divers.

Could someone please explain what is meant by this technique? I heard Tanya Streeter mention this once in an interview (no explanation, only said that she didn't do it either). Does this mean flooding one's sinuses and forcing the water into one's inner ear? While flooding my sinuses does not cause me undue discomfort (I often do so while swimming without a mask, intentionally or otherwise), if I need to equalize I always blow out any water first. I could not imagine forcing any of that back into my ears. How would it get out? Couldn't it lead to infection?

Any info would be much appreciated.

freediver · Nov 18, 2004

tuttt:
Could someone please explain what is meant by this technique? I heard Tanya Streeter mention this once in an interview (no explanation, only said that she didn't do it either). Does this mean flooding one's sinuses and forcing the water into one's inner ear? While flooding my sinuses does not cause me undue discomfort (I often do so while swimming without a mask, intentionally or otherwise), if I need to equalize I always blow out any water first. I could not imagine forcing any of that back into my ears. How would it get out? Couldn't it lead to infection?

Any info would be much appreciated.

My sinus flooding is a controlled procedure whereby I use a prepared sodium and water solution. The salt here is very important. When just enough salt is added, the salinity of the solution matches the salinity of the body tissue. This prevents the painful sensation that one experiences when water goes up the nose in a swimming pool. When done in water, you are using the force of the water (so to speak) to force the air into the eustacian tube to equalize. I suppose any foreign matter into the sinuses would put someone at risk of infection.

mweitz · Nov 18, 2004

Freediver,

My LDS has a fairly good selection of Sporasub stuff.

http://www.wallins.com

Ask for David

Mark

sensations of a freedive -what to expect beyond 120'?

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