How To Equalize While Freediving

One of the key issues with freediving is the increase in pressure on the human body as you descend into the dive. The deeper you dive into the water, the greater the pressure increases. When this happens, changes occur in the equilibrium of our body’s natural state that can be distracting and even painful at times. In this article, we will discuss the pressure buildup on the inner ear and sinuses that happens when freediving and we will note what you can do to equalize that pressure in order to stay down longer.

Why Is It Important To Equalize While Freediving

As you dive deeper on a freedive, pressure increases on the air pockets of your inner canals of the ear. Specifically, the middle ear where the eardrum is located is subjected to these pressure changes. If left unchecked, this added pressures can result in serious damage to your eardrum and negatively affect your hearing.

In addition to the ear, our frontal sinuses can be subjected to the increase in pressure when freediving. The air cavities behind the frontal skull, behind our eyes, nose, and cheekbones experience a pressure buildup that can result in severe pain and even bleeding if left unchecked.

What Does It Mean To Equalize While Freediving

Simply put, equalizing means that you counteract the increase in pressure you experience for diving by increasing the amount of air in the cavities affected by that pressure. When the cavities in your head begin to succumb to the pressure of the underwater environment, an increase in the amount of air in those cavities can essentially “push back” against that added pressure.

Imagine a balloon in your hand. If you squeeze the balloon and add pressure to it, the balloon’s shape will distort. However, if you pump more air into the balloon while squeezing it, you will notice that the increasing amount of air in the balloon works against your hand and you can no longer squeeze the balloon as easily as you could before. This is what we mean when we talk about “equalizing” while freediving. Essentially, we are talking about returning your internal cavities to a more normalized pressure level by adding air to them to counteract the increasing pressure of the dive.

How To Equalize You Mask While Freediving

If you have ever dove deep underwater with a mask on, you have probably noticed that as you go deeper and deeper, your facemask can press harder and harder into your face. This is a result of the pressure increase of the surrounding water in comparison to the pressure of the air inside your mask, between your face and the glass of the mask. Your facemask creates an air cavity around your eyes and nose and as the pressure outside the mask intensifies, the pressure of the air cavity within your facemask cannot counteract it. As a result, your facemask begins to collapse inward on itself, which you feel on your face.

In order to equalize the pressure bearing down on your mask, you will have to counteract it with additional air into the cavity within the mask which makes up the space between the glass of the mask and your face, eyes, and nose. This can be accomplished by simply exhaling small bursts of air through your nose and into the mask. As the amount of air within your mask increases, it will increase the amount of pressure within the mask and ultimately “equalize” to counteract the pressure being exerted by the deepwater environment.

NOTE: When performing your exhalation into your mask, be sure to do so in short, controlled bursts. If you exhale too forcefully, you can actually over-exhale to a point where air spews out from the edges of your mask. This can result in the loss of valuable oxygen that could have been retained within your lungs while diving. It can also result in the inward pouring of water into your facemask, which will force you to have to surface early from your freedive.

How To Equalize Your Ears While Freediving

Usually, when people talk about equalizing the ears while freediving, they are specifically referring to the middle ear. This part of the ear is located behind the eardrum and is connected to the back of the throat via the Eustachian tubes. The anatomical benefit of having your middle ear connected to your throat is that you can actively increase the amount of air within your middle ear while freediving. This is typically done by pinching our nose and closing your mouth and gently blowing against your pinched nostrils. Since your exhale cannot leave out your nostrils because they are pinched, some air will make it’s way to your middle ear via the Eustachian tubes. The increase in air within your middle ear will counteract the environmental pressure being imposed by the water from the deep dive.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Too much air being forced into your ear from blowing can be just as harmful and uncomfortable as the pressure from your freedive. This is why it is important to make short, controlled exhales when performing this equalizing technique. Do not blow with all your might when attempting to force air into your middle ear.

Frenzel Equalization – many professional freedivers will use this technique for equalization. Essentially, it involves using your tongue against the soft palate in your mouth to create pressure within your throat that results in the equalization within your ears. This can be a difficult technique to master but many freedivers attest to its effectiveness and superiority in comparison to other equalization techniques. For a comprehensive tutorial on how to master this method of equalization, check out the following video:

How To Equalize Your Sinuses While Freediving

We mentioned earlier that your sinuses, like your ears, consist of cavities behind your face and eyes that contain air. When you freedive, these cavities feel the added pressure as you go deeper and deeper. Generally, your sinuses will equalize on their own if they are free from obstruction (ie congestion). If you experience pressure or pain while freediving, the aforementioned equalizing techniques will also circulate air around your sinuses which can counteract the pressure. Oftentimes, the pressure you feel on your face is coming from the pressure on your dive mask. Simply use the exhalation techniques we noted for equalizing your facemask and this should alleviate the discomfort.

However, if you have a cold or are experiencing some form on nasal congestion, the increase in pressure from a freedive could build up to a point where the capillaries within your sinuses rupture which will result in a nosebleed into your dive mask. This is why you could not freedive if you are congested (1).

How Often To Equalize While Freediving

Usually, within the first 10 meters of depth, you will experience enough of a pressure increase to have to equalize. Once you have equalized at a particular depth, you should not need to equalize again at that depth. Once you have equalized at a particular depth, if you choose to dive even deeper, you may experience new added pressure which may result in additional equalization at the new depth.

Dangers Of Equalizing While Freediving

There are risks that come with manually attempting to control the air content of your inner cavities. There is always a chance you can overdo it. We mentioned this earlier that blowing outward against your pinched nostrils can be dangerous when performed too aggressively. Remember, the goal of equalization is to reach a state of equilibrium and regained comfort when freediving under intense underwater pressure. However, if you overinflate your middle ear, you can subject yourself to a whole new form of discomfort and potential injury. This is why you need to attempt to equalize gradually and in a controlled manner.

Additionally, we mentioned previously that it is important to refrain from freediving if your sinuses are congested. Intense pressure that comes from deep-water freediving can cause a buildup of pressure on your sinuses. If you are congested and thus unable to equalize, the pressure can rupture your sinus capillaries, which will result in a nosebleed.

What Happens When You Resurface?

This entire time, we have discussed how to counteract the intensifying underwater pressure while freediving. However, when you begin to swim back to the surface, the pressure will gradually begin to subside. If you have pumped air into your middle ear and your facemask to accommodate the pressure of your depth, this added air will be too much for these cavities as you decrease that pressure. This has to be dealt with as you ascend to the surface.

When ascending back to the surface, it is important to allow the added air within the cavities of your head to escape so as to prevent the air from overly expanding within the cavities, which could result in damage. Added air within your facemask will take care of itself. The plastic can expand or air can simply seep out from the edges of the mask. For the added air within your middle ear, you will need to create a pathway to allow the air to seep out. You can do this by making a low humming noise and moving your jaw around. This will open the Eustachian tubes and allow the air to escape your middle. It’s a similar technique that is used when your ears pop while flying on an airplane.

The main thing to remember when freediving is that pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. If you are unable to equalize while freediving or if for some reason pain persist then you need to immediately ascend back to the surface and assess yourself. Be intelligent about your dives and listen to your body and you will have a fun freediving experience.