Mastering the Art of Equalization with Claudio Di Manao’s Expert Dive Techniques

Equalisation

Divers know it all too well: barotrauma epidemics occurring on a liveaboard or on long dive trips are not due to the interference of some supernatural entity, they are due to equalisation mistakes. For all we know, the infamous Ghost of Dead Corals – the main suspect behind electrical anomalies and mysterious boat sinking – does not mess with divers’ ears.

Unnatural condition

Equalising while the ambient pressure is rapidly increasing is not an ability required in the natural environment of humans as land animals. We need to equalise mechanically only in particular conditions, such as in the landing phase of an aircraft or during a descent down the water column.

Coming down a mountain on foot we don’t need to equalise. Jumping off the top Mount Eiger’s north face could possibly cause a need to equalise, but nature appears to have weeded out the genes of those who might at one point or another in human evolution have consented to participate in such an experiment.

Undoubtedly some divers can equalise with ease, almost without realising it. Who knows if they are descended from populations who ventured underwater, or the forgotten offspring of those who headed down off the Eiger?

As scuba divers we breathe constantly through a regulator, which allows us to maintain our lungs at their normal volume and use any equalisation technique at any depth. Moreover, our use of the Frenzel and hands-free techniques is aided by the air coming into the oral cavity from the regulator. We have it easy.

The true artists and high priests of equalisation are found in freediving. Freedivers don’t breathe through a regulator. For them, the Valsalva manoeuvre stops working at depths as shallow as 10m.

To use the Frenzel and hands-free techniques, freedivers need to move air from their lungs into their oral cavities first by a variety of techniques, depending on the depth.

Valsalva, an over-rated technique

The best-known and most-utilised technique among scuba divers is snubbed by freedivers due to its limited potential. It takes its name from Antonio Maria Valsalva, an Italian anatomist of the 17th century.

He was also the first to note that this manoeuvre affects the pressure of the intrathoracic system and the heart. The Valsalva manoeuvre is now considered one of the causes that encourage the migration of microbubbles from one atrium to another in divers with a PFO (Patent Foramen Ovale).

However, this isn’t why freedivers snub it – because the lungs of freedivers are compressed at depth, abdominal pressure can no longer be used to further reduce the lung volume at depths as shallow as 10m, making this technique impossible to use.

Two and a half centuries later, in 1938 to be precise, Ears Nose & Throat (ENT) specialist Dr Hermann Frenzel, an officer in the German Luftwaffe, developed a technique which he taught to Stuka pilots, the infamous dive bombers

In this technique, the tongue comes into play by pushing air upward and toward the back of the palate, so that the volume decreases. Since the glottis is closed, the pressure increases. The soft palate is open, and the nostrils are closed.

The increased pressure in the nasal cavity then induces the eustachian tubes to open. In some people, the opening of the tubes is eased by a mechanical effect that allows the tubes to open at a lower pressure.

The Frenzel manoeuvre can be performed in two different ways. The first relies 100% on pressure generated by the movement of the tongue.

The second uses 50% pressure and 50% biomechanics: The tubes open due to the movement of the tongue and the contraction of the upper nasopharyngeal. In either version, the Frenzel manoeuvre reduces the stress on the middle ear and the equalisation effort.

On land, the gesture of pinching the nostrils between thumb and forefinger usually signals an unpleasant smell. Underwater and among divers, the same signal means something completely different: The instructor, or the buddy, is reminding us to equalise.

This simple signal can induce a misconception: Many divers don’t know that with a little practice, it is possible to equalise without even touching the nose.

Using the hands-free technique, the diver opens the soft palate, which allows air from the regulator (at ambient pressure) to fill the nasal cavity and mechanically open the tubes. During descent, the pressure inside the middle ear and the ambient pressure are equalised automatically.

We’ve already described three techniques here, but for freedivers willing to exceed depths of 30m, this may still not be enough.

These divers rely on their own advanced versions of the Frenzel manoeuvre and the hands-free technique, and ultimately something called the mouth-fill technique. In the latter, the freediver uses their mouth and cheeks as a compressor to push air toward the middle ear.

Except in the no-limits discipline, freedivers always dive head-down. Scuba divers can afford to descend (and equalise) more comfortably in a feet-down or horizontal position

It should be noted that using the Valsalva manoeuvre in a head-down position can be harmful to a diver due to an increased risk of overpressurising and congesting the diver’s middle and inner ear.

While we learn to listen to our bodies better with practice and over time, equalisation mistakes can persist. Even though the textbooks are very clear about equalising before we feel discomfort, how many times did we need to be reminded by our ears?

Learning to control the muscles in its body is an ancient challenge for homo sapiens. In order to walk upright, speak, sing, type, or play the piano, our body requires precise coordination between our muscular system and the nervous system.

Dan Org
Mastering the Art of Equalization with Claudio Di Manao's Expert Dive Techniques 2

In speech therapy, patients learn to become aware of the functions and actions of muscles and organs involved in forming speech. This aspect of speech therapy has become an integral part of the training of divers seeking to improve their performance and safety during descent.

Who would have thought that moving and controlling the tongue, or forming the ‘T’, ‘Ka’ and ‘N’ sounds underwater, could make your ears safer and more comfortable?


This article was originally published in Scuba Diver UK #78

Subscribe digitally and read more great stories like this from anywhere in the world in a mobile-friendly format. Linked from Equaleasy-Equalisation Techniques

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#AskMark Mark great video love your content I recently had my cylinder hydro tested it was filled with air how long can you keep the air in the cylinder before you use it .Also dive shop can drain the air and fill with nitrox?
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@timpell49
#AskMark Mark great video love your content I recently had my cylinder hydro tested it was filled with air how long can you keep the air in the cylinder before you use it .Also dive shop can drain the air and fill with nitrox?
#scuba #scubadiving #scubadiver

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00:00 Introduction
01:35 Scuba.com Ad
02:35 Duikvaker
03:15 EUDI
04:23 DRT
05:04 GO Diving Show UK
06:24 ADEX OZTek
07:06 Mediterranean
07:34 ADEX
08:21 TDEX
08:51 Scuba Show
09:36 MIDE
10:06 GO Diving ANZ
11:09 Diving Talks
11:58 DEMA

Full List of Dive Shows with Links:
https://divernet.com/scuba-diving/your-worldwide-dive-show-guide-for-2025/

JANUARY 18-26: Boot Düsseldorf (International Boat Show)
FEBRUARY 1-2: Duikvaker
FEBRUARY 21-23: European Dive Show (EUDI)
FEBRUARY 21-23: Diving Resort Travel (DRT) Show, Malaysia
MARCH 1-2: GO Diving Show (The UK Dive Show)
MARCH 15-16: ADEX Ocean Festival / OZTek Australia
MARCH 28-30: Mediterranean Diving Show
APRIL 4-6: Asia Dive Expo (ADEX)
MAY 22-25: Thailand Dive Expo (TDEX)
MAY 31 – JUNE 1: Scuba Show
JUNE 13-15: Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE)
SEPTEMBER 6-7: GO Diving ANZ Show
OCTOBER 17-19: Diving Talks
NOVEMBER 11-14: DEMA Show

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We partner with https://www.scuba.com and https://www.mikesdivestore.com for all your gear essentials. Consider using the affiliate link above to support the channel.

The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training or recommendations for every manufacturer. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor or specific requirements from equipment manufacturers.
00:00 Introduction
01:35 Scuba.com Ad
02:35 Duikvaker
03:15 EUDI
04:23 DRT
05:04 GO Diving Show UK
06:24 ADEX OZTek
07:06 Mediterranean
07:34 ADEX
08:21 TDEX
08:51 Scuba Show
09:36 MIDE
10:06 GO Diving ANZ
11:09 Diving Talks
11:58 DEMA

YouTube Video UEw2X2VCMS1KYWdWbXFQSGV1YW84WVRHb2pFNkl3WlRSZS43OTNDNTk0OUNGMDA1MUNG

Upcoming Dive Shows in 2025 #scubadiving #diveshow

US diver Barrington Scott has set a verified Guinness World Record for the fastest time to scuba dive across all seven continents.Cartagena City Council says it is preparing to tighten access to the Cueva del Agua (Water Cave) system in southern Spain, following the death of a 37-year-old female diver there on 18 January. And an underwater habitat builder has just extended the record for longest time spent submerged. 

https://divernet.com/scuba-news/scuba-dash-across-7-continents-brings-world-record/
https://divernet.com/scuba-news/health-safety/spanish-cave-divers-death-prompts-calls-for-controls/ 
https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article299289964.html
https://divernet.com/scuba-news/pod-builder-completes-120-days-under-sea/

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We partner with https://www.scuba.com and https://www.mikesdivestore.com for all your gear essentials. Consider using the affiliate link above to support the channel.

The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training or recommendations for every manufacturer. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor or specific requirements from equipment manufacturers.

US diver Barrington Scott has set a verified Guinness World Record for the fastest time to scuba dive across all seven continents.Cartagena City Council says it is preparing to tighten access to the Cueva del Agua (Water Cave) system in southern Spain, following the death of a 37-year-old female diver there on 18 January. And an underwater habitat builder has just extended the record for longest time spent submerged.

https://divernet.com/scuba-news/scuba-dash-across-7-continents-brings-world-record/
https://divernet.com/scuba-news/health-safety/spanish-cave-divers-death-prompts-calls-for-controls/
https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article299289964.html
https://divernet.com/scuba-news/pod-builder-completes-120-days-under-sea/

#scuba #scubadiving #scubadiver

Become a fan: https://www.scubadivermag.com/join

GEAR PURCHASES: https://www.scubadivermag.com/affiliate/dive-gear

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Website: https://www.scubadivermag.com ➡️ Scuba Diving, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Scuba Gear Reviews
Website: https://www.divernet.com ➡️ Scuba News, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Travel Reports
Website: https://www.godivingshow.com ➡️ The Only Dive Show in the United Kingdom
Website: https://www.rorkmedia.com ➡️ For advertising within our brands
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We partner with https://www.scuba.com and https://www.mikesdivestore.com for all your gear essentials. Consider using the affiliate link above to support the channel.

The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training or recommendations for every manufacturer. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor or specific requirements from equipment manufacturers.

YouTube Video UEw2X2VCMS1KYWdWbXFQSGV1YW84WVRHb2pFNkl3WlRSZS4yNkZBOTQyMkYxQkQyMzc2

Spanish Cave Closed After Fatality #scuba #podcast #news

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