An Equalization Instructor’s Reflections
I was very honoured to have been invited by Mark Cheung from Apnea 42 to work with students with equalization issues from 4 – 12 June 2022 at Freedive SuperHome in Panglao, the Philippines. Besides in-water practice, I also conducted a series of workshops withs students on the tongue, sinuses, and mouth and jaws. Working […]
Why is Nasal Breathing Important?
What if I told you that a habit may have a role in determining your life direction or career path? My friend, who is a massage therapist, told me her story. As a child and teenager, she was someone who had trouble with focus and attention in school. She could never muster enough concentration to […]
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and Why it may be Important for Equalization Education?
Equalization – a complex movement that uses muscles in the tongue, soft palate, and larynx to allow air to pass from the oral and nasal cavities into the middle ears to equalize internal pressure with external pressure – is one of the many functions of the orofacial muscular system. This system also allows you to […]
Lessons on Equalization
This article is a re-write of a previously published article. It has five timeless principles that can enhance anyone’s equalization learning experience, including learning multiple methods of equalization, giving time to explore and trial-and-error in the water, working on other aspects of freediving at the same time, giving time for depth adaptation to occur and not giving up, while having fun along the way!
The Impact of Habits on Equalization
Is equalization often the limiting factor in your depth progression? Is equalization an uncomfortable and stressful occurrence for you? Have you ever gotten a frontal sinus squeeze (a tight and painful feeling in the forehead) when diving? If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, you may benefit from having a […]
The Mouthfill Story
Did you know that the Mouthfill technique used by advanced freedivers to dive deeper than 30m was invented by Eric Fattah. This article covers the history of the Mouthfill, why there was a need for it, how it came about, how a world record was set using it, and how almost all world records thereafter were set using this equalization method.
Why Can’t I Equalize?
What can’t I equalize? Consider that you may have orofacial structural issues (e.g., tongue-tie, clenching or grinding) that can be worked on to improve your equalization techniques.