How to equalize when freediving
Equalization is the single thing that stops more beginners than any other — not breath-hold, not fitness. The good news: it's a learnable motor skill, and there's a clean progression.
Why ears hurt underwater
As you descend, water pressure squeezes the air space behind your eardrum. To stop pain — and eventually barotrauma — you have to push air through the Eustachian tube from your throat into the middle ear. Pressure doubles in the first 10 metres, so equalize early and often.
1. Valsalva — the beginner method
Pinch your nose and gently exhale against the closed nostrils. This is what scuba divers use and what most freedivers start with on AIDA 1. It works to roughly 15 to 20 metres but fatigues your diaphragm and gets progressively harder as your chest compresses.
2. Frenzel — the freediver's method
Pinch your nose, close your epiglottis, and use your tongue as a piston to push air upward through the soft palate. It's almost effortless once learned and works well down to 30 metres or more. We teach Frenzel on AIDA 2 — it's the technique that unlocks comfortable recreational depth.
3. Mouthfill — for advanced depth
Below about 30 metres your lungs are too compressed to supply Frenzel directly. Mouthfill loads a charge of air into your closed mouth on the way down, then meters it out as you continue descending. This is AIDA 3 and beyond — taught only after Frenzel is reliable.
Three rules, every dive
- ·Equalize early — before you feel pressure, not after.
- ·Equalize often — every metre in the first 10, then continuously.
- ·If it won't go, turn around. Never force an ear.
Equalization — common questions
Why does my ear hurt before I even reach 5 metres?
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You're equalizing too late. Pressure builds fastest in the first 10 metres — start equalizing every metre from the surface, and equalize before you feel pressure, not after.
Can I just use Valsalva forever?
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Up to about 15 to 20 metres for most people, yes. Below that the chest compresses and your diaphragm can't push air upward effectively — that's when Frenzel becomes essential. Beyond around 30 metres, mouthfill takes over.
Is Frenzel hard to learn?
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It's a skill, not a strength. Most students get the basic motion in 1 to 2 sessions on dry land, and apply it underwater on AIDA 2. It feels strange at first because you're using your tongue and throat in a way you've never consciously controlled.
What if one ear equalizes but the other doesn't?
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Common — usually a slightly congested side. Stop descending, ascend a metre, try again calmly. If it persists, end the dive. Never force it; reverse blocks and barotrauma start with forcing.
Train Frenzel in the water with us.
On AIDA 2 you'll do the dry drills and then apply them on the line in Aqaba.
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