Guide

Master the Frenzel equalization

The technique that unlocks depth — and the drills to learn it fast.

Many spearos stall at 10-15 m not for lack of breath, but because their ears block. The solution is called the Frenzel: a maneuver that equalizes with the tongue, without using air from the lungs.

Why Valsalva isn't enough

The Valsalva maneuver (blowing against a pinched nose by pushing from the lungs) works at the surface, but soon shows its limits in freediving: the deeper you go, the more your lung volume shrinks, and the harder — even impossible — it becomes to push air from the lungs. It's also very demanding, which is costly in oxygen.

Frenzel, on the other hand, uses only the air already in the mouth and throat, pushed by the tongue. It stays effective at depth, it's gentler on the ears, and it consumes almost nothing.

The maneuver, step by step

1. Pinch your nose.
2. Close your throat (the glottis), as if you were holding your breath. The lung air is now isolated: this is the key point.
3. Keep air in your mouth, cheeks slightly full.
4. Push with the back of your tongue up and back, as if pronouncing a "K" or a hard "G". The tongue acts as a piston.
5. You should feel a small click in both ears.

Unlocking the soft palate

This is the most common block: the glottis is properly closed, there's air in the mouth… but nothing goes up toward the ears. The cause is the soft palate stuck "up", closing the route to the nose.

It has three positions:

• Up — blocks the nose, air only goes to the mouth (blowing out a candle).
• Down — blocks the mouth, air only passes through the nose (snoring, "mmm").
• In the middle / relaxed — both routes open. This is the Frenzel position.

Three dry drills to find it

1. Breathing through the nose AND mouth at the same time. Mouth open, inhale and exhale simultaneously through both. It's impossible if the palate is closed — to manage it, it has to relax. Memorize that feeling: it's the target.
2. The mirror test. Mirror under the nose, mouth wide open, try to fog it with your nose. If it fogs, the palate is relaxed.
3. The "ng ↔ ah" switch. Say "haaang" and freeze on the "ng" (palate down), then slide toward "ah" (palate up). The middle position is your neutral.

An Otovent (a small balloon sold in pharmacies, ~€15) gives instant visual feedback: you see whether your maneuver actually pushes air. It's the most effective shortcut.

Applying it on the dive

• Equalize early and often: about once per meter, before feeling the pressure. An ear that falls behind is hard to catch up.
• Never force it. If it blocks, go back up a few dozen centimeters, relax, swallow, and try again.
• Head fairly neutral: a chin tucked in too far closes the Eustachian tubes.
• Never dive with a cold or congested ears: risk of barotrauma.

Common mistakes

• Locking everything at once. When closing the throat, many raise the palate by reflex. Separate them: throat closed, palate soft.
• Pushing hard rather than steadily. Consistency beats power.
• Waiting for pain. If you feel the pressure, you're already equalizing too late.
• Insisting on an ear that blocks. It's the best way to injure yourself and lose several weeks.