valsalva?

[TrueAce]

How do you know if you can valsalva or not? Can you tell yourself by just doing it on land or does a doctor have to stick something in your ear to see if the drum is functioning correctly? It seems to me I can clear my ears just fine but as I mentioned in another post I had surgery on my ear when I was young. I'm going to call the hospital soon to see exactly what procedure I had done and if it's an automatic dq for diving.

[BUD's 184]

How do you know if you can valsalva or not? Can you tell yourself by just doing it on land or does a doctor have to stick something in your ear to see if the drum is functioning correctly? It seems to me I can clear my ears just fine but as I mentioned in another post I had surgery on my ear when I was young. I'm going to call the hospital soon to see exactly what procedure I had done and if it's an automatic dq for diving.


Go to the deep end of the pool.....go to the bottom....squeeze your nose with your pointer finger and your thumb....so that air can NOT come out....with your mouth closed try to blow air out of your nose.....you will feel the pressure relieve in your ears.....because the air cannot escape through your mouth or nose....it will push your eardrum out....because the pressure from depth will cause it to start to collapse into your ear....valsalva'n will push that air out.....along with the drum!!

That is all you need to do to insure you can do this!!

[YoungerPope]

How does this work doing drownproofing?

[BUD's 184]

How does this work doing drownproofing?

Pope: there will be zero reason to valsalva during drownproofing....you won't be deep enough....to where you have ear issues!!

[Illmaxic]

yo 184, i was doing my own little drown proofing exercise like you said to, i was about 8 minutes into it when i was rudely interrupted by a hotel patron (the only pool with a deep end that I can use) who jumps in when I'm sitting on the bottom, cuz I was working on holding my breath too, and he starts tugging at me at the bottom of the pool. I open my eyes and see this guy and am like (under water) "what the f*ck are you doing" anyways, when i get done with it, the guys tells me he thought i was drowning cuz i didn't come up for a couple minutes... i was like, are you a certified lifeguard, i appreciate the gesture, but it wasn't 3 year old sitting at the bottom of the pool... i laughed about it afterwards, but i was pissed at first.

[BUD's 184]

yo 184, i was doing my own little drown proofing exercise like you said to, i was about 8 minutes into it when i was rudely interrupted by a hotel patron (the only pool with a deep end that I can use) who jumps in when I'm sitting on the bottom, cuz I was working on holding my breath too, and he starts tugging at me at the bottom of the pool. I open my eyes and see this guy and am like (under water) "what the f*ck are you doing" anyways, when i get done with it, the guys tells me he thought i was drowning cuz i didn't come up for a couple minutes... i was like, are you a certified lifeguard, i appreciate the gesture, but it wasn't 3 year old sitting at the bottom of the pool... i laughed about it afterwards, but i was pissed at first.


Thats a funny story!! you might also start doing a dolphin kick as well.....with your hands behind your back.....start off doing a lap or two across the pool....if you have trouble with this.....do it with your fins on.....that will help you get momentum.....and get the kick down.....dolphin kicking with no fins....and your hands and feet tide.....if not practiced can....be a bit of a shock......it also is very draining if you have to over exert....because you are not familiar with this kick......you will have to travel the length of the pool and back.....so a little over 100 meters tied up.....and then you will begin to bob again......you will be slightly out of air.....and can cause some people to panic for air....and fail drown proofing!! I would reccommend being comfortable with traveling 100 meters with your hands behind your back....and then be able to bob for 5 minutes after......without resting!!! ya dig!

[Illmaxic]

yup, definately, i have been practicing the dolphin kick as of lately. some days i find that i get really good thrust and some days i just overexert myself and move nowhere. i'm still tryin to get used it. i've still yet to get fins, i need to get on that soon.

[YoungerPope]

OK thanks 184. I always thought it was done in deeper water.

[BUD's 184]

yup, definately, i have been practicing the dolphin kick as of lately. some days i find that i get really good thrust and some days i just overexert myself and move nowhere. i'm still tryin to get used it. i've still yet to get fins, i need to get on that soon.


Bro: drop the dough and get some fins/booties! As far as practicing your dolphin kick....you probably only need to work on that once per week.....that should be plenty......spend your time....running/swimming/pt'n.....but definitely once per week do your dolphin kicks....and your 25 meter underwater swims....yes 25.....thats all you need to do!! do like 5 of them with a couple minutes rest between sets!!

Get fins....I'd spend all my swimming time doing combat side stroke w/fins!!! Oh....grab a mask!!

[BUD's 184]

OK thanks 184. I always thought it was done in deeper water.


Dont get me wrong it is not in the shallow end....but you'll be fine.....you won't have to valsalva!! Anytime bro!!

[Illmaxic]

yea i already got a mask... and that's refreshing to hear about practicing the 25 underwater. because i'm damn good at that. i can do them back to back to back to back with only like 20 seconds rest in between them

[Illmaxic]

they are so easy for me since i have been doing the 50 like a mad man

[BUD's 184]

they are so easy for me since i have been doing the 50 like a mad man


Nice.....that will be an easy day for you.....hell sounds to me like your on your way!!

[Illmaxic]

i sure as hell hope so... swimming comes pretty easy to me. i was born and partially raised in Hawaii, so I like to think I was born in the water. running is my biggest weakness, and i'm not even that weak at it, its just that i hate to do it.

[crod2487]

"running is my biggest weakness, and i'm not even that weak at it, its just that i hate to do it."
me too. Im going to be big for a BUD/s student. im 6'0 195-. i played football and baseball in HS and have big legs and shoulders, and forearms becuase of it. well i guess its just something that got to be sucked up. aint nothing easy.

[BUD's 184]

i sure as hell hope so... swimming comes pretty easy to me. i was born and partially raised in Hawaii, so I like to think I was born in the water. running is my biggest weakness, and i'm not even that weak at it, its just that i hate to do it.

That's great.....when I started prep'n for BUD/S....I had a long way to go....I grew up on a farm......I never had swam a lap in my life.....let alone the ocean!!! I was an athlete....and played college ball....so I was mentally tuff....and willing to do what it took.....so I just started the BUD/S warning order.....and showed up....and kicked the F out of BUD/S.....although I will tell you....I had no idea about drown proofing or 50 meter underwater swim....so the first time I was tasked to do it at BUD/S.......bit of a challenge to say the least.....but like they say......mostly mental.....stay calm....don't freak out.....don't stress.....just F'n do it!! Those evolutions cause a lot of stress for hopefuls....so just show up in great shape....and stay POSITVE!! You'll be a TEAM GUY in short order!!

[kklingman]

i sure as hell hope so... swimming comes pretty easy to me. i was born and partially raised in Hawaii, so I like to think I was born in the water. running is my biggest weakness, and i'm not even that weak at it, its just that i hate to do it.

you better start liking it, ill.

[Illmaxic]

haha hey, you don't have to like it, you just have to do it.

[kklingman]

haha hey, you don't have to like it, you just have to do it.

true. now what about Payback? remind me.

[BUD's 184]

"running is my biggest weakness, and i'm not even that weak at it, its just that i hate to do it."
me too. Im going to be big for a BUD/s student. im 6'0 195-. i played football and baseball in HS and have big legs and shoulders, and forearms becuase of it. well i guess its just something that got to be sucked up. aint nothing easy.


Bro: i graduated 5'11" 195lbs from BUD/S.......and played the same sports.....I was the fastest four mile timed runner in our class....only because I competed!!! I hate to lose....and did not want anyone to beat me......that's the attitude you have to have.....you don't have to like it.....you just have to do it!! I've heard that before.....oh yeah.....Demo **** quote!!

[Illmaxic]

Bro: i graduated 5'11" 195lbs from BUD/S.......and played the same sports.....I was the fastest four mile timed runner in our class....only because I competed!!! I hate to lose....and did not want anyone to beat me......that's the attitude you have to have.....you don't have to like it.....you just have to do it!! I've heard that before.....oh yeah.....Demo **** quote!!

haha, yup. you guys are a little thicker than me. I'm 5'11 maybe 10 1/2 but I round up 175... i'm a lot more on the lean side, definately not lanky, but i don't trip on that. size has nothing to do with it, as long as you can put out and keep putting out

[Illmaxic]

and kkling- in payback, mel gibson is tied up (owes money or something) and they procede to take his shoes and socks off and smash each toe with a hammer. can your toes handle that ;) haha

[BUD's 184]

haha, yup. you guys are a little thicker than me. I'm 5'11 maybe 10 1/2 but I round up 175... i'm a lot more on the lean side, definately not lanky, but i don't trip on that. size has nothing to do with it, as long as you can put out and keep putting out

I'd say that weight will help keep your shins....safe from shin splints!!

[Illmaxic]

haha, for the most part, i have got them before, it was back in high school when i had tryouts for baseball and a pretty rigorous running schedule and i didn't really prepare myself, so thats why i think i got them. but i will be prepared before i go to BUD/S so you're right, my weight should help with that

[kklingman]

and kkling- in payback, mel gibson is tied up (owes money or something) and they procede to take his shoes and socks off and smash each toe with a hammer. can your toes handle that ;) haha

yeah you could smash my toes with a hammer cuz it couldn't go on forever. eventually it would end and i would be victorious. haha, but it would hurt like all hell. Could you handle your nuts getting smashed like Daniel Craig in Casino Royale? I imagine it would be damn near unbearable.

Or how about George Clooney in Syriana getting his fingernails pulled out with f*cking pliers.

[dive doc]

How do you know if you can valsalva or not? Can you tell yourself by just doing it on land or does a doctor have to stick something in your ear to see if the drum is functioning correctly? It seems to me I can clear my ears just fine but as I mentioned in another post I had surgery on my ear when I was young. I'm going to call the hospital soon to see exactly what procedure I had done and if it's an automatic dq for diving.

Ace,

apart from going to the hospital you need to go and get a medical done by a diving doctor and get that checked out. Im not sure what surgery you had done on your ear, but there are some operations that can disqualify from diving unfortunately.

Have you been able to equalise your ears yet?

DD

[TrueAce]

No I haven't even tried except on the surface. The surgery I had was for a cholesteatoma when I was younger which seems to be a DQ. It's never recurred and I believe all my bones/eardrum are in tact with my hearing 100% though. I feel like I can clear on the surface but the pool I swim in is only 3 feet deep and I haven't found anywhere deeper lately. Plus I'm not sure if I should even try to clear underwater until I talk to a dive doc and research exactly what procedure I had. I called the hospital where I had the surgery but they won't release the records until I drive down there and sign which I haven't had time to do lately. If you know of a good dive doc in the Tampa Bay area let me know.

I need to find one that knows what he's doing. My other problem that might stop me is color vision. I found a doctor for that who said he had the FALANT because I can't pass the plates, then when I show up and it ends up being the d-15 test where you put the colors in order. My training has been progressing at least so hopefully the medical issues will work out.