Another post appeared on ScubaBoard today about someone who hurt their ears while learning/trying to equalize. This should not be happening!
A common method taught to do this is the Valsalva maneuver, which consists of closing your mouth, holding your nose, and blowing.
IT IS TOO COMMON TO BLOW TOO HARD! A result can be physical and hearing damage to your ears.
There are much better equalizing techniques than Valsalva. Divers Alert Network (DAN) lists 6 of them, which DAN mostly describes aa "safer." They are, quoting:
Try the Toynbee technique; it is really simple, really effective, and not dangerous.
Lastly; equalize early (BEFORE you feel the pressure in your ears) and often (every few seconds during initial descent.
See also: https://dan.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/smartguide_ears_2017_lores.pdf
A common method taught to do this is the Valsalva maneuver, which consists of closing your mouth, holding your nose, and blowing.
IT IS TOO COMMON TO BLOW TOO HARD! A result can be physical and hearing damage to your ears.
There are much better equalizing techniques than Valsalva. Divers Alert Network (DAN) lists 6 of them, which DAN mostly describes aa "safer." They are, quoting:
PASSIVE | Requires No Effort
Typically occurs during ascent.
VOLUNTARY TUBAL OPENING | Tense Your Throat and Push Your Jaw Forward
Tense the muscles of the soft palate and the throat while pushing the jaw forward and down as if starting to yawn. These muscles pull the Eustachian tubes open. This requires a lot of practice, but some divers can learn to control those muscles and hold their tubes open for continuous equalization.
TOYNBEE MANEUVER | Pinch Your Nose and Swallow
With your nostrils pinched or blocked against your mask skirt, swallow. Swallowing pulls open your Eustachian tubes while the movement of your tongue, with your nose closed, compresses air against them.
FRENZEL MANEUVER | Pinch Your Nose and Make the Sound of the Letter “K”
Close your nostrils, and close the back of your throat as if straining to lift a weight. Then make the sound of the letter “K.” This forces the back of your tongue upward, compressing air against the openings of your Eustachian tubes.
LOWRY TECHNIQUE | Pinch Your Nose, Blow and Swallow
A combination of Valsalva and Toynbee: while closing your nostrils, blow and swallow at the same time.
EDMONDS TECHNIQUE | Pinch Your Nose and Blow and Push Your Jaw Forward
While tensing the soft palate (the soft tissue at the back of the roof of your mouth) and throat muscles and pushing the jaw forward and down, do a Valsalva maneuver.
Try the Toynbee technique; it is really simple, really effective, and not dangerous.
Lastly; equalize early (BEFORE you feel the pressure in your ears) and often (every few seconds during initial descent.
See also: https://dan.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/smartguide_ears_2017_lores.pdf