take the time to equalize

[84CJ7]

Psuedoephedrine, not just for meth heads.
I have a naturally gunked up head so I take one the night before, but late enough that it hasn't worn off when i take the second one about an hour before the diving.
Makes a world of difference in equalizing. It doesn't just unclog your nose, and even if you nose is open you can still be blocked up inside. I am told psuedoephedrine is reliable under pressure (some things aren't), not sure about the various antihistamines to go with it and help prevent other allergy symptoms. I actually was using claritin D which seemed to work fine and that is loratadine for the antihistamine though that's usually kinda crappy for me. I prefer ceterizine hydrochloride (zyrtec) as it is more effective for me as an everyday antihistamine when I need one, though with once a month allergy shots my allergies are pretty mild to nonexistant overall these days. Allergy shots are a really good idea if you are a diver with allergies.

The other rule to equalizing is, if you can feel the pressure at all you waited too long to equalize, it only squeaks if you missed the proper time and then you have to really plug your nose and blow which agitates things and makes everything worse. If you are constantly gently equalizing while decending before it becomes a serious pressure you neither upset your ears with wild pressure swings nor have to blow hard to fix things. If you catch it early enough many people don't even need to plug their noses because it really takes a very mild pressure to do the job and a certain method with your tongue can do it. The squeak as was said, is the air being forced through inner ear passages that have already been squashed shut by the pressure.

 

[Waterpolo]

Great advice and something I also learned the hard way. I was taught during my training to submerge and within a few feet of the surface or when you feel pressure, equalize. Well on my first open water i did exactly that and found pressure within 5 feet and started to equalize but had trouble totally clearing. To give you the readers digest version I also had blood in my mask when I surfaced. I was in no major pain and when at depth while still attempting to equalize everything did finally clear but I was trying too hard and had blood in my mask when i surfaced. no long term damage or issues since but for the next 10 or 15 dives I always had trouble equalizing when I practised the same routine......to equalize when just under or when i felt pressure. It wasn't until I went of a dive with a friend who was experianced that I learned that I should equalize the minute your head goes under and ever since then not one issue.....no pressure build up, no trouble equalizing, nothing but good diving ever since. I don't think i was actually taught wrong but maybe the message or practise should have been more clearly defined or I should have spoke up after my first dive........all is good now.

 

[TomZ]

Normally I can clear very easily, opening my eustachian tubes voluntarily without even "popping" my jaw. However there are days when I do have trouble. A technique I find helpful is to pinch my nose at the surface and "overpressure" my ears by blowing gently, and descending while maintaining positive pressure on my ears. Since most problems with equalizing occur in the first 10-15 ft, this technique does the trick for me.
If your ears are blocked at the surface, nothing is going to help.