Bad ears?

Ok,

well when I was about 6 or 7, I was down in cozumel and just so happens there was a stingray at the bottem of the ocean, about 20 ft. down. So my dad goes down to check it out, and so did the others that weer there. I went down, really quickly I got down there, and when I went to the very bottem, reached out to touch it, my ears hurt so I zoomed up ad fast as I could to the surface. Acouple years after that and even sometimes now when I go odwn a little deep, say 12 ft. or so..my ears start to hurt. What couses this? Last year I didn't have it and if it ever happens again..I would like to know.


Thanks.

This may help:http://www.scubaboard.com/search.php?searchid=2929968

It sounds like you didn't equalize. If you aren't doing it now either, that would explain the problem.

It says in your sig that you're a New Jersey wreck diver. You did learn about equalizing at some point in your training, right?

I couldn't find the answer, maybe I am not reading the posts in the threads right..any help? I did do a search before I started this thread and didn't find it...

MSilvia:

It sounds like you didn't equalize. If you aren't doing it now either, that would explain the problem.

It says in your sig that you're a New Jersey wreck diver. You did learn about equalizing at some point in your training, right?

Click to expand...

I am not certified yet, when I do get certified I will be doing those dives, read some of my posts and you'll understand better. Please fill me...?

It helps to fill out your profile (go here and check out the links on the left) so people know something about you. Where you're from, whether you're certified (or not), stuff like that. You can't expect people to read all your old posts to try and guess what you're talking about. You'll get much better responses if you ask a question that people can understand by itself.

From your original post it was not clear if you are certified, if you are diving, if you are freediving, or what? Thing is, it's inconceivable that someone certified to scuba dive wouldn't know about equalization, but having a signature that says "New Jersey Shipwreck Diver" implies that you are certified, hence people are confused.

You need to "equalize" your ears whether you are diving on scuba, or freediving which is what you were doing. The airspaces in your head like sinuses need to be at the same pressure as the outside, which increases as soon as you go underwater and keeps increasing the deeper you go. If you don't equalize you will have pain and possibly injure your ears. Seach here for the word equalize and you will learn lots about it.

oh ok, I am very sorry for the confusion

I shoulda done that. I find mostly, I know what to do just not the proper names for it...

rapidiver:

This may help:http://www.scubaboard.com/search.php?searchid=2929968

Click to expand...

how interesting, normally you can't provide someone a search like this, the search ID represents something temporary, but this time I could - wonder if something has changed? Seems like a bit of a privacy hole, I can type in some sequential numbers and see what other people are currently searching for...

langs15 - have you ever gone to the mountains and needed to "pop" your ears? You would pinch your nose shut and gently try to breath out thru your nose til your ears popped? That is called the "Valsalva" technique and is the primary way to equalize your ears when descending underwater. But it needs to be done gently - just enough to pop your ears. You should practice the technique a few times a day to exercise your eustachian tubes. It will make it easier to equalize your ears when you do take your cert class.

HTH,

Hey this has been an issue for me too. As a child my ears gave me a great deal of pain in an 8' deep pool. I was unaware although my girlfriend tried to staighten me out (hard head) that equalizing was the same in freediving. I thought that was why you COULD wear ear plugs freediving but NOT while scuba diving. Can you really equalize enough on a breath hold at 33+ feet? I was snorkeling in Kona last week and dove down several times to around 20 feet. I was surprised to find only minor discomfort. I did not scuba because my sinuses were clogged but had no problem freediving.
Have I inadvertatly learned to equallize without thinking about it.

Carl