What is happening with my equalizing?

I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I would really appreciate some advice on how to improve or change what is happening when I equalize. Before I describe the current problem, I will fill you in with a little background information.

I started the PADI open water training in pool last September. As I had suffered hypertension 12 years ago, I had a medical with a recognized diving doctor who is also an experienced diver and no problem was found. So I started with the course. The first session was a disaster so I just got to swim underwater and they gave me another session after to do this. I then passed the next 3 modules in consecutive sessions, practiced the 3rd again, then completed the 4th and 5th in the next 2 lessons. Over the course of 3,4 and 5, I noticed that I wasn't equalizing so well so began practicing my technique in the free time at the end of sessions after the skills. My ears were taking a couple of days to feel 'unfilled?' after each dive.

There was never a time when I thought I really hadn't equalized, until in 5 I had to ascend quite a bit to equalize then re-descend. I felt comfortable at this point. However, as I was kneeling on the floor with all the gear off, at a point I could not ascend, I felt and heard 3 quick vibrations in my ear followed by what felt like bubbles escaping. Each vibration was accompanied by a split second of pain but there was no further pain. Even so, I completed the parts on the surface and called the rest of the session.

By this point my ears felt a constant fogginess and it didn't go, so I visited my GP. It turned out I had a throat infection probably for 3-4 weeks (possibly due to a dirty swimming pool), which was news to me as I could feel no swelling or soreness. This had caused blocked eustachian tubes, inflamed the blood vessels in my ear canals, built up fluid behind my ear drums and caused a slight displacement of my left ear drum. I took a course of anti-biotics, a million lozenges to create negative pressure in the eustachian tubes and drank a lot of steaming drinks. This cleared the throat infection but I required an extra dose of Otosporin drops. Basically, with regular check ups, I waited from Mid October to Mid January to resume diving once all the inflammation and fluid had gone and the ear drum was back to place.

So now I descend very slowly on all occasions, equalizing every couple of feet:

Valsalva Maneuver - This isn't working for me after about 6 feet but no matter how gently I do it, I break my mask seal under the nostril.

Frenzel Maneuver - I can do this, just sometimes it is hard to keep breathing for a couple of seconds which I know is a problem. The more immediate problem, is that no matter how gently I do this, it causes a negative pressure in my mask and water sucks in to my nostrils. From then on I get a light mucous, which makes equaliazing more difficult. This week I reached a point where I was trying to clear my mask and just one nostril was clear to do so, so I just waited at the surface for the session to end (I'm just practicing buoyancy etc on my own now until it is warm enough for open water check outs). I try Tonybee too but this is causing the same problem.

The mask I use is Oceanic Shadow. The fit is great out of water, it sticks to my face like a hoover. None of the instructors seem to understand what is going on. I put this down to my first time in the pool where I couldn't mask clear due to breathing co-ordination. Since this point everybody seems to think that my problem is that I get a residual amount of water in my mask and don't like it and I get the impression people think I am exaggerating as an excuse to cover for this. I have changed the strap to a silicon one and this has helped a little. I CAN handle residual water in my mask, this isn't a problem in it's own right, just when I try to equalize when it's there. Obviously there is no way I can go to much deeper depths in the open water check outs if I can't equalize correctly.

The last thing I need is to be out of the water for months again, I just can't figure out what is happening so I can rectify it?

I have a question, why is your mask losing seal while doing the valsalva? Are you not pinching your nose? There should be no air escaping there. And in fact you are "holding your breath" for a split second to equalize.

I find the valsalva method damaging to my hearing, it will cause me to have that ear fogginess for extended periods of time. but I am fortunate enough, that I do not require using it very often. normally just the few first equalizations, but then I can just "wiggle" my jaw to equalize my ears. You should also be equalizing alot. I often find I am trying to equalize throughout the dive, not just going down.

There are other methods to equalize, and not everyone is perfect for each person. I am sure someone will post the video from the ear doc, I think Dr Jay was his name, it is about an hour long of what is going on in your ears, and different methods of equalizing

It is breaking whether air escapes or not, I can't replicate it when out of the pool though. The only thing I can suggest is I have a small face as it is always the gap between the nose and lip where the seal breaks. In any case it happens when I equalize the mask with even the tiniest amount of air.

I do equalize gently fairly frequently whilst I am down just to make sure. Call it worry in my case

Yeah I hear the worry thing. I have 1001 things going through my head when I am diving. I am only about a dozen or so dives ahead of you. It is getting better though.

Maybe another mask? My wife has a tiny face, and she uses a TUSA ( concerto)frameless that fits her face great, even leaves the mask lines when we come out.

Equalizing is on the top of your mind when diving, well mainly due to it causing discomfort. I would do what I do, to find what your method is, and hit the deep end of a pool and practice

I apologize for responding to your post having only skimmed it. The consensus on ScubaBoard is that Dr Kay's video, THE DIVER'S EAR—UNDER PRESSURE is the best resource for clearing issues. Check it out (scroll down a bit).

You need better control of your soft palate or your tongue. If the Valsalva maneuver is blowing the seal on your mask it means you're directing more air to your nostrils and sinuses than to the back of your throat where your eustachian tubes are. Valasalva should blow up your cheeks more than your nostrils if anything; even then it shouldn't take that much force to clear.
With the Frenzel method you can feel free to hold your nose while you do it as well and then later advance to hands free.

Now from what you described I think either two things (or both) are happeneing
a) you're blocking your throat with your tongue
b) you're not blocking with your soft palate enough

When equalizing don't close off your throat (holding your breath, closing your epiglottis), rather just control your diaphram to put some pressure that you can hold back with your pinched nose and tongue (on the roof of your mouth). This keeps your air way open still.
With the Frenzel method you want to fill your mouth up with air which you'll then piston clear with your tongue.
I have a feeling your filling below your tongue in your throat which doesn't help.

Put your mask on in front of the mirror and smile, grimace, move your lips around, make funny faces and then see where the mask seal breaks.

vladimir:

I apologize for responding to your post having only skimmed it. The consensus on ScubaBoard is that Dr Kay's video, THE DIVER'S EAR—UNDER PRESSURE is the best resource for clearing issues. Check it out (scroll down a bit).

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll take a good look through all of this.

g1138:

Put your mask on in front of the mirror and smile, grimace, move your lips around, make funny faces and then see where the mask seal breaks.

Click to expand...

I've just had a go at this. It is breaking at the bottom skirt, very slightly to the side of the two nostrils, hamster cheeks aren't helping here I guess. Having regs in also raised my upper lip quite a bit which I forgot to mention before.

I'll practice the other things in your post, thanks.