Equalizing while inverted

[thebeedeegee]

So when SCUBA diving I always descend feet first, or horizontal with my knees bent. I can equalize perfectly fine from this position, but while skin diving where I'm having to kick myself down head first I can't clear my ears without stopping getting horizontal for a second to get my ears to clear, and wasting valuable air. Is there a better technique, or will repetition just sort of work my ears so they equalize better while inverted?

It feels like my head is slam shut when I try clearing while upside down. I'm looking for some advice because it looks like I'll get to try some spear fishing for the first time while in Rhode Island next week, I don't want to be hindered because I have to keep stopping on the way down to clear my ears.

[windapp]

No advise here but a thought.

When you are scuba diving, you can actually fill your lungs with air at depth so equalizing will be easier because you have more lung volume to deal with. When you are skin diving, all you have is the air that you started with which compresses more and more as you go deeper.

[eponym]

What you're experiencing is not unusual.

Are you using the Valsalva technique (pinching nose and blowing)?
Try tilting your head to each side (keep neck long, tilt to bring an ear toward the shoulder) while attempting to equalize.

The medical forums, or the Snorkeling & Freediving forum, might also be good places to ask this question (or search for solutions).

[RMAdventure]

Could it be how fast you are descending? A typical SCUBA descent is fairly slow, whereas a freedive type descent is usually much faster. It could be that you are getting too deep, too fast and can't equalize fast enough to keep up. Do you start trying to equalize at a couple feet below the surface?

[thebeedeegee]

It could be how fast I'm going down, I try to start clearing as soon as I go under, but once I get around 12-15 feet it just locks up, and I have to stop go horizontal. The neck tilting helps, I usually do that while on SCUBA anyway because my left ear is slower than the right, but upside down it's a pain.

[SnorkelLA]

Practice equalizing at random points during the day. This will make your tissue in your inner ear more elastic and "used to" equalizing

[DivemasterDennis]

As the designated snorkeling coach at my LDS, I am going to suggest rate of descent is a huge factor, which, when coupled with breath holding on a free dive, make clearing much more difficult than a slow descent with regular breathing on scuba. Here are a few suggestions, which may help. Individual results may vary.
1. descend more slowly
2. "clear" once or twice, gently, before you begin the dive
3. as you begin the dive, try a slight exhale pressure through your nose, but not to the point of air flowing out of your mask.
4. swallow
5. do what you are doing now- change body/head position if you aren't clearing well.
6. take a single little red sudafed about 40 minutes prior to you freediving time.
Good luck!!
DivemasterDennis

[Quero]

Try pre-pressurizing your ears while still on the surface to get ahead of the water pressure, and then do what you're now doing in clearing again soon after you're underwater, again when you're halfway, and a final time when you're at your 10-12 foot depth.

[g1138]

Pre-equalize before doing your tuck/pike dive.
Once you dive open your mouth and fill the back of your throat/cheeks with air so you have air pressure behind your Eustachian tubes. Equalize as normal.

A common mistake is to clamp down the back of your throat and block your tubes with your tongue. I used to have your exact problem when I first began scuba diving & freediving.
If you have to, hum through your mouth to get the feel difference between pushing air to your nose VS your mouth.

Try looking up Frenzel and VTO/BTV equalization techniques, I find they work much better for both scuba and freediving.

[thebeedeegee]

Pre-equalize before doing your tuck/pike dive.
Once you dive open your mouth and fill the back of your throat/cheeks with air so you have air pressure behind your Eustachian tubes. Equalize as normal.

A common mistake is to clamp down the back of your throat and block your tubes with your tongue. I used to have your exact problem when I first began scuba diving & freediving.
If you have to, hum through your mouth to get the feel difference between pushing air to your nose VS your mouth.

Try looking up Frenzel and VTO/BTV equalization techniques, I find they work much better for both scuba and freediving.

This may be what my problem is, I think I am clamping shut. Thanks for the advice guys, I'll be testing it out next week.

[diveprof]

Good tips so far. I agree with equalizing at the surface before descent. When free diving you DO descend faster than on scuba (if you want to make that breath last)... so part two of suggestions - technique:
With a closed mouth, put your tongue on the roof of your mouth, bend your head back and swallow while pinching your nose closed. One side slower to clear? Then lean your head away from that side and clear again. For skin diving you will find that you need to clear more frequently than on scuba.The more you practice it (this works for scuba too) the less of an issue this becomes. At this point a good closed yawn works for me. Peace (isn't that what freediving is about anyway?)

[Grzzlymuffn]

I have trouble with a sticky ear since I started diving, and having just done my Aida 2 star here's the technique they recommend.

Pre-equalize at the surface whilst breathing up.
Equalise as soon as you duck dive.
Use the Frenzel technique, constantly equalise, and keep your chin tucked! if you look down you'll lock up.
If that fails, right yourself, equalise, and carry on.

It does work. I kept locking up at about 10m as I was always looking for the base plate and not equalising enough.
I've found that good freedive practice has actually really helped my ear problem.

Hope some of that helps.

[highdesert]

Clearing has always been a problem for me; I experience the same issue as you if I'm inverted. Optimal (for me, YMMV) is horizontal trim, knees bent roughly 90 degrees, head up, a la skydiver. And even in that trim, I clear after every breath until I'm at depth. This works well for me, and every alternative I've ever tried seems not to work as well.