Ear equalization

[rods]

I've just finished my open water check out dives this weekend and had a very hard time equalizing my ears. Come to find out I ended up putting a hole in one of my eardrums... which explains some extreme vertigo I had. But I even had trouble equalizing my ears in the 10ft pool for the confined dives and after this weekend I'm very concerned about my ears, and how this might effect my continuing diving. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on equalizing. Also, I don't know if I'm the only one to make this mistake, but I was wondering if I should have concerns about my ear after it heals (according to the doctor - 2-3 weeks).

Thanks in advance for any input.
-Rod

 

[herman]

Hi Rod,
I had a lot of trouble clearing my ears at first as well. Here are a couple of things that have helped me. First, start equalizing early, I actually start before my head goes under water and don't stop until I get to depth, at a minimum, you should equalize every couple of feet or so. If you get the slightest bit of pain, you have gone to far, stop and accend a couple of feet and start over. I have started decending head first, I found that if I decend feet first, I am looking down and that appears to pinch my eustachian shut but by decending head first, I have my head tilted back and that seems to pull them open. An alternative to this is to decend feet first but look up while you are decending. This might be a better alternative until you are in full control of your bouyancy, just watch out for the guy below you. Look below, decend a few feet, stop and look again. By the way, this mess gets much easier below about 40 ft or so. All of the above is assuming your head is clear to start with. Hope this helps, with practice, clearing and bouyancy both get much easier.

 

[old_mike]

i ran into the same problem. I had to descend VERRRRRY slowly and do the Valsalva often. After a dive guide nearly caused me to blow out my eardrums in Tahiti, i had to take a year and a half off from diving and for the longest time, i couldn't even get 10 feet underwater without experiencing some nasty pain. I somehow got over that (lots of cool water, shallow diving with verry slow ascent and descent rates). I have learned to descend head first (works for me but not for everybody) and now i have trained myself to swallow while jutting my jaw forward (kinda like yawning but not opening the mouth). I have had over 100 problem free dives since then and now i can even get into free-diving. It took time, but i went slowly and at my own pace, listening very carefully to those nerve endings and pain receptors inside that thick, stubborn skull of mine. Do be careful, listen to what your body tells you and don't let anyone (buddies, guide etc) push you beyond what you intuitively think is your current limit (some of those early dives, i would hang out at 15-20 feet for a half hour, just practicing keeping my tubes open and being relaxed in the cold, murky water. Some divers thought i was in trouble, but i was just "takin' it easy").

 

[Ladygodiver]

Rod you are getting some fantastic replys to your question.
I, too, had problems in my first 15 or so dives until one day I stumbled upon the answer. The problem seemed to be with the 'duck' dive desent. I was going straight down. I added a little more weight and tried a graduated descent, running parallel to the bottom, stopping every few feet for about 2 sec. After I figured out direction (vis. here on a good day is 20')I was able to join my buddy without searching for him. It was suggested to me to try a feet first desent but I was not partial to the idea of adding that much extra weight! Hang in there Rod. You will be diving and enjoying it in no time. Listen to your body.

 

[Beachman]

....which sometimes works for others, and sometimes doesn't. It's an unusual diver who hasn't worried early on about ear equalizations. I personally think it takes a goodly number of dives to just "clear the crap" out of your tubes for good.

Personally, It took me about 30 dives to get truly comfortable with my technique...now I don't even think about it.

I descend head first (see reasons stated above) and equalize continuously by breathing out through my nose. (Actually, I breath out through my nose and mask a lot while underwater.) Really works for me. Now my ears never really even get to the point of "popping"...just seem to adjust continuously. I think it's a matter of BOTH time and technique.

On the ear damage problem you've apparently already suffered, I'd listen carefully to my doctor first...then to us laymen!

DSAO

 

[rods]

Thanks all for the input! This does make me feel better about my future in diving!

In reguards to the ProEar 2000... A local dive shop had one that I thought was interesting, until the guy behind the counter said, "anyone needing one of those shouldn't be diving anyway...". Is that a common feeling with more expierenced divers? At this point (though I'm not much of a diver yet) I'd be willing to try anything to continue diving, if it comes down to it.

 

[Howard]

The guy behind the counter must be pretty special if he can determine who has the right to dive and with what equipment.

I suggest that he and anyone else read the testimonials and reviews in our website http://www.proear2000.com to see what real, sincere people like yourselves found with the ProEar and then try it out for yourself. Don't be to affected by so called experts who in reality don't even know the product and certainly have no right to determine who and who cannot dive.

Sincerely,

 

[old_mike]

i thought i was the only one who breathed out of his nose while on SCUBA. i don't do it exclusively or very heavily but somehow manage to keep both nasal and oral passages open. I find that this has reduced my incidences of sinus squeezes as well! I agree with that 30 dives to get comfortable bit. Thats about how mnany dives it took for me to get on track. until that fateful day in Tahiti!

 

[King_Neptune]

hehehe, it is rather funny when you see someone that DOES NOT breathe out of their nose. They surface with the "RACCOON face" mask imprint on their face. For some deep dives it looks like they got the hicky of their life that goes from ear to ear. Boy, let me tell you, oh how the jokes and teasing start to fly! Although, we laugh then but all realize that we had all "been there done that". It just as with alot of things in diving. Once you become more relaxed and comfortable with your settings you will remember to exhale alittle when your mask starts to feel like its sucking your eyeballs out of your head.

=-)

 

[jimineycricket]

like if you know if you read my other post im not certified yet so i know very little about diving.

i do get ear infections sometimes. will i have to buy a mask like the pro ear 2000.

i was thinking i could use something like the wax earplugs to keep the water out of my ears. would that work or would it cause problems???

jim