Ear equalizing

[Bobby_M]

A couple tips from someone who had a lot of trouble during OW classes:

I forget the actual name, but the method that worked best for me is pinch the nose, gently pressurize, then swallow. Do this before your ears even touch the water, then at about 1 foot deep. The thing is, if you feel pressure in your ears, you're already too deep. Equalize before it hurts. If you can't do it at one depth, come up a couple feet and do it again.

Bobby

 

[Walter]

I have had dive buddies who just took off and I was certain they were not equalizing correctly because their accent or decent rate was way too fast.

If they weren't equalizing correctly, they'd stop because they'd be in extreme pain. I can usually equalize easily enough that I can descent as fast as I can swim straight down.

 

[Airborne!]

If they weren't equalizing correctly, they'd stop because they'd be in extreme pain. I can usually equalize easily enough that I can descent as fast as I can swim straight down.

Man I envy you guys. I have no problems equalizing, but I can definitely swim down faster than I can equalize. I guess it is since I have always used the swallow, which for me is a little slow I guess, and have always erred a little on the side of caution when it comes to my ears. Too many loud booms make bongo have ear ringing issues. :errrr:

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

My fix is Flonase during allergy season and Sudafed decongestant before diving.
Note: Don't let the decongestant wear off during the dive. Using the 12 hour version as formerly posted is a good idea

 

[JdLag1]

Early and often gets my vote. The more I'm diving the easier it gets and the qucker my ears get back to normal.

 

[FastAttack]

So you guys are aware ,

If you are in Florida.. and pretty much a lot of states are implementing regulation of sudafed and pretty soon it will be behind the counter only ( pharmacist will have to dispense it to you and probably will have to sign for it.. its still OTC though )
due the dam kids using it as a primary ingredient to make meth.

anyhow I know some of you use the 12 hour.. but a lot people tend to metabolize the sudafed a lot faster and the actual 12 hour tab might not even last you that long.. So be aware of this. So do a trial before you go dive with it

if you are having severe allergy probs, I would say go to talk to the doctor and see if they can prescribe either Flonase , Nasonex .. and if you don't want to snort that stuff check and see if the Claratin works for you.. if you are still congested take Claritin D 24 hour as this will give you a long duration vs your standard 12 hour formulation. If not you got Clarinex as well as Clarinex D now too

Do not try the phenelephrine products ( alternative to sudafed) it doesn't really work that well

anyhow enough of my pharmacy rants..

 

[pipedope]

The first step is to learn more about your ears and diving and for that, go to;
http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay/index.html
and watch the streaming video.

"The Diver's Ear - Under Pressure"

It will show and explain much about yoru ears that is now mystery and will also go over a variety of ways to equalize.

After that you want to regularly practice equalizing your ears. The more you do it the easier it gets.

When I first started divving I had trouble equalizing. After many years of diving I can often equalize without even blocking my nose at all.

 

[Land Locked]

This works for me and you do not have to be in the water to practice.
Move your lower jaw slightly forward, arch your tongue in the back of
your mouth. Breath and see if you can hear your breaths in your ear
cannals. Practice this and you will eventually be able to equalize on
every breath on your descent. I rarely have to pinch my nose.
I do suffer from mild allergies and I do take a Benedryl the night before
diving.

 

[EZHOOPS]

Did my first deep water test in the pool today and couldn't get my ears equalized but just tried the Valsavla method and it worked. Thanks this site is sweet

 

[alan_lee]

Ha! Was reading ice9's post and it brought back memories (well, wasn't that long ago, but with my kind of degenerative memory, it does seem ages ago! ) about my OW. Couldn't equalise and so I got so pissed that I blew my nose real hard. Sure it equalised, but what happened was my nose bled, and my ears were stuffed for 2 weeks. Had it checked out by ENT and it was exactly what ice9 had: ear canal lining was real red, and there was blood behind the ear drums.

Also agree with airborne that you have to descend at YOUR OWN rate so that you can equalise. Had a buddy at OW who just drop right down to the bottom, so in my hurry to catch up with him, kept forcing my equalisation and hence my problems. Dun get rushed, take your time.

Am sure that the veterans around here will advise you the more you dive, the better you'll be at it, remembered reading something abt the Eustachian tube being more elastic. Dun flame me if I'm wrong, I blame it on my all too frequent concussions from rugby!