Problem Equalizing

[helios]

Hi everyone,

I've noticed that if I do repetitive dives, or even repetitive surfacing during one dive, I have problems equalizing.

Does anyone have tips that might help? I've noticed that when I can eventually equalize, it feels like one large bubble coming out, so perhaps I'm not equalizing enough during my decent?

Thanks

 

[vixtor]

Maybe you get some water up your nose - sometimes I have noticed that after some mask exercises, surfacing and going back is a little more difficult in terms of equalizing, and the nose feels "wet" on the inside, up to the ears. Also, it may be caused by mucus buildup. When there is water/moisture/mucus (not sure what it is, but it feels somehow like this) at the entrance to the Eustachian tubes, I always find the equalization more difficult in the first meters, when the pressure gradient is bigger.

Try to blow your nose at surface before descending again (and blow a continous air flow to dry it as much as possible)., and equalize more often than what you consider normal.

 

[archer1960]

Hi everyone,

I've noticed that if I do repetitive dives, or even repetitive surfacing during one dive, I have problems equalizing.

Does anyone have tips that might help? I've noticed that when I can eventually equalize, it feels like one large bubble coming out, so perhaps I'm not equalizing enough during my decent?

Thanks

Yes, that happens to me too, but I have found that as I continue to dive at least once every week or two, it is getting easier to equalize. I'm hoping that may carry over to multiple surfacings or multiple dives as well.

 

[markmud]

Hi everyone,

I've noticed that if I do repetitive dives, or even repetitive surfacing during one dive, I have problems equalizing.

Does anyone have tips that might help? I've noticed that when I can eventually equalize, it feels like one large bubble coming out, so perhaps I'm not equalizing enough during my decent?

Thanks

Hi Helios,

I had clearing issues very similar to what you have described. I spoke with Capt. Wiz from St. Croix about the issue one day. He claimed to have the same issues. What?? WTF Wiz...you are an instructor, a DM, a dive boat captain, and a dive shop owner and you have trouble clearing your ears? No way!!

He told me to blow my nose underwater. He told me to start blowing my nose at the deepest part of the dive and then every ten feet on ascent. I said to him: "I don't have a reverse block issue, I have a problem on descent while clearing." He said I know, I can tell by watching you dive.

He explained that we have some sinus congestion and that blowing your nose underwater every ten feet on descent helps to clear-out your sinuses for the next dive.

His diagnosis and remedy worked. After three dives worth of blowing my nose underwater, I was descending on the remaining dives like a rock. My wife could not keep up on a dive called Vertigo, where we dived to a depth of 115'. My wife commented about it after the dive. She was amazed.

Remember, don't blow your nose hard--nice and easy. If you blow your nose hard you will pressurize snot into your Eustachian tubes and into your ears...not good.

Another thing I have learned to do, is to clean out my sinuses before the dive. While in the shower, I suck a small amount of shower water into my sinuses (at the beginning). At the end of my shower, I blow out skanky snot.

I never knew I had impacted sinuses until Wiz told me to blow my nose underwater. After diving, I can breath. I can close my mouth and inhale as deeply as I want and feel clear sinuses. What a feeling! I never knew that clean sinuses could feel and breath so well!

Good luck!
markm

 

[g1138]

On your first dive, try equalizing slightly differently.
Pinch your nose and blow your throat. As in open your throat and blow as if you're doing a yawn.

Biggest common mistake in my mind for our industry is to tell students to pinch and blow their nose to equalize.
Your Eustachian tubes are where you're trying to direct air, not your nose.

If you mimic blowing your nose to equalize, you will constrict your throat and block your Eustachian tubes. Majority of the forced air then goes into your sinuses, causes trauma which can cause congestion. Eventually you'll create enough backpressure to squeeze past your throat into your Eustachian tubes; and that is usually why new divers have such trouble equalizing to begin with.

If you keep your throat open, like mimicking a yawn, you'll realize that you can equalize with much less force and potentially less trauma to your sinuses.
This also opens the door to try more advanced and hands free equalization techniques such as Frenzel Manuever and VTO/BTV (Voluntary Tubal Opening/Beance Tubaire Volontaire).

 

[markmud]

On your first dive, try equalizing slightly differently.
Pinch your nose and blow your throat. As in open your throat and blow as if you're doing a yawn.

Biggest common mistake in my mind for our industry is to tell students to pinch and blow their nose to equalize.
Your Eustachian tubes are where you're trying to direct air, not your nose.

If you mimic blowing your nose to equalize, you will constrict your throat and block your Eustachian tubes. Majority of the forced air then goes into your sinuses, causes trauma which can cause congestion. Eventually you'll create enough backpressure to squeeze past your throat into your Eustachian tubes; and that is usually why new divers have such trouble equalizing to begin with.

If you keep your throat open, like mimicking a yawn, you'll realize that you can equalize with much less force and potentially less trauma to your sinuses.
This also opens the door to try more advanced and hands free equalization techniques such as Frenzel Manuever and VTO/BTV (Voluntary Tubal Opening/Beance Tubaire Volontaire).

Hi G1138,

It has been a long time since I took OW--do they really teach pressurizing your nose to equalize? I agree with you, that would not work for me.

markm

 

[edwants2dive]

Great advice. Not sure this is an advanced discussion maybe this should be in basic for all to see.

 

[IVC]

What works for me is to equalize on every breath just before the exhale, so the pressure differential never builds up. Once at the desired depth, equalize from time to time with *light* blows, again just to ensure no pressure gradient builds up.

Until I figure out more advanced techniques, this works really well for me.

 

[g1138]

Hi G1138,

It has been a long time since I took OW--do they really teach pressurizing your nose to equalize? I agree with you, that would not work for me.

markm

I typed that wrong, but the way it's usually said implies it.

"Pinch your nose and blow" is the common saying now days. In my opinion, that doesn't imply that you should be keeping your throat expanded or relaxed.
Most natural land-lubber action that's similar to this is to blow your nose (You don't pinch your nose to yawn after all). So often people will mimic those muscle movements which is to strain your throat and in cases of congestion (like a cold) clench your jaw to help you blow hard.

Those that use that phrase don't mean to imply that you should blow your nose but semantically it doesn't equate to open your throat to allow easier equalization. And in cases like these that lack of semantics creates problems.

I often see problematic equalization divers pinch and strain real hard to blow with their mouth clenched shut tight.