Am I Stuck Forever at 40 Feet???

[kelemvor]

Don't buy them at a drugstore. They need to be fitted. Call your local dive shop and see if they carry these: BEST DIVING EARPLUGS | DOC'S PROPLUGS

I can't believe there's 7 pages and these have only been mentioned once. They come in Small/Medium/Large. Many dive shops have 'em. They're cheap (under $20). For $30 you can get 3 sets, one in each size. Then you just ditch the two that didn't fit and you then know which size fits you. DOC'S PROPLUGS: VENTED EAR PLUGS COMBO PACK

I've never really had problems equalizing, but my wife struggled a bit until she got these things. They're great! They're also cheap enough that if you lose one, replacements don't break the bank. Stick these things in your ears before you splash, and equalizing becomes a good deal easier.

That said, lots of other good advice already in the thread. Equalize early and often, clean yer ears, etc. Given that you did like 10 dives with no equalization problems, I would think your ears are plenty suitable for diving. You might have a temporary problem like an infection causing you extra difficulty but you already know for sure that you CAN do it!

I don't sell these (or anything else for that matter), but I'm the husband of a happy proplugs customer.

P.S. they sell vented and non-vented. I'm not sure what the non-vented are for - you want the vented for diving. Non-vented would be dangerous to use on a dive.

 

[BoltSnap]

I really wonder why some agency is still teaching it...

Most are teaching and it works and it isn't dangerous at all, not more than anything else in diving, you do it properly you should have no issues. I have been using it since I started diving, almost 50 years ago, and I have never had issue with it.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Most are teaching and it works and it isn't dangerous at all, not more than anything else in diving, you do it properly you should have no issues. I have been using it since I started diving, almost 50 years ago, and I have never had issue with it.

The risks associated with the Valsalva manouvre are well known. Read here: What are the risks of the Valsalva maneuver?.
And here: Valsalva Maneuver | Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Care | Mercy Health
Of course many people ignore these risks, use it and survive.
However there are at least three other equalization techniques working better and with no risks. Why insisting with the Valsalva method?
A good instructor should explain all of them, as humans are different, and what is good for one could not work for others...
The Frenzel method is by far the faster and more effective one, in fact it is favoured by free divers. With a little modification it can be used by scuba divers, even keeping the mouth open...
Toynbee is also interesting, and particularly efficient in case of reverse block.
Then each diver will choose the best method for him, balancing the risks of some methods with the benefits.

 

[doctormike]

The risks associated with the Valsalva manouvre are well known. Read here: What are the risks of the Valsalva maneuver?.
And here: Valsalva Maneuver | Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Care | Mercy Health
Of course many people ignore these risks, use it and survive.

Do you place all of your students on laxatives and stool softeners?

Because while you are correct that it is possible for a Valsalva maneuver to induce an arrhythmia, primarily in patients with a history of significant acquired or congenital heart disease, this is generally seen in patients straining to defacate (commode cardia).

Also, you might want to distinguish between the classic Valsalva maneuver described in the 17th century, and currently used for diving (pinch nose, gently pressurize the Eustachian tubes) and the variant used when straining at stool or for the bedside evaluation of cardiac function (closing the vocal cords and raising intrathoracic pressure). The latter is the one that seems to be associated with cardiovascular changes. A correctly done valsalva maneuver with an open glottis (vocal cords) should limit pressurization to the Eustachian tubes with minimal increase in airway pressures.

Hey, it's good enough for astronauts...

 

[BoltSnap]

Do you place all of your students on laxatives and stool softeners?

Because while you are correct that it is possible for a Valsalva maneuver to induce an arrhythmia, primarily in patients with a history of significant acquired or congenital heart disease, this is generally seen in patients straining to defacate (commode cardia).

Also, you might want to distinguish between the classic Valsalva maneuver described in the 17th century, and currently used for diving (pinch nose, gently pressurize the Eustachian tubes) and the variant used when straining at stool or for the bedside evaluation of cardiac function (closing the vocal cords and raising intrathoracic pressure). The latter is the one that seems to be associated with cardiovascular changes. A correctly done valsalva maneuver with an open glottis (vocal cords) should limit pressurization to the Eustachian tubes with minimal increase in airway pressures.

Hey, it's good enough for astronauts...

Hahahahaha

Time to go to bed with a smile

 

[arew+4]

It's Scuba board, all threads eventually go to sh!t.

 

[doctormike]

It's Scuba board, all threads eventually go to sh!t.

Now lets talk about the warhammer maneuver...