HELP NEEDED ASAP FOR NAVY SEAL CANDIDATE...PLEASE!

[Jason Jezik]

Hello SCUBA community. I have a huge favor to ask. My son is going thru Navy Seal training in Coronado, CA.

Yesterday the students were put into a pressure chamber that simulates a 60 foot dive. My son could NOT clear his ears and had to tap out. He gets one more chance on Monday. Failure is not an option as he will be dropped from the course.

He has successfully completed HELL WEEK and is well on his way to becoming US Navy SEAL. We must overcome this obstacle!

What can be done to clear his ears despite the obvious gum chewing, holding nose and blowing, etc....? I have read this is a common challenge for divers and wanted to reach out to get feedback from the strongest divers in the nation. I need to provide my son some help!

Any suggestions are GREATLY appreciated. Thank you! Please help if you can! Thank you in advance!

Jason

 

[Newdiv]

Take mucinex or a similar decongestant an hour or two prior, it helps loosen the ear canals. Use the one behind the counter.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Has your son dived before? Equalizing the pressure is the first skill you learn. It helps to begin equalizing before the class, including the moment you wake up, on your way to the school and before the pressure begins. Don't wait until you feel the pressure. That makes it more difficult to clear.

 

[ORsolodiver]

A nasal decongestant such as pseudoephedrine could potentially help. There can be a concern for the ears to be blocked again as the medication wears off but if these simulated dives aren't too long it shouldn't be a problem. Take it about 45 min to an hour before getting in the chamber. Best of luck to your son.

 

[Lorenzoid]

There are a few very well known techniques, which I have to believe the Navy Seal instructors have shown him.

 

[tursiops]

Holding the nose and blowing is -- IMHO -- one of the least effective means of equalizing the ears. Try another way.
Middle-Ear Equalization | Ears & Diving - DAN Health & Diving
Beat the Squeeze: Equalize Like a Pro

 

[Colliam7]

A nasal decongestant such as pseudoephedrine could potentially help.

And, make sure it is pseudoephedrine, NOT phenylephrine (sometimes marketed as Sudafed PE). He should take it starting the day / the night before the exercise, and again within the hour before the strat.

It would truly be a shame for someone to make it through hell Week, and fail because of ear clearing issues.

 

[JackD342]

A nasal decongestant such as pseudoephedrine could potentially help. There can be a concern for the ears to be blocked again as the medication wears off but if these simulated dives aren't too long it shouldn't be a problem. Take it about 45 min to an hour before getting in the chamber. Best of luck to your son.

If congestion is the hang-up on equalizing, (which is NOT necessarily the case), then the concern about a decongestant wearing off at depth is significant - not just a minor concern. A reverse block at pressure can do some damage when ascending, whether ascent is simulated or real.

If choosing to use a decongestant anyway, then be sure it is a long acting formulation. There are house brands also available, but the brand name for pseudoephedrine in the US is Sudafed Sinus. (Do NOT get Sudafed PE.)
That comes in:
30mg (2) 4-6 hours
120mg (1) 12 hour
240mg (1) 24 hour

Choose one of the last two.

But, if congestion is not the issue, do not expect a decongestant to be a magic bullet. Some folks just take more time to develop the technique. And unfortunately, there are also some would be divers that are never able to easily equalize.

 

[formernuke]

I'm going to also recommend start before going in the chamber and very frequently during.

 

[Zef]

And, make sure it is pseudoephedrine, NOT phenylephrine (sometimes marketed as Sudafed PE). He should take it starting the day / the night before the exercise, and again within the hour before the strat.

It would truly be a shame for someone to make it through hell Week, and fail because of ear clearing issues.

Folks fail out of or are eliminated from BUD/S for all sorts of reasons some less significant than not being able to clear one's ears. There is no shame to fail out, especially if it is physically/medically related...it is only a shame if one quits at a point they did not truly hit their limit.

There is a reason the training is intense...it weeds out those who should not be there for whatever reason.

-Zef