Avoid the Valsalva Maneuver for Equalizing!

[tursiops]

I think most people who are injured are waiting WAY too long. I'm pretty sure they don't injure themselves with Valsalva in a car or airplane.

They could also do Toynbee in an airplane. The only benefit of Valsalva is it is easy to teach.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I learned early on the the key was to equalize very early & often. I use a combination of voluntary tubal opening, valslava & toynbee with some frenzel at times I think reading the descriptions. When I do valsalva I’m always careful to just gently ‘puff’ not ‘blow’. Just enough to open the eustachian tubes a bit.

 

[Dody]

I tried all techniques. All failed but Valsalva. Sometimes combined with swallowing when I equalize too late. What I realized is that if blowing gently doesn’t work, doing it harder will not work either. That’s when I swallow at the same time. I guess we are all different.

 

[Alurpal]

Yep, I equalise before I descend.
I also stretch my Eustachian tubes the night before. Maybe these things could assist in prevent injury.

I’ve never read anything about stretching, but anecdotally, my left ear is slightly more challenging to equalize. I had 5 training dives over a weekend and spent the week before practicing opening my Eustachian tubes (with the goal of achieving the holy grail of equalization). I still ended up having to use valsalva during the dives, but it was way easier than normal. So I think this exercising (creating a rumbling sound and hearing my tubes open) over and over actually helped.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I’ve never read anything about stretching, but anecdotally, my left ear is slightly more challenging to equalize. I had 5 training dives over a weekend and spent the week before practicing opening my Eustachian tubes (with the goal of achieving the holy grail of equalization). I still ended up having to use valsalva during the dives, but it was way easier than normal. So I think this exercising (creating a rumbling sound and hearing my tubes open) over and over actually helped.

Agree it does help.

When your one ear is more lazy than the other, turn your head so that the ear is pointing to the surface (assuming that you are horizontal). Stretch your neck out and two fingers of one hand placed under your ear, immediately behind your jaw, then pull down towards the notch on your collarbone on that side. So the action is not straight down but at a bit of an angle.

 

[inquis]

The only benefit of Valsalva is it is easy to reach

Teach? Definitely.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Sorry I’ve been equalizing my ears using the valsalva technique for 56 years now. When done correctly there should be no problem.

A number of my students were sure of being using Valsalva. But, after a more careful analysis, it resulted that they use some variations of Frenzel, more often the Marcante-Odaglia method (that is Frenzel with the mouth open, as you keep the reg in it).
You should check as follows for discriminating between Valsalva and other Frenzel-based methods.
Expire completely. Really completely, you must exhale ALL the air trapped in your lungs.
Now try to equalize. If you are using Valsalva, it will fail. If you can equalize, it is Frenzel or the like...

 

[Angelo Farina]

All these years I thought I've been doing Valsalva. After reading up on alternatives a while back, I realized that I've been doing Frenzel all along.

Exactly, Your case is much more common than most people realize...

 

[Angelo Farina]

I tried all techniques. All failed but Valsalva. Sometimes combined with swallowing when I equalize too late. What I realized is that if blowing gently doesn’t work, doing it harder will not work either. That’s when I swallow at the same time. I guess we are all different.

So actually you are using Lowry, not Valsalva...
And yes, we are all slightly different, and depending on the day one method can work, another fail. Good reason for mastering a number of different equalizing methods...

 

[Lorenzoid]

If I was taught the Valsalva in the OW course, it isn't what I learned. What I have been doing since Day 1 is apparently more like Frenzel. I never used the force of my lungs.