Bad ears?

[5ata]

I have no problems equalizing down to 100 feet. Usually the area of difficulty for most freedivers is around 40 meters - that seems to be the magic zone so to speak for equalization.

Many top level freedivers - once they get past that depth, flood their sinuses with sea water so that there are less air spaces to have to try and equalize. I use a neti pot to flush my sinuses daily and have gotten use to the salt water solution being in my sinuses. I wouldn't want to try it with fresh water though..

 

[GDCB]

I guess my question is, is this a conscious effort? Why did mine hurt in a pool as a kid and young adult but not last week with a stuffy nose?

Carl

 

[holdingmybreath]

GDCB.. if you had "minor discomfort" when you were down around 20'..and not having equalized.. you may have been very fortunate not to have broken a tympatic membrane (ear drum). I had an experience some years ago.. focused on the bottom in clear water about 80' deep, on the first attempt down I apparently either forgot to equalize, or was equalizing hands free (I can do this to some extent), and ended up breaking an ear drum.. I was just going to plug my nose to equalize as I noticed the pressure.. but no pain, no discomfort, no warning, and "pop, fizzle" and when I returned to the surface my suunto mosquito showed 36'. If anyone ever feels discomfort.. it's past time to equalize, or at least it's time to equalize or resurface or get back up toward shallower water

 

[spectrum]

Yes for most it is a conscious effort. the Valsalva technique is the most common but there are many others including some as simple as swallowing and wiggling one's jaw.

By the time I get to 12 feet in a pool I wave equalized several time so you weree a normal kid.

As for last week with the cold? This is speculation but perhaps congestion was muting the discomfort. It hould seem hightly unlikely that a cold made your eustacean tubes more patent( (open). You can pre-equalize to some extend before going down, actually pre-pressurizing your ears a bit. If you blew your nose prior to diving you may have had some trapped positive pressure in there. That could buy you 1 or 2 equalazation intervals.

Pete

I guess my question is, is this a conscious effort? Why did mine hurt in a pool as a kid and young adult but not last week with a stuffy nose?

Carl

 

[GDCB]

Good input thanks everybody... I'll be more proactive in the future.

Carl