Can I dive again?

[JimmyA24]

Well about 3 - 4 years ago I enrolled in a PADI open water course. During the 1st pool session I had difficulty equilizing my ears but was able to tolerate the pain as we weren't deep. On the second pool session I had the same problem but this time I was feeling my ear full of water. I told my instructor and he says lets postpone the ocean dives untill the following week. We did that and I waited anxiously for the following week. My ears continued to get better but I had a constant ringing in my left ear. Now I went to do my ocean dives and couldn't decend below 6 feet as I could'nt equalize my ears so I spent the day waiting on the boat with a really bad headache The next day I decided I need to see an ENT. The first ENT I saw did not know anything about diving and he says my ears are fine and I shouldn't go diving again because some people just can't. I wasn't too happy with his answer and gave up on diving. Untill recently I decided to call DAN and ask them about my problem. They referred me to a Diving specialist who examined my ears and said they look fine and I can go diving again! He told me that my first problem was I had allergies and when I forced my pool dives, I caused the problem and made it even more difficult to equilize. He said I can try to use a decongestant that he prescribed and I can try to dive agian. Well I don't want to dive with medication because I think I might be able to do it without. My ears still have the ringing but I can equlize them both on the surface and feel both ear drum push outward. 4 years ago this wasn't the case so I am hoping I can dive again. My plan is to take the PADI course again and use the oceanic ProEar 2000 mask to help me. What do you guys think? I really want to go diving with my friends but don't want to lose my hearing because of it. I guess I am posting this to see if someone had similiar case or can give any info. Thanks and sorry for the long boring post. BTW, very nice board and I am glad I found it.

Jimmy

 

[stiebs]

Hi Jimmy..

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate first diving experience, but it certainly sounds like you're willing to give it another shot.

There's a couple of ways you can make sure you can equalise properly. I presume that the diving doctor that you saw asked you equalise while he peered into your ears with his thingamajig.
If you feel a nice pop you're half way there already.

Now, before enrolling in your dive course again, I would go down to the local swimming pool and give it a go. Most people will feel the pressure on their ears between 3 and 6 feet, which is a depth easily achievable at the local pool. If you go alright there, try out the high-diving pool. They're usually around 15 feet deep. If you can get to the bottom of that, equalising two or three times on your way down you'll have no troubles during SCUBA.

 

[Walter]

There's no need to ask anyone on this board if you can dive. You saw a diving specialist who wxamined you. His answer is better than what anyone here can tell you.

I would recommend shopping around for an instructor who has a slower paced class and has some experience with equalization problems. If what you told us is exactly what happened, it sounds like your previous instructor is incompetent. Go to the new diver section of diverlink.com at http://diverlink.com/newdiver/ and do a little research prior to choosing your class.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

I always remind my students that there is really only one "skill" that they have to evaluate for themselves - equalizing of the ears.

I can see air escaping from the mask skirt and know that the mask is equalized. I can see students attempt a Valsalva manuever (and/or many other methods), but I can't know for certain if it worked. I do look for signs of discomfort and preach that no dive is worth injuring one's hearing, but students must evaluate for themselves whether their ears actually successfully equalized.

Sounds like the instructor postponed ocean dives for a week to allow the student's situation to improve. During the attempt at an open water dive, the student made it to about six feet, and then aborted the dive due to equalization problems and sought medical evaluation Sounds like the right decision.

 

[JimmyA24]

Thanks for the replies, I am definately going to try to see if I can equalize in a pool first. I tried it in my own pool that goes to 6 feet and it worked pretty good but I need to try it in a deeper pool.

Drew,

Lucky you. It must be nice to live in the Cayman's. If I get certified soon, I will be taking a trip to the Cayman's this Summer after I am done with my college semester. I live in Miami and it should be a short flight away.

Jimmy