Can you equalize WITHOUT pinching your nose?

[fairybasslet]

Actually, sometimes swallowing is the only thing that works for me. But sometimes, I get so dry it's hard to swallow. So I start my dive with a lifesaver.

 

[drl]

I always had trouble with the Valsalva, but press-the-tongue-to-the-roof-of-the-mouth-and-swallow almost always works for me. Dry mouth can make it harder though. If I'm having difficulty equalizing I will try pinching my nose; sometimes it helps. But I hardly ever do.

 

[Joe Cool]

Yup, I can. It's hard to describe .. there's no wiggling or swallowing for me. I just flex my inner-ear muscles (I don't know a better way to say it) and they're clear. The coolest part is that it's second nature now, so I don't even have to think about it. I just go down and don't worry about equalizing. When I consciously try to do it, I can hear myself breathing, especially when I breathe through my nose.

Works on planes too...

I am the same as ItMustBeJames, I just flex my ear muscles and they're clear. I can do this if I am not descending too fast. If my descent is real fast, I will need to pinch my nose to equalize.

 

[tc_rain]

Yup, I can. It's hard to describe .. there's no wiggling or swallowing for me. I just flex my inner-ear muscles (I don't know a better way to say it) and they're clear. The coolest part is that it's second nature now, so I don't even have to think about it. I just go down and don't worry about equalizing. When I consciously try to do it, I can hear myself breathing, especially when I breathe through my nose.

Works on planes too...

This is what I do too. I am glad you explained it because I didn't know how to. I have never had a problem with equalizing.

 

[DeepSeaDan]

...in my commercial diving days. We used to "bounce dive" from a diving bell. The bell would be lowered to dive depth with the internal bell atmosphere equivalent to sea level pressure. When ready to dive, we'd "blow down" the bell by opening a valve that allowed, when wide open, a quick internal bell atmosphere pressureization to depth. We'd make it fast as we had work to do & dive time was limited. I got to a point where I could piston my inner ears like bellows, keeping up with the rapidly increasing gas pressure.

My e.n.t. says my eustachion tubes more resemble subway tunnels than anatomical structures.

Now, if I could just keep most of that air from going to my head...

Compressingly,
DSD

 

[Dive ireland]

I typically do pinch my nose, but once in a runaway descent, I was so busy trying to stop/ slow myself, I didn't have time. I was very lucky not to have really injured my ears,..... my ears cleared themselves.... thank goodness.

Lucky Lucky you... Guess what happened to me! lol, dam ear blood vessels who needs em, woulda had my AOW too! only have adventure diver nopw though

 

[visibilityunlimited]

Both methods work for me but I have also found that after 25 years of diving many times my ears do it automatically. I have also found this to be true with some frequent air travelers who can sleep through take-offs and landings.

I would like to add that when using the wiggle-your-jaw-and swallow method of equalization, to avoid swallowing air while doing so. The swallowed air will expand upon ascent. A former female student of mine would always let go with belches and burps at the surface that would rival the most serious of bullfrogs and always seemed to need more weight to get down on her second dive. We finally narrowed it down to her having swallowed air at depth. Being cultured in old school charm she avoided belching on the boat and subsequently had a harder time getting down on her second or third dive because of her (how can I say this?) "belly buoyancy". She ended up switching back to the hold your nose and gently blow method and has not had to add any more weight since then.

 

[Blowin' Bubbles]

When I first started diving I pinched. After a while, I started to go right down w/out a problem. Now I hope in the water find my buddy and down we go, right to the bottom w/out pinching the ears. When I have allergies or some congestion, it takes a little more effort.

 

[Tigerman]

I voted yes, as I can equalize without pinching my nose more often than not.
However, while diving i often find myself pinching my nose anyways

 

[ruready7]

Shallow depths less than 25 ft and have to pinch nose. Greater and get by with swallowing or take reg out of mouth and wiggle jaw back and forth.