Clearing the ears "no hands"

[BoltSnap]

left the eustachian tubes open the whole time by doing a sustained yawning maneuver.

How can you "yawn" with the regulator in your mouth and not drop it?

 

[Altamira]

I can equalize hands free in airplane but not underwater. You guys that can do it hands free underwater without pinching the nose are amazing.

There is nothing amazing about equalizing without pinching the nose. First, it is a learned technique that most people can master with practice. Also, some people are blessed with wider, more flexible eustachian tubes, and some of us have had jobs where equalizing frequently was part of the job, making our tubes more flexible, and possibly enlarged in the process. Others, like my wife, have a very hard time equalizing the same ear on the first couple of dives of every trip. So it is a bit of a crap shoot because you can only work with what you have or don't have with respect to tube openings and restrictions.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

How can you "yawn" with the regulator in your mouth and not drop it?

It's not really a full hard yawn like when your tired, it's more like a half yawn with lower jaw thrusted forward. You leave your mouth closed around the reg. If you can't hold the reg in with lip power then just hold it in with a few fingers while you equalize without breaking the seal and letting water in.
I am sitting on the couch now practicing it and analyzing exactly what I do. I also notice that the back of my tongue goes down and forward which would be the same movement made when you swallow. This combo makes my ears pop open with a crackling sound so that means the eustachian tube is being opened.
I also notice that I flex my facial muscles around my ears to pull the ears back. I tried it without doing this and it does't work as well so this must be part of it.

 

[BoltSnap]

It's not really a full hard yawn like when your tired, it's more like a half yawn with lower jaw thrusted forward. You leave your mouth closed around the reg. If you can't hold the reg in with lip power then just hold it in with a few fingers while you equalize without breaking the seal and letting water in.
I am sitting on the couch now practicing it and analyzing exactly what I do. I also notice that the back of my tongue goes down and forward which would be the same movement made when you swallow. This combo makes my ears pop open with a crackling sound so that means the eustachian tube is being opened.
I also notice that I flex my facial muscles around my ears to pull the ears back. I tried it without doing this and it does't work as well so this must be part of it.

I am trying now sitting on my chair and I don't feel anything in my ears. I'll try it U/W when I am diving next. I usually move my jaws sideways and down to equalize and it usually works but I'll try what I understood from you next time I dive.

 

[charlier]

I've descended very fast and far before and just left the eustachian tubes open the whole time by doing a sustained yawning maneuver. I can feel a constant and smooth exchange of air and never have pressure build up and have to do the clear every few feet thing.
Once you figure it out it's a wonderfull skill to have.
Most of my constant equalization happens when I'm freediving. I originally found out about doing this method when I asked a pro freediver about how those guys equalize so fast that ride sleds down to 600 plus feet, and he explained that this is the only way they can do it. I'm no where near that level of freediver, I might have gotten to fifty feet in the past on a good day, but the method remains the same.
An old scuba instructor and ex Navy diver told me about the same thing years ago. He said if I ever got tired of the head swimming and worn out plugged ear feeling after a day of diving to try this method. Your ears will never get over inflated because they will never be pushed beyond ambient pressure.

I found that learning how to equalize while free diving was way more challenging that on scuba. As a free diving at about 18m, equalization techniques from scuba do not work for me. At 20m, the pressure again't my chest is so great that without different equalization techniques, I have to stop and ascend. Plus, at about 18m, I start to free fall down the line, so my equalization has to be rapid, totally relaxed and natural. I am still working on improving my free-diving equalization. While scuba diving with a rapid negative entry, I start at the surface, shallowing and simulating yawning without actually yawning (as TM suggested). I sometime practice while sitting at work.

 

[TMHeimer]

How can you "yawn" with the regulator in your mouth and not drop it?

You do this on land to FIGURE IT OUT--NOT underwater! Did you not read my post??? Besides, only an IDIOT would yawn UW.

 

[Rhone Man]

How can you "yawn" with the regulator in your mouth and not drop it?

I mastered yawning without opening my mouth whilst in college.

 

[kgilb]

I mastered yawning without opening my mouth whilst in college.

Really, this is a similar technique. When I do it I push the jaw forward and sort of flex my tongue down like i'm stifling a yawn.

 

[Fossil_Diver]

I sometime practice while sitting at work.

I do that too. It's called boredom. I keep my mouth closed so the boss doesn't know I'm about to fall asleep.

 

[k_sheep]

I'm one of the lucky ones that just wiggles my jaw a little, and have done since dive 1.

Hubby/buddy still needs to pinch and blow though.