Do hoods offer problems with ears?

[slackercruster]

Don't dive with hoods much. (Have used a hood on just a handful of dives) But on a recent dive used one and hurt my ears. Had lots of trouble equalizing. I can't say for sure if it was all hood as I might have descended too quick from the start and injured ear. But out of 60 or so dives have not had this problem before.

Do hoods offer problems with ears?

If so, what are the tricks to hoods and happy ears when diving?

BTW, dive in question was to 50 feet and had trouble continually with right ear squeaking and clicking, even after going back up a few times to try and re-clear ear. When I finished dive I spit up some mucous with a tinge of blood in it. ( A very, very, very little amount of blood.) For 3 days after the dive my ear felt like it had water in it and clicked when I blew my nose. Now my ear seems normal, (12 days later) but have not dived since that incident.

 

[paradicio]

My instructor's advice: Just pull the sides of your hood away from your ears occasionally to help with equalization.

I've not done an ocean dive yet without a hood and it seems to work for me.

 

[Blackwood]

^ I do that from time to time, generally if I'm double hooded.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Many divers don't let water in to equalize and so the hood then acts like an earplug. Keeps water out and you start to feel the squeeze as you descend.
Before I drop down I always open up the hood, tilt my head completely to the side, and hold it there until my ear and the area around it is completely full of water. Repeat on the other side.
Now there isn't any weird squeeze feeling and there's no issue equalizing.

 

[TSandM]

Wow . . . I have never done anything special to cope with my ears with a hood, either of the hoods I own. And I've never noticed any difference in equalizing between warm water, hoodless diving, and local cold water diving with a hood.

 

[crpntr133]

Don't know what kind of diving you are talking about. But with cold water, I am talking 40's, the cold water can cause more troubles. So opening the hood may not be the best choice. I have rubbed just behind the ear to help clear when wearing a hood.

 

[RonFrank]

As one descends, pressure builds even if there is not water in your ears. Just like pressure drops if you take an elevator to the top of a 100 story building.

You don't need to flood your ears with water to equalize. In fact in 40F it maybe a bad idea even if it may happen anyway. Why encourage that!

Just equalize as normal. It does feel different, but you will get used to it.

 

[Gary D.]

I'd look at something other than the hood causing your problem. Many of us come up with dry hair and no ear problems. There is no reason to take an extra step to flood the hood.

Gary D.

 

[SparticleBrane]

I can do it either way--I just prefer to flood my ears before each dive.

 

[H2Andy]

Do hoods offer problems with ears?

nope ... i've never had a problem

but as it has been said, if you do, just pull the hood away from your ears and clear... you should be ok