Ear Pain Question

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M

MizMareedy

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Location
Jeffersonville, Indiana
# of dives
None - Not Certified
I get some noticeable ear pain when descending on an airplane... Will this be likely to happen descending on a dive? I am interesting in diving, and I am a great swimmer. My ears don't hurt when I swim in a pool, but I'm concerned they will when diving and I do not want any surprises.

A little about me... This is my first post. I've been swimming and doing water activities since my toddler years (I'm 36 now) I need to work on my cardio and plan to do that this summer at the Y, while getting certified to dive. I want to take my first dive vacation this fall. I am overweight, but have very strong legs and a strong desire to dive =). I am considering buying my own wetsuit and have found a site that custom makes them. I have odd proportions (very short legs and long torso - pear shaped) Does anyone have any experience with seadreamswetsuits.com?

There are lots of terms I see here that are new to me (buoyancy, lead weights..etc) so I plan on doing some serious thread reading to learn as much as I can.
Thanks for any advice!
 
Have your ears checked by a physician before you dive. I am not a medical doctor, but it would appear that you might have issues. It might be technique, but there's no sense in hurting yourself if a doctor can't pass you to dive.

For the wetsuits, check out wetwear. They fit me where most fail.

I am in the middile of a buoyancy series... need to video for the nest segment and can't seem to get that to happen. Master Neutral Buoyancy: The Importance of Horizontal Trim (Simple Vector Physics)
 
Do what @NetDoc says see a ENT specialist before you dive courses are expensive and no sense in paying for something if you can't even dive right
 
Hi and Welcome to Scubaboard.

It seems like a lot of new divers have the same equalizition concerns as you but most do very well once they learn the techniques and a few tricks such as decending slowly and equalizing often and before any discomfort gets a chance to start. If your only problem over the years is some discomfort descending on flights without any history of recurrent infections or trauma I think its likely you will be fine.

You have two ways to approach this, see an ENT to make sure there is nothing structural that would prevent equalizing and then start class or just get started and see how you do. If you can equalize on land it is quite likely that you will be able to do it on scuba. Just take your time. If you decide to go for it let your instructor know your concerns and as you browse SB look for the many thread on ear problems and equalization issues.
 
I get ear pain during ascent and descent on a plane if I omit to equalise - the exact same as happens under water. Only difference is that the equalisation has to happen more often underwater due to the more rapid increase in pressure as you descend. Most people can overcome this with help from an instructor demonstrating various techniques for equalising.

There is quite a bit to take on board when you first learn but it is worth it IMHO when you take your first dives.
 
The suggestions to see an ENT may be overkill, depending on what you've tried to do with respect to equalizing your ears during air travel. I'll get pain in my ears if I don't equalize on descent in an airplane. You'll learn simple techniques for equalization that also work on a plane, such as pinching your nose and then gently blowing your nose. If you have access to a pool that can you down about 10 feet, you can conceivably try to equalize underwater. If you've tried those kinds of techniques and still have issues then, yes, I'd see a physician before proceeding.
 
I have had the same experience as wspalding- once I realized I could equalize on a airplane, I have no longer had any trouble with my ears on an airplane. If you have an opportunity to fly before you take your dive class, I suggest researching how to equalize and trying it on the plane. Learning to dive has made flying more pleasant for me. :)

However, as others said, I would figure this out before you spend the money on the class. Also- if you can't equalize, sometimes it is just a matter of wax buildup which an ENT can fix.
 
Airplanes used to bother me too. When I was a teen & college student I flew back & forth to school about 5x a year. It seemed to stop once I was 25 or so, exactly because I quit madly chewing gum and swallowing and instead learned how to equalize.
 
wetb4igetinthewater:
Sorry to go off topic.

Pete,

I only see the first image. There appears to be placeholders for other images on that page.
Click to expand...

Oh nevermind. I see that some images are attached. That threw me off.

Back to the original programming.
 
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https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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