Ear problem and Seasickness - should I keep trying?

[Dotty]

Hello all

I'm not a diver as yet as my experience has been thwrated thus far. I tried to dive back in Oz in 1988 on the barrier reef after completing my initial instruction on the mainland. The water in the pool was probably only 6 feet deep and no problems occurred until I was out on the boat at the reef. I suffered terribly from seasickness (as usual) and hoped that once I entered the water this would subside....it did not and was further exasperated by then not being able to equalise either and having real pain in my ears. I think I tried again later in the day but same problem so I only snorkelled. I'm not sure if the seasickness affected my ears?

Last year in Sri Lanka I tried again - did some basic training in the shallows but it was a bit choppy and felt both sick and had same problem with my ears so I didnt dive.

I'm planning a trip to Bay Islands in Honduras and The Cayes in Belize next year for my 50th birthday - I desparately want to swim with the whale sharks but I'm unsure whether the ear/sickness thing is related - If I can overcome my seasickness will that assist my equalising or are the 2 completely unrelated? I'm a confidant swimmer but it seems I go to peices under the water. Should I stick to snorkelling or press on and try again? Any help would be really appreciated!! Thanks!!

 

[cayal]

I had similar problems when I started my open water course. I could not equalise and I got sea-sick on the boats.

Now, I still get a little queasy and I think it is because I normally wear glasses and on the boat I don't since i don't want to lose them. But I have gotten sick with glasses on so I can't really help there.

But as for the equalising, when I first started diving I generally took a lot longer than everyone else to equalise when descending and I held my nose and blew but it never worked, neither did wiggling my jaw so I had to stick to swallowing which worked but it is time consuming and it's not always easy to swallow. I almost got lost on one dive because they were so far below and I was having equalising troubles and my ears hurt and the viz was poor.

Anyway, I found I eventually managed to equalise by pinching the tip of my nose whereas before I was holding my nose towards the middle which did absolutely nothing at all!

My advice is, if you like/love diving keep at it, though do it safely. It might be worth getting your ears checked out by a doctor. I think you will eventually get there if you try different things like I did, it's just a matter of finding the way that suits you best.

 

[DeeperOut]

There are many destinations available with almost no rough seas - primarily house reefs (shore diving at the resort), just don't go in if it looks choppy. You might consider getting your technique down before venturing onto boats. My significant other refuses to dive from boat, yet we have had many fine vacations together diving shore sites in Thailand, Egypt and the EU.

 

[Damselfish]

Many people get seasick and different people find different solutions - it's an often discussed topic on this board and you can find tons to read about it. My husband gets seasick (without the scop patch) but has no trouble equalizing.

Some people have more trouble equalizing than others, and there are lots of reasons and solutions for that too - again discussed often around here. I never get seasick, but my ears often give me grief and it's taken me a long time to figure out a set of things to do that help me a lot.

Whether the 2 are related for you, I couldn't say, though I doubt the situations are helping each other even if not strictly "related." I suggest separating the 2 things. Find a place where you can dive in very calm water with no boats involved, whether that is a quarry or lake (not sure where you are), or a mostly shore diving trip someplace like Bonaire. You can't dive if you can't equalize, so work that out first. Then move on to boats in good conditions, and gradually see what you need to do in various conditions to deal with the seasickness.

I wouldn't plan a big trip where you may very well have the same problems until you do. You may want to swim with whale sharks, but you will just be disappointed if you have the same problems. I also suggest not getting hung up on seeing a certain animal on a trip this early in your dive career, as that is another way to get disappointed - whale sharks and other "star" animals have a way of not cooperating with your travel schedule. There are tons of cool things to see out there that you haven't seen yet.

It's unclear, have you gone through a full certification class (minus the OW dives) or were you doing some sort of discover or resort class? Sometimes resort classes don't offer enough good instruction, and even if it was a full class it might not have been right for you. The right instruction can make all the difference in learning to equalize for some people.

 

[danvolker]

I would get a NeilMed Nasal Irigation system, use at 2x strength( two packets per nostril) and do 2 or 3 times a day for the 3 or 4 days prior to diving...keep it up every day of the dive trip. This should help keep sinuses much clearer, as well as your middle ear--which can easily impact sea-sickness.
If this is not enough, then your next step would be doing an Elvis an hour before each dive charter.... A sudafed and a Triptone.....a strong decongestant and good seasickeness med. You could add this to the irrigation.....Ultimately, you might find irrigation is all you need.

The high end irrigation solution is Grossan HP100 Hydro Pulse Nasal and Sinus Irrigation System | AllergyBuyersClub
And the very inexpensive alternative, which works well also NeilMed Pharmaceuticals, Makers of Sinus Rinse, NasaFlo Netipot, Nasal Irrigation

 

[spectrum]

Dotty,

What have you tried to control the motion sickness?

Odds are this is entirely manageable and if not then get off the boat and start with shore diving!

For reasons of equilibrium the equalization and motion sickness may be related but lets assume they are not.

Start by watching this video, Now that you have this arsenal of tools you will probably still start with the classic valsalva maneuver. Do it a few times per day. part of the skill is learning to sneak up on your Eustachian tubes without over whelming them. on dive day equalize when you leave home, on the way to the site, when you arrive, when you get into your gear when you get wet, just before you go under and with each breath on the way down. With experience you will learn to recognize when to clear but for now a few extras won;t hurt.

Tubes really do respond to being cleared so give it time and be gentle with yourself.

As for motion something like a Dramamine product taken early usually works. A dose at bedtime and repeat when you get up. I'm miserable on boats and this makes me bulletproof. Want something more homeopathic, eat light, hydrate well and take ginger. Capsules and crystallized ginger root can do wonders. Bring the crystallized root along as a snack but start early! Set you gear up as much as possible before the boat leaves and keep your view out on the water. Most motion sickness comes from your brain being confused between sensed motion and what you see. Keep your eyes on the big picture.

Plan B find a beach to dive from!

Pete

 

[Insta-Gator]

Shore dives. Start there until you have ear and other issues taken care of. You may fall in love with shore diving. It's certainly less expensive and on your schedule.

Sent from my ADR6350 using my Fumble Thumbs

 

[boulderjohn]

I have a history of sinus congestion, and when I first started diving, I had so much trouble equalizing that an instructor told me that diving might not be for me. I did a lot of things to make it better. I never did the exact solution Danvolker suggested above, but I did several things like that and had some success. The most important thing was working on it and working on it. Sitting at home watching TV before a coming trip I would try to equalize. I did it on the plane on the way to the dive trip. I did it in the hotel. I went snorkeling immediately after arriving and kept diving deeper and deeper, giving those ears a work out. I did it on the boat on the way to the dive site, just before jumping in the water, and just before descending.

Eventually everything just worked out. Because I started doing a lot of diving, my ears finally got the hang of it. Today I can drop like a rock and equalize while barely making an effort at it. It took a while for me to get like this, but it happened. I think our ears are just a bit lazy and have to be taught what to do.

 

[slugdiver]

Keep trying.
There are very few people that have a physiological problem connected to clearing ears. That said, snorkeling is harder on clearing ears than scuba. That is due to rapid descents and ascents. So go slow!
Ginger capsules, available everywhere, work great on SS as well as ginger ale. Both calm the stomach, you will still feel iffy, but you normally will not barf. That is half the battle.
If going out on a boat, do not drink coffee, orange juice or anything acidic. Dry toast for breakfast and take salted crackers for a snack.
Happy 50, you're just a pup.

 

[alan_lee]

I started off my Open Water diving the worst possible way: I perforated my ear drums on my first dive (and was scolded by my then instructor as well). But I was driven by the reason why I want to scuba dive: to dive on the HMS Repulse that is located off Malaysia. I persisted despite the bad experience (in terms of my ears and also dive education) and I finally got to live my dream of diving the wreck, and that bad experiences served as a great reminder when I'm teaching Open Water students. Do check out the video that Spectrum suggested. It's a wonderful resource that I share on my blog as well, because it was the method that made clearing my ears so easy now. As for sea sickness, some people get it worse than others, while some just don't feel anything. I don't think you can get used to it, or that's what my friends from the navy tell me. Even after years of sailing the blue waters, they still get sea sick when the weather is bad. For me, I pop sea sick pills before I get on the boat, and the first thing when I wake up in the morning if it's a live onboard. Good luck, and don't give up!