Interesting equalization on my last dives

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Mr. Schnitzer

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Caldwell, NJ
Just got back from a trip to Grand Cayman and something "interesting" happened to me a couple of times on the dives, wondering if anyone else has had this experience.

I was able to, unintentionally and multiple times, equalize without doing anything. My body just did it by itself. I did not close my nose and blow gently. I did not wiggle my lower jaw. All I did was descend and my ears equalized. It happened once or twice on initial descent, but it seemed to happen more frequently when I was already down and just going a little deeper. I'd say it happened > 10 times during my 6 dives.

I thought it was strange so I figured I'd ask to see if this has/does happen to others...
 
thats the way I always equalise :D
Every now and then I need to swallow, but 99% of the time I equalise without even trying!

Cool innit? :D
 
ScubaFreak:
thats the way I always equalise :D
Every now and then I need to swallow, but 99% of the time I equalise without even trying!

Cool innit? :D

Me too. This results from the ability to open my "tubes" on land and keep them open -- something I sometimes do while running -- it feels/sounds kinda neat.

Anyways, when I hit the water, I don't even think about it, it just happens. I've never had to consider equalizing, which is cool and keeps a hand free for other things.

I taught my girlfriend/dive buddy how to do this. Okay, you can't really teach it, but I explained how I keep my tubes open, and she amazingly did it after 1 minute of trying. Now she too doesn't even need to consider equalizing when in the water.

BTW, you know your tubes are open on land, because when you talk, it sound "echoey" to yourself, as if you're hearing yourself from the inside.

- ChillyWaters
 
Hopefully your ability to equalize effortlessly is not due to chronic tympanic perforations. This was the cause of my nephew's amazing ability (he is known as the auto-equalizer). Apparently he has healed completely and lost this super-power.

Sean
 
sprange:
Hopefully your ability to equalize effortlessly is not due to chronic tympanic perforations. This was the cause of my nephew's amazing ability (he is known as the auto-equalizer). Apparently he has healed completely and lost this super-power.

Sean

That sounded painful, so I had to look it up:
http://www.bcm.edu/oto/jsolab/tm_me_mastoid/tympanicmembrane.htm

We had a short discussion about this equalization topic a few months ago. Someone said that there seems to be a corellation between those that can wiggle their ears, and those that can hold their "tubes" open. Admittedly, I can't wiggle my ears, though my siblings claim I could when I was younger.

- ChillyWaters
 

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