Just got certified :D

[h-is-divin!]

Hey everyone! I am so excited, I finalized my certification yesterday. We took a boat out to Catalina Island (So. California) and it was great! I am wondering if you guys know of a site or where on the forum there may be a good spot for used gear? Hoping to find something dependable on a college students budget. Also, any ideas on how to clear my ear? I had some trouble equalizing and now my ear seems a bit muffled and a bit agitated. Any input is appreciated!

- H

 

[tstormdiver]

Welcome & congrats! There is a classifieds area on the site that is divided by piece of equipment (Regulators, BC's, masks, fins,...). For your clearing issues, 1 you may want to check in with an ENT (Ear, nose, throat) Dr to make sure there is no underlying physical problem causing your issues. IF you are found with no physical problems, then you might try practicing the clearing technique that worked for you during your OW class a couple times during the day, but no more than that & not until the current irritation is gone, as continuing will make the irritation worse. What it may be is you may have somewhat tiny Eustachian tubes & they may need some stretching out.

 

[Quero]

As Tammy mentioned, check our classified sections here on ScubaBoard. Also, some local dive shops sponsor gear swap events once or twice a year where people can sell or trade their used items, so check into that at the dive shops in your town.

As for your ears, it takes time for the swelling to go down once you have injured them, even a little bit. If you still have muffled hearing after a couple of days, or if you feel worse at any time, seek out the help of a specialist. To avoid injuries in the future, be pro-active in your clearing (before the pressure builds) rather than reactive (after you have the sensation of pressure). That is, over pressurize your ears slightly on the surface before you begin to descend, and re-pressurize with each breath as you go down. My students who use this procedure rarely get barotrauma problems unless they have special difficulty in clearing (some people have obstructed or narrow tubes).

 

[h-is-divin!]

Great! Thanks so much... I found some more info on this site last night regarding ears and will check out the classifieds as well. Had no idea this was such a huge forum..AWESOME!

 

[dwaters]

Welcome aboard and welcome to the underwater world!!!!

Yup, this board is huge...one more stop to make is to our local forum here:

SoCal

Drop on down and join in the fun we have in our cool waters..... hope to see you in the water some day.

 

[SoccerJeni]

Just wanted to say congratulations! I'm excited for you!!!

 

[h-is-divin!]

Thanks Jeni! Dave, checking out the SoCal boards now...you will definitely be seeing me!