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Many people struggle to Equalize their Ears when they go Scuba Diving. They think they have an ear problem and many stop scuba diving because of it. But I found out that most of the time it is because people don’t use the right equalizing techniques or have been taught how to equalize their ears the wrong way.
“Please watch the whole video as I will be teaching a very special Tip in the end of the video”
My Name is Marcel van den Berg and I am a PADI Platinum Course Director and in this video I want to share some very easy techniques how to equalize your ears. I strongly believe that it is very rare to not be able to equalize your ears and I hope buy following my tips everyone can enjoy the amazing underwater world while scuba diving!
We usually hear people say that they have a problem with their ears and are not sure that they can dive. It is true that some people have a medical issue with their ears or sinuses but that is only true for a VERY small amount of people. So why do so many people worry about Equalizing their ears?
Well in most cases it is because someone has experienced ear problems for example in an airplane or when they go swimming. Especially in an airplane - people feel the pressure change on their ears in the cabin, which can cause discomfort and pains. In most of these cases it is not because of a problem with their ears, they just haven’t properly learnt how to equalise yet.
In other words, most people have no problems with their ears, but just need to learn the best equalizing technique to help them to descent on a scuba dive.
Why do we need to equalize our Ears while Scuba Diving?
Well, the moment you descent underwater you will have water flowing into your ears and that puts pressure on your ear drums. This is for most people not painful in the first 1 or 2 meters, but if you don't equalize your ears the pressure keeps building to the point you first feel uncomfortable and then it becomes even painful. To solve this problem we need to equalize our ears by adding air into our sinuses and eustachian tubes to counter affect the pressure of the water.
My first tip to equalize your ears is to use the valsalva maneuver. This is by far the easiest and most common technique that scuba divers like to use. To do this correctly I recommend to pinch your nose with you fingers and then gently blow air from your lungs into your sinuses. This works well if you close your mouth and nose, so the air cannot go anywhere else then through your Eustachian tubes and your eardrum. It is important to not do this too hard or you can damage your round window in your ear.
If that does not work well for you, then I recommend to go up (ascent) a little bit and try it again. If that still does not work for you then try the second best equalizing technique for scuba diving which is to swallow.
One of the reasons why flight attendances give you some candy or peanuts when you have ear problems in an airplane is to make you swallow which in most cases will equalise your ears. Some people even prefer to swallowing over the valsalva maneuver (pinching of the nose) to equalize their ears while scuba diving.
The third tip to equalize the ears is too wiggle or move your jaw from side to side. This stretches the Eustachian tubes and that can equalize your ears. This technique is not very common among scuba divers, but some people love it!
You can also try to move your head from side to side or even do all equalizing technique the same time! This will look very funny, but who care is it get's the job done!
My last tip is the best trick in the book, and it is not even in the book! My best secret tip is to blow your nose underwater...
Why does blowing off the nose help in equalizing your ears underwater?
May people have congestion in their sinuses and that congestion can block the Eustachian tubes, making it impossible to blow air to our eardrums. By blowing your nose underwater you remove that congestion allowing any of the equalizing techniques described above to work well.
The way to do it is to keep your mask on your face, then gently but long blow your nose, one nostril at the time. This will create some congestion (snot) in your mask. Just clear it by exhaling through your nose and then afterwards pinch your nose and do the valsalva maneuver. You will be amazed how easy it now is to equalize your ears while scuba diving!!
Together with some patience, smile and these equalizing techniques I almost got every of my 4500+ scuba diving students to complete their diving courses. To be honest most of the time people cannot equalize their ears is because of bad teaching instead of a problem with the diving student or fun diver.
Also if you have any other techniques how to equalize your ears then please leave them in the comments below
- Happy Diving All -
Marcel van den Berg
Many people struggle to Equalize their Ears when they go Scuba Diving. They think they have an ear problem and many stop scuba diving because of it. But I found out that most of the time it is because people don’t use the right equalizing techniques or have been taught how to equalize their ears the wrong way.
“Please watch the whole video as I will be teaching a very special Tip in the end of the video”
My Name is Marcel van den Berg and I am a PADI Platinum Course Director and in this video I want to share some very easy techniques how to equalize your ears. I strongly believe that it is very rare to not be able to equalize your ears and I hope buy following my tips everyone can enjoy the amazing underwater world while scuba diving!
We usually hear people say that they have a problem with their ears and are not sure that they can dive. It is true that some people have a medical issue with their ears or sinuses but that is only true for a VERY small amount of people. So why do so many people worry about Equalizing their ears?
Well in most cases it is because someone has experienced ear problems for example in an airplane or when they go swimming. Especially in an airplane - people feel the pressure change on their ears in the cabin, which can cause discomfort and pains. In most of these cases it is not because of a problem with their ears, they just haven’t properly learnt how to equalise yet.
In other words, most people have no problems with their ears, but just need to learn the best equalizing technique to help them to descent on a scuba dive.
Why do we need to equalize our Ears while Scuba Diving?
Well, the moment you descent underwater you will have water flowing into your ears and that puts pressure on your ear drums. This is for most people not painful in the first 1 or 2 meters, but if you don't equalize your ears the pressure keeps building to the point you first feel uncomfortable and then it becomes even painful. To solve this problem we need to equalize our ears by adding air into our sinuses and eustachian tubes to counter affect the pressure of the water.
My first tip to equalize your ears is to use the valsalva maneuver. This is by far the easiest and most common technique that scuba divers like to use. To do this correctly I recommend to pinch your nose with you fingers and then gently blow air from your lungs into your sinuses. This works well if you close your mouth and nose, so the air cannot go anywhere else then through your Eustachian tubes and your eardrum. It is important to not do this too hard or you can damage your round window in your ear.
If that does not work well for you, then I recommend to go up (ascent) a little bit and try it again. If that still does not work for you then try the second best equalizing technique for scuba diving which is to swallow.
One of the reasons why flight attendances give you some candy or peanuts when you have ear problems in an airplane is to make you swallow which in most cases will equalise your ears. Some people even prefer to swallowing over the valsalva maneuver (pinching of the nose) to equalize their ears while scuba diving.
The third tip to equalize the ears is too wiggle or move your jaw from side to side. This stretches the Eustachian tubes and that can equalize your ears. This technique is not very common among scuba divers, but some people love it!
You can also try to move your head from side to side or even do all equalizing technique the same time! This will look very funny, but who care is it get's the job done!
My last tip is the best trick in the book, and it is not even in the book! My best secret tip is to blow your nose underwater...
Why does blowing off the nose help in equalizing your ears underwater?
May people have congestion in their sinuses and that congestion can block the Eustachian tubes, making it impossible to blow air to our eardrums. By blowing your nose underwater you remove that congestion allowing any of the equalizing techniques described above to work well.
The way to do it is to keep your mask on your face, then gently but long blow your nose, one nostril at the time. This will create some congestion (snot) in your mask. Just clear it by exhaling through your nose and then afterwards pinch your nose and do the valsalva maneuver. You will be amazed how easy it now is to equalize your ears while scuba diving!!
Together with some patience, smile and these equalizing techniques I almost got every of my 4500+ scuba diving students to complete their diving courses. To be honest most of the time people cannot equalize their ears is because of bad teaching instead of a problem with the diving student or fun diver.
Also if you have any other techniques how to equalize your ears then please leave them in the comments below
- Happy Diving All -
Marcel van den Berg
