OP
Rearviewmirror
Contributor
Any other tips from folks?
Tips for first time diver, trouble equalizing ears
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Johnoly
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Yep,,,,,What ever method she chooses.....About a week before the dive, practice it over an over on the couch while watching TV. It will help her understand which 1 ear is easier to equalize (pop) than the other ear. Don't force it but you do need to 'condition' your ears prior if you are having problems getting one to pop. If you wait til the day of diving, it will be very difficult. Also 7 hours of sleep prior really helps to not be congested. It's tough because you're anxious about diving the next morning.
You really want to have this fixed before your next dive trip. The best way to do it is to practice in a pool. Since the toughest equalizations are shallow, 5' of pool depth is enough to work on this. She doesn't need to get fully kitted out with scuba gear, using a mask and snorkel will let her get used to equalizing with a mouthpiece.
Once you get to the dive site, the best advice is to stay ahead of the equalization when descending. Start at the surface and do it every 2-3' until you get to 30 and then every 5'. These are all approximations, no need to be precise.
I have years of personal experience with clearing problems, but it's been at least 10 years since I missed a dive because of it. It's been a decades long journey for me. Of course, as mentioned by others over and over: descend slowly, research proper technique(s), don't force it, take care not to develop bad habits since they're hard to break (I know this from personal painful experience in the pre-internet era).
Here's what I've learned; I hope some of it might be helpful.
1. **Control your breathing**. For me this was the key. Focus especially on inhaling slowly and calmly (i.e. "normally"). I have a theory: the drop in airway pressure when inhaling also momentarily lowers the pressure in the inner ear, so inhaling more vigorously - commonplace among new or stressed divers - causes an impulse of higher pressure differential. As a result it causes or increases the block. Or looking at it a different way, a sharp intake of breath is felt by your ears like a sudden momentary increase in depth, so in effect your ears feel like you're not descending slowly and smoothly, but bouncing in the water column.
2. **Try different orientations**. I find that upright (descend like you're standing up) or slightly supine (leaning back) works best for me. If my ears are bugging me on the surface then this is often the only orientation that works for me. When my ears are acting up this often helps on ascent as well. Descent horizontal or head down (at all) is worst of all. Of course at travel depth my ears are happy in horizontal trim. "Proper trim" is what works for you under the circumstances.
3. Give it a break if your ears start to ache (even the mildest noticeable pain). And definitely don't stubbornly continue a dive when having even mild ear pain. I have another theory: getting to the point where you feel discomfort that persists means you've irritated the tissues enough to cause some swelling or fluid/mucus release, and more trying will just make it worse. The only thing to do is take a break (hours, a day, ...) until they feel happy again. A personal opinion: if you can clear during airplane descent and going down in a really fast elevator, then your body mechanism is functional. With enough practice and perseverence you WILL be able to clear while diving. Worked for me, and that's after more than one doctor told me I'd need surgery before I'd be able to dive.
4. Practice practice practice.
4a: I once heard an instructor tell a discouraged OW student something like "it's just a muscle, and like any other muscle you can train it - it just takes practice." Not literally true, but basically the right idea. I do find that after not diving for a while I have more trouble clearing, but after a dive or two it gets back to (my) normal. Just like any other muscle groups that haven't been getting any exercise.
4b: Do any surface practice (say elevator practice) using a snorkel (or spare mouthpiece) to make the mechanics more accurate.
4c: Practice in a pool. Use a diving (i.e. deeper) pool if available. There's a lot less going on, and the two of you can focus on just the one training goal in a safer, less distracting, less stressful environment. When alone I used to carry (not wear) my weight belt to get a little negative to get down (I still can't swim down head first without pain more than about 3m). I had it on a length of rope secured to the ladder at the surface, so I didn't have to swim it up if I didn't feel like it.
4d: Do pool practice while using a tank and regs. My local pool has let me use their 5m (16 ft?) dive pool during recreation swim times (even in full drysuit gear.) If that isn't an option for you (unfamiliarity, liability fears, etc. lead them to say "no") ask your LDS to tag along to pool sessions. Especially if you've bought your gear there I imagine they'd be ok with that.
5. Find what works for you.
6. **Don't give up**. Beautiful, awe-inspiring, joyful dives await!
Phew! Really long post. Didn't realize how close to my heart this issue is.
-----
Some history (do not read):
I've had issues with my ears for a long time probably due to a series of serious infections when I was a teenager. When I first certified at age 20, I gave up diving after just 5 dives because I couldn't equalize - and to be fair I couldn't stand the cold. I was heartbroken. Fast forward several decades and I recertified (in the south Pacific), and had similar problems clearing, but about half the time I could clear if my ears felt perfectly clear on land, I had taken some decongestent in the hours previous, I descended vertically and really slowly and carefully, and the stars aligned. I only kept trying because diving felt ... necessary to life. My ears are still prone to blocking. If my breathing rate picks up during even a vigourous walk, they block. If I'm yelling (like to be heard over loud music) my ears block. Puzzling about why this was happening is what led me to my theory about too rapid inhalation being an issue for clearing, and my eureka moment.
Here's what I've learned; I hope some of it might be helpful.
1. **Control your breathing**. For me this was the key. Focus especially on inhaling slowly and calmly (i.e. "normally"). I have a theory: the drop in airway pressure when inhaling also momentarily lowers the pressure in the inner ear, so inhaling more vigorously - commonplace among new or stressed divers - causes an impulse of higher pressure differential. As a result it causes or increases the block. Or looking at it a different way, a sharp intake of breath is felt by your ears like a sudden momentary increase in depth, so in effect your ears feel like you're not descending slowly and smoothly, but bouncing in the water column.
2. **Try different orientations**. I find that upright (descend like you're standing up) or slightly supine (leaning back) works best for me. If my ears are bugging me on the surface then this is often the only orientation that works for me. When my ears are acting up this often helps on ascent as well. Descent horizontal or head down (at all) is worst of all. Of course at travel depth my ears are happy in horizontal trim. "Proper trim" is what works for you under the circumstances.
3. Give it a break if your ears start to ache (even the mildest noticeable pain). And definitely don't stubbornly continue a dive when having even mild ear pain. I have another theory: getting to the point where you feel discomfort that persists means you've irritated the tissues enough to cause some swelling or fluid/mucus release, and more trying will just make it worse. The only thing to do is take a break (hours, a day, ...) until they feel happy again. A personal opinion: if you can clear during airplane descent and going down in a really fast elevator, then your body mechanism is functional. With enough practice and perseverence you WILL be able to clear while diving. Worked for me, and that's after more than one doctor told me I'd need surgery before I'd be able to dive.
4. Practice practice practice.
4a: I once heard an instructor tell a discouraged OW student something like "it's just a muscle, and like any other muscle you can train it - it just takes practice." Not literally true, but basically the right idea. I do find that after not diving for a while I have more trouble clearing, but after a dive or two it gets back to (my) normal. Just like any other muscle groups that haven't been getting any exercise.
4b: Do any surface practice (say elevator practice) using a snorkel (or spare mouthpiece) to make the mechanics more accurate.
4c: Practice in a pool. Use a diving (i.e. deeper) pool if available. There's a lot less going on, and the two of you can focus on just the one training goal in a safer, less distracting, less stressful environment. When alone I used to carry (not wear) my weight belt to get a little negative to get down (I still can't swim down head first without pain more than about 3m). I had it on a length of rope secured to the ladder at the surface, so I didn't have to swim it up if I didn't feel like it.
4d: Do pool practice while using a tank and regs. My local pool has let me use their 5m (16 ft?) dive pool during recreation swim times (even in full drysuit gear.) If that isn't an option for you (unfamiliarity, liability fears, etc. lead them to say "no") ask your LDS to tag along to pool sessions. Especially if you've bought your gear there I imagine they'd be ok with that.
5. Find what works for you.
6. **Don't give up**. Beautiful, awe-inspiring, joyful dives await!
Phew! Really long post. Didn't realize how close to my heart this issue is.
-----
Some history (do not read):
I've had issues with my ears for a long time probably due to a series of serious infections when I was a teenager. When I first certified at age 20, I gave up diving after just 5 dives because I couldn't equalize - and to be fair I couldn't stand the cold. I was heartbroken. Fast forward several decades and I recertified (in the south Pacific), and had similar problems clearing, but about half the time I could clear if my ears felt perfectly clear on land, I had taken some decongestent in the hours previous, I descended vertically and really slowly and carefully, and the stars aligned. I only kept trying because diving felt ... necessary to life. My ears are still prone to blocking. If my breathing rate picks up during even a vigourous walk, they block. If I'm yelling (like to be heard over loud music) my ears block. Puzzling about why this was happening is what led me to my theory about too rapid inhalation being an issue for clearing, and my eureka moment.
My wife had problems until she started taking an Allegra (not D), a half hour or so before the dive. Also, for dry mouth, we've been chewing one or two Starbursts just before entry. It sticks to your teeth and keeps the saliva flowing.
Guille G
Contributor
When I have problems clearing it usually helps to back up a bit, pull the mask off my face, blow my nose like I would on land (cover one nostril with my hand, blow, then the other if needed), replace the mask.
That’s helped me clear even the most stubborn blocks.
That’s helped me clear even the most stubborn blocks.
scubaozy
Contributor
If she cannot do valsalva on land or in airplane, that is a sign she probably cannot control her soft palate. Her soft palate is basically in neutral position. She should likely be able to do Frenzel, because that will work with neutral soft palate. Tonynbee will work as well but we know that it is not easy to swallow at will during diving. There are a lot of resources on how to practice for Frenzel online. She might want to try that.
Frenzel is a great method for free divers, who have nothing in their mouth. The similar method working with a reg in mouth is called Marcante-Odaglia. This is not easy to learn. And only a small number of old CMAS instructors can really teach it. Most PADI instructors can only teach Valsalva, which is bad for many divers, and potentially dangerous.
Here in Europe DAN organises specific one-day courses about equalization:
DAN Europe - EqualEasy - course - DAN Europe - EqualEasy - course
nome:EqualEasy - Equalisation Awarenessabstract:At present, this content is only available in Italian language. The DAN Equalisation Awareness course is the training course focusing on...
www.daneurope.org
However, if you search on the internet, there are some useful resources. They also sell some small devices, like the balloon shown on the DAN page above, which help learning to equalise.
But, most importantly, you learn to control properly your body, and the valves which are in our skull: the soft palate, separating nose form mouth, and the epiglottis, which make the mouth to communicate either with your lungs or with your stomach. A good diver should have proper control of these valves, and be able to control some automatic reflexes which tend to automatically operate these valves out of your control. The most widely known is the mammalian reflex, triggered by water around the nostrils. This can impede not just equalizing, but even breathing...
OP
Rearviewmirror
Contributor
Super helpful - it looks like Andrea does teach his classes remotely as well!Frenzel is a great method for free divers, who have nothing in their mouth. The similar method working with a reg in mouth is called Marcante-Odaglia. This is not easy to learn. And only a small number of old CMAS instructors can really teach it. Most PADI instructors can only teach Valsalva, which is bad for many divers, and potentially dangerous.
Here in Europe DAN organises specific one-day courses about equalization:
I do not know if you access to these in your location. A colleagues of me had severe problems, and he solved everything in one day with that course.DAN Europe - EqualEasy - course - DAN Europe - EqualEasy - course
nome:EqualEasy - Equalisation Awarenessabstract:At present, this content is only available in Italian language. The DAN Equalisation Awareness course is the training course focusing on...
However, if you search on the internet, there are some useful resources. They also sell some small devices, like the balloon shown on the DAN page above, which help learning to equalise.
But, most importantly, you learn to control properly your body, and the valves which are in our skull: the soft palate, separating nose form mouth, and the epiglottis, which make the mouth to communicate either with your lungs or with your stomach. A good diver should have proper control of these valves, and be able to control some automatic reflexes which tend to automatically operate these valves out of your control. The most widely known is the mammalian reflex, triggered by water around the nostrils. This can impede not just equalizing, but even breathing...
Beat the Squeeze: Equalize Like a Pro - Divers Alert Network has some good resources. It is my go-to resource on this topic.
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