What proportion of scuba divers can equalize ears "no hands"?

[MrBigfins]

I can for smaller pressure changes but on decent I use a hand

 

[arew+4]

In my pod, it's 1 out of 5, eldest son almost never needs the nose pinch, only when congested.

 

[the other lincoln]

With my current mouth piece I rarely need to manually equalize. Some thing about the position my jaw is in while holding it.

 

[tridacna]

I can, but only after moving out of New England. I think I was allergic to the whole state.

Never heard of that state. Is it a new one?

 

[jborg]

Sure, both ears. I can open the canals in question by some muscle movement, used to do while humming to myself since I was a kid.

 

[dmaziuk]

From my representative sample of 2: 50%, with P=0.5

 

[wnissen]

Based on what I see in my buddies, most folks do something involving a grasp of their nose. Valsalva does absolutely nothing for me, so I have to do an extremely awkward roll of my head to point both ears skyward alternately. It is technically not using my hands, though!

 

[TMHeimer]

I can. I wonder how many others can but don't realize it. If you yawn (not underwater...) you hear a crackling sound in your ears. You can "hold" things in that position (it actually will muffle your hearing--I do that if a loud noise on the street approaches). This is what I do to equalize (not the yawning part, just finding that position where it crackles).
The only time it may not work is if I descend really fast say, down an anchor line. Then I have to sneak in a swallow or two. But never need hands.
If you swallow, you may also hear the crackling sound--that's another way to find the "position".

 

[lowwall]

I can. I wonder how many others can but don't realize it. If you yawn (not underwater...) you hear a crackling sound in your ears. You can "hold" things in that position (it actually will muffle your hearing--I do that if a loud noise on the street approaches). This is what I do to equalize (not the yawning part, just finding that position where it crackles)

I'm trying this out in the dog park. Why are people looking at me like I'm nuts?

 

[sabbe]

Never heard of that state. Is it a new one?

CT gave me ~4 really bad antibiotic & horse pill sized decongestants required sinus infections every year. RI & MA decreased that to once or twice a year. VA is once every couple of years and no horse pill decongestants.