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How to Equalize Ear Pressure While Diving

How to Equalize Ear Pressure While Diving

Written by Charly Stringer
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Published on July 6, 2023
diver equalizing ears underwater

When we scuba dive, we have to think about the health of our ears. It is easy to forget about equalization while you are looking at the exciting marine life that surrounds you, but this can cause long-term damage. That’s why knowing how to relieve ear pressure and learning to equalize while scuba diving are critical parts of the dive.

There are several techniques that can be used to relieve pressure in the ears, and you will probably be doing one of them instinctively, but it’s possible to learn other techniques too. You might even find that a new technique actually suits you better.

Let’s take a look at why it’s so important to equalize when we dive, and which techniques can be used.

Why you need to equalize your ears

We feel pressure in our ears when we scuba dive. This starts as a mild squeezing sensation, and it can progress into pain if you go deeper without equalizing your ears. If you do not relieve the ear pressure you are likely to experience an ear barotrauma, or you might even rupture your eardrum. It’s so important to know how to equalize ear pressure successfully before going scuba diving. Damage to the eardrum takes a long time to heal and you might even need surgeries to fix it, and ear infections and even loss of hearing can occur if left untreated.

freediver equalizing ears underwater
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Main Methods to Equalize Ear Pressure While Diving

Here are the main methods to use to relieve pressure in the ears:

Valsalva Maneuver

The Valsalva technique is the most common equalization technique among scuba divers. It involves closing the nostrils and pushing with the abdominals to create pressure to equalize the ears. The Valsalva maneuver is quite forceful and can cause you to strain a lot to achieve a successful equalization. Most people naturally equalize this way.

Toynbee Maneuver

The Toynbee maneuver involves holding the nose closed and swallowing. This can create a feeling of “fullness”. Swallowing activates the muscles in the eustachian tubes and the tongue movement compresses the air which passes through the tubes to relieve the ear pressure. For some people, this works great, and studies have shown that there is “no statistical difference in equalization of the middle ear pressure was found among Valsalva maneuvers and Toynbee maneuvers”

Lowry Maneuver

The Lowry maneuver is a mix of the Valsalva and Toynbee maneuvers. When using the Lowry maneuver, you pinch the nose and blow and swallow at the same time. This technique is a little trickier but some find it the best way for them to relieve ear pressure.

Frenzel Maneuver

The Frenzel maneuver is the most common way of equalizing among freedivers because it is easier to do when you don’t have air available to breathe in as you go. It involves closing the nostrils, bringing air up from the lungs into the throat, closing the glottis, and then contracting the throat. The pressure in the nasal cavity from contracting the throat opens the eustachian tubes and equalizes the ears to relieve ear pressure. Some people naturally equalize this way, but many freedivers purposely learn this technique to help them get deeper.

freediver equalizing ears underwater
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Edmonds Technique

The Edmonds technique works alongside a Valsalva. The soft tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth is called the soft palate. While tensing the soft palate, using the throat muscles, and pushing the jaw forward and down, do a Valsalva maneuver to relieve ear pressure. This is the Edmonds technique.

Voluntary Tubal Opening

Voluntary Tubal Opening is usually referred to as “BTV” — “béance tubaire volontaire” is the French translation. BTV aims to rebalance the pressure between the external ear and middle ear when the diver exercises a voluntary control of the muscles that open the eustachian tubes, or when they move the jaw to open the tubes. The diver essentially tenses the muscles of the soft palate and the throat, while pushing the jaw forward and down (like the start of a yawn). This is a useful technique for freediving and for scuba diving, but it can be tricky to learn. However, some divers can do it instinctively.

Passive

Passive is what happens naturally to the ears as a diver ascends from depth. It requires no thought or effort. The diver might feel a feeling of “relief” or nothing at all during passive equalization on ascent.

When to equalize your ears while diving

It is important to equalize the ear pressure first on the surface before you start to descend to make sure that the ears are equalizing successfully before you start to add extra pressure from the increased depth. If you are congested, it can be more difficult to equalize ear pressure. This is why it’s important to skip a dive day if you have a cold, and why it’s good to check your ears on the surface first.

As long as your ears equalize well at the surface, you can start to descend. Make sure not to go too fast on the descent, as you might not be able to equalize fast enough to keep up. This increases the risk of damaging your ears.

You should always equalize your ears well before you feel any pain, and even before any discomfort begins. A rough rule of thumb is to equalize the ears twice every three feet (or one meter) to maintain proper and successful equalizations to relieve ear pressure. If you can’t get your ears to equalize successfully after a few tries, shallow up a little and try again. If it still doesn’t work, you should probably consider canceling your dive. Never continue a dive or go any deeper if you feel any pain in your ears.

diver equalizing ears underwater
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10 Tips to Equalize Your Ears & Relieve Ear Pressure

As easy as it sounds to equalize your ears, even the best of divers can have trouble equalizing once in a while on dives. So, if you’re just having one of those days here are some great tips to help get your stubborn ears to pop so you can enjoy your dive with no worries.

1. Start equalizing before you get in the water

Listen for the pop and clicking sound when your on the boat or well before a dive. Do this by swallowing or by using the Valsalva method gently. Pre-pressurizing helps make equalization underwater much easier.

2. Descend feet first

It is said that the Valsalva maneuver takes 50% more force when you are in a head down position rather than head up. It’s also easier to equalize your ears when your head is closer to the surface when you first descend.

3. Equalize before you feel the need to

You’ll want to do this before you feel a squeeze. The deeper you go without equalizing the harder it is to equalize because the pressure increases more the further you go. Look up when you equalize. Extending your neck tends to open your Eustachian tubes.

4. Use a descent line

This allows you to descend at a more controlled rate and if you feel the pressure you can stop the decent quickly.

5. Ascend a little if you can’t equalize

If you are having trouble getting your ears to equalize at a certain depth, ascend a little and try again.

6. Clear your mask of any water

Water in your mask often irritates your mucus membranes causing them to produce more which clogs up your nose and sinuses. This makes equalizing more difficult. So keep water out of your mask and clear your mask frequently.

7. Never dive with a head cold

Head colds can make equalization very difficult or even impossible.

8. Avoid alcohol, smoking, and mucus producing foods

Foods like milk increase mucus production while tobacco and alcohol irritate your mucus membranes that can block your Eustachian tubes.

9. Try different techniques of equalization

For example, try with your nostrils pinched or blocked against your mask skirt, swallowing. Swallowing pulls open your Eustachian tubes while the movement of your tongue, with your nose closed, compresses air against them.

If your ears are particularly stubborn, while trying the equalizing methods tilt your head from side to side or look up towards the surface. It helps stretch the folds surrounding the Eustachian tubes making it easier to open them.

10. Never force equalization

If you just can’t get your ears to pop, don’t go further. Ascend and try a little but to be on the safer side abort the dive. The risk of damage to your ears is too high to play with, for a dive.

Charly Stringer

Charly Stringer

Charly Stringer is a scuba diver based in Dahab, Egypt. She is a scuba diving and freediving instructor, as well as a digital creator,