Dive Tips to Clear Your Ears
By Dianne Rein
We all know being able to clear your ears while scuba diving is very important. After all, if your ears don’t clear you’ll have to abort the dive. So how do you clear your ears?
The most common method is called the Valsalva maneuver. In this technique, you pinch your nostrils closed and gently blow through your nose.
If you are having problems, try these steps to help you descend safely:
- Start Before You Go Below the Water
- Equalize Early and Often
- Descend Feet First
- Ascend if You Have Problems
- Do Not Force It
Dianne Rein runs an scuba diving website at scuba-diving-smiles.com You can read her full report on ear clearing tips as well as several pages of more scuba diving tips on her website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dianne_Rein
If you are using the Valsalva maneuver, gently blow through your nose while you are waiting to start your descent. This “pre-pressurizes” the ear and makes equalization easier upon descent. Start this before you even go under the water.
You’ve heard this in your scuba diving class. Begin equalizing as soon as your head goes underwater and continue equalizing every few feet. This is probably the most important step to descending without ear problems. If you are having problems clearing one ear, tilt your head – with the blocked ear toward the surface.
Your Eustchian tube is affected if you descend with your head first and it makes it harder to equalize your ears.
If your ears are not clearing properly, ascend a few feet to reduce the pressure. Try clearing them again. If it still doesn’t work, ascend a few more feet and try again. Rinse and repeat until you have cleared your ears successfully.
