Equalizing

is the pressure in your ears or your sinuses? maybe take a decongestant the night before a dive and see if it helps...it sounds like you have some congestion inside that is not allowing you to clear properly

maybe a netty pot. they are basically a warm salt water bath you pour into your nose and drown yourself in the bathroom, but then you get bunch of crap out of your head...it is a god way to clear out and try to avoid getting a cold..might help you as well.

any known allergies?

how long has the problem happened?

Are you only equalizing once? Do both ears "pop" or just only one?

Try adjusting your jaw up and down.

Quote from LunkerBuster

is the pressure in your ears or your sinuses? maybe take a decongestant the night before a dive and see if it helps...it sounds like you have some congestion inside that is not allowing you to clear properly

maybe a netty pot. they are basically a warm salt water bath you pour into your nose and drown yourself in the bathroom, but then you get bunch of crap out of your head...it is a god way to clear out and try to avoid getting a cold..might help you as well.

any known allergies?

how long has the problem happened?

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On that same note, perhaps this is not what you have, but it can help anyone. Since mid last year i have been getting sick pretty often, about 8-9 throat infections till now. They have all been the same, starts with sinuses, then throat, then lungs. ENT says one more time and my tonsils / adenoids are out (i hope so). I went to my general doctor and like on the 3rd infection i had, he recommended to try out a nasal rinse called "Neilmed". This thing works! You have to see the junk that comes out from your nose, even if you are not sick. It reduces the amount of time im sick too, i swear by it now. Recently i heard of someone using it the night before he spearfishes and in the morning before leaving the house.

So you have an idea, this is exactly what i have, its about $12 at CVS and it brings 100 of the packets along with the bottle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW9mvVe7Mk4

if the problem is because you not using the right technique, you will be able to work out the problem by training, probably with someone qualified to show you how. did you ever scubadive and had a problem to equalize ? if the problem is because of your physics, its gonna be harder to improve. some people just have some sinusproblems by nature through small chambers etc. in their head.
one tip : equalize already on the surface before you start the dive, and keep on equalizing the more the better while diving down, until you get comfortable.

Quote from tinu

if the problem is because you not using the right technique, you will be able to work out the problem by training, probably with someone qualified to show you how. did you ever scubadive and had a problem to equalize ? if the problem is because of your physics, its gonna be harder to improve. some people just have some sinusproblems by nature through small chambers etc. in their head.
one tip : equalize already on the surface before you start the dive, and keep on equalizing the more the better while diving down, until you get comfortable.

Yes,start equalizeing on the surface before you start to go under.

I had the same problem I was getting pain in my ears and my teeth. It was all cause by my sinuses. I use the Neilmed and take claritin an hour before I go out. It really helps.

That wash looks extremely uncomfortable. Do you get used to it after a while?

it really does doesnt it, that woman never flinches,, theres been posts in the past about it with more videos of actual divers using similar products (i think even jsut saline solution)

Many freedivers use such products and they work to clear out your sinuses, also we were told by Kirk Krack from PFI that equalizing your ears 200 times a day a few days before a dive helps tremendously when actually diving. By the time you go diving your ears are primed for diving. He said it is basically like stretching out a few days before a dive so that when you do actually dive your body is prepared for it.

i do this all during the day with the frenzel technique...basically just clear my ears about 100 times a day to practice hands free clearing...who knew it could also be training my eardrums to equalize easier

but, by extension, wouldnt having "limber" ear drums make you more suseptible to the pressure in the first place?

Saline solution and a siringe is good enough

Lunker can you do hands free clearing? not many people can.

Quote from black1

Lunker can you do hands free clearing? not many people can.

yeah, I can, but i have to really focus on it and, as such, I usually dont do it when diving. what usually happens is I will dive and clear hands free on the way down, but as soon as I am looking for fish I switch to using my hand because it requires no thought..the other downside is that I have to clear my mask separatley and that is annoying.

I figured out how to do it one day in my elevator at my condo..it is 17 floors so my ears need to be cleared at least once on the ride... I kind of swallowed without swallowing and my ears cleared...a big shiteating grin crossed my face as soon as I realized what I'd done and now i practice whenever possible