No More Ear Pain! Easy Ear Equalization While Diving

Dealing with ear pain by failing to equalize your ears properly can be a painful lesson to learn. In some cases, you may lose your hearing temporarily, or even permanently if you don’t equalize your ear pressure correctly. When scuba diving and free diving, we need to equalize early and often, to ensure the pressure changes don’t burst our eardrums, rupture the round window, etc.

In this video, I’ll show you techniques like the Valsavlva Maneuver, Toynbee Maneuver, Frenzel Maneuver, Lowry Technique, and Edmonds Technique, which are all ways that will help you equalize your ears early and often while scuba diving, free diving, snorkeling, or even swimming in a pool.

This video is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something we'll receive a small commission.

⏰ Timecodes ⏰
00:00 Ear Pain While Diving
00:40 Dangers of Not Equalizing
01:18 Method 1: Valsalva Maneuver
02:20 Method 2: Voluntary Tubal Opening
03:35 Method 3: Toynbee Maneuver
04:26 Method 4: Frenzel Maneuver
05:48 Method 5: Lowry Technique
06:39 Method 6: Edmonds Technique
08:24 Tips for Ear Equalization
10:57 Problems with "Pushing Through Pain"
12:05 How to Signal Ear Problems & End the Dive

At Circle H Scuba, we share education and experiences you'll love to plan your next adventure. As a PADI Professional Scuba Instructor, I want to make you a better-informed scuba diver!

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*Disclaimer:* Circle H Scuba and Thomas Hughes believe you can not teach someone how to dive, nor certify them for diving, through the internet. Ensure you seek proper training through an instructor who is active and certified through a recognized agency and always dive within the limits of your certification.

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[bschneidez]

This video is a godsend for me. My sinuses are so bad that I basically have no sense of smell, but I love diving and try to get out at least once a year or two. Naturally I've dealt with a ton of bad ear pain over the last few years from my own stubborness, even bled once, but the dives were always worth it to me... After watching this though, I have hope that I might be able to find a way to train my facial muscles and avoid that ear pain that has always nagged even my greatest diving experiences.

[TheGweedMan]

That was a very thorough presentation of the many methods that can be used to equalize. For most people of Valsalva maneuver is clearly the most used. I’m glad you pointed out looking slightly up anytime you’re clearing is better than looking down. A lot of people who do the Valsalva will pinch their nose, and then they will look down as their putting pressure by trying to breathe out through the nose. More important than all of the methods is what you mentioned; clear, early and often. In fact, you might actually clear prior to descending. If you feel any discomfort or pain, you have gone too deep without equalizing Often enough and early enough. And he’s also correct in that the first 10 to 20 feet has the most change in pressure. So from the surface to 10–15 feet you have to clear more often. At deeper depths the pressure change per foot is much lower. PADI Course Director 161555.

[dianarobinson]

Thanks, I’ll try these out. Diving is one of my very top bucket list things to do, but since I couldn’t make it down to the bottom of the dive pool, I never thought I had a chance. I’m 65 so I better get at it!

[jello]

This was a wonderful. I’ve been struggling with this my entire life and this fixed all of my problems

[sassyphantom]

this is very helpful, Im new to Scuba and just completed my e-learning. I will be trying these methods to see what works best.

[donmunro]

I'm a long haul trucker and a diver. My work takes me through the Rockie mountains constantly. So I'm used to equalizing my ears on a regular basis. I will definitely be practicing these techniques. Thank you.

[piiinkDeluxe]

Thank you so much!
I have a diving license but it's been almost 10 years since I dove.

My ears were always quite sensitive to pressure (I learned they are small), and the method we learned (Valsava) didn't really lelieve the pain completely.

I will definitely try the second method you presented! I have the feeling it might help me.

I even had little pain at 2m deep recently when i did not equalize, so I will practize the voluntary method. It works for me on the surface already. 😊

[vanspurgeon]

Love this. Need to practice. Have bled after dives and temporary hearing loss

[humanvoicemail]

I had no idea there were multiple ways thank you!

[graceoverall]

2:20 I'm NOT a diver, but have trouble with pain in the deep end of the pool. I was trying to figure out this technique because I've heard from ENTs that the Valsalva is not good for the ear, so I think I figured it out and want to expound a bit on Thomas' description. I first need to describe some things.

1. The Clench: You know when you gargle water and you close off your throat to keep it from going down, or when you clench your through muscles to avoid saliva and debris from going down your throat while in a dentist chair? That's the "clench" maneuver he's talking about.

2. The Pulse: Have you ever let water run over your both ears in the shower such that you hear the rushing water and it sounds kind of like you're in a windy storm? I kinda imagine it's what it sounds like to babies in their mother's womb too, LOL.

3. So when you do the Clench and elongate your neck to stretch your jaw out, if you flex those neck muscles right, you should feel that Pulse in your ear canals. Almost like a tiny little marching band drummer is rattling your ear drum. 😋

Anyway, after doing this, I feel as though I did it correctly because I notice a pressure change in my ear. I'm not currently in an environment where I can verify this, but I think it's the proper technique. I would love to be corrected though if I'm doing something wrong. Let me know.

[hoddong]

WOW. That's what I wanted to know! thanks!

[dinp]

thank you, I will try these in my next dive! very useful video for a newbie like me

[Bellatrixlestrange.x]

Thanks for this! I’m getting ready for my first negative entry and want to be sure I can equalize other ways just in case. This was super helpful!

[tedhendy]

Thanks for putting all the techniques in one video. I’ve had everything from Eustachian tube balloon enlargement to a brain scan looking for a possible tumor. In the end, I just have a bad right ear. I’ve learned all the techniques you mentioned, but I like the putting them together ideas. I will be trying them in a couple weeks on my next dive weekend. Always hopeful. Btw, I’ve had one dive where I felt normal. It was in a 91 degree geothermal pool, 6, 000 feet elevation, in Utah during their record snow winter. Either the warmth loosened things up or the lack of allergies in winter, or the elevation did the trick. I know there’s hope. Thanks again for putting all the techniques in one video.

[yeetergriffin]

Just had my first ocean dive, I had pain in my right ear at around 35FT.

My issue was only one ear was equalizing but turning my head so the ear that didnt pop faced the surface and used method 1. It worked but I felt a rush of cold water enter my ear.

I still have a lingering pain while writing this above my jaw with no issues to my hearing.

My take away from the experience is to do it more often, not only when I feel the pressure and softer. Not sure I can make mistakes like this again without permanent damage.

Tomorrow I am going down to 60ft and getting NAUI Certified.

[bergecraptv]

Thank you very much! I had so many problems equalizing and during one dive recently I even started bleeding a bit.
The tip of swallowing WHILE blowing out through my nose and having my nose pinched felt really good when I just tried it.
I have another dive in 2 days and I‘m excited to try it in the water 😊

[montanabuntragulpoontawee]

Thank you. The various ways are super helpful.

[eric]

I once had a sinus infection and flew on a flight. Going up, no problem. Coming back down they re-pressurize the cabin from 8000 ft to sea level and wow that was very unpleasant, to the point where I would really postpone any flying diving plans until I can clear my ears properly. Diving is even worse because the pressure differential is huge. Just down to 10m is double the pressure. Thanks for the advice! I'm hoping to practice some of the alternate methods so I can equalize without grabbing my nose. (I'm interested in both scuba and freediving and when freediving you sometimes want to keep your hands in a streamlined position to swim efficiently as possible.)

[isenmileshamson]

That's a lot of techniques 😮
Techniques that I personally never heard of!!!

[fuexiong]

Wow, when I clinched my throat and moved my jaw forward and then lower, I was able to open up my eustachian tubes so easily. This is genius.

Now, I'll have to keep practicing. Diving ear pain-free is wonderful. I owe you big time.

I liked this video and subscribe to your channel.