There are several complications in diving, some of them are trainable, you can learn and improve, some others are physiological, on my years diving i have met several good divers, having issues equalizing.

Here in badfishdivers.com, we collected the best procedures so your dives are less painful and more enjoyable and healthy to your eardrums.

Avoid Tobacco, alcohol and milk

Smoke and alcohol irritate the mucosal tissues , they augment the production as well of mucus that can lock your ears conduits, if you are a smoker and bad equalizator, maybe its time to change drugs, tobacco for scuba sounds good to me. Diving after drinking is irresponsible and stupid, so the chances that you are doing it are very very low right? Milk consumtion estimulate mucus generation as well, avoid it prior to dives 2 hours are enough.

Compensate hours prior to your dive

Start compensating softly every 30 minutes the day earlier and during the morning prior to the dive. Your equalizing will be faster, think about it as a warmup of some untrained muscles.

Compensate out of the water

Your first compensation, do it before submerging your head in the water, you will notice the benefits of it right away!

Chewing gum is your friend

While chewing, you swallow saliva, this action helps opening the conduits and ease the equalization process.

Mild dive profiles, shore dive and rope descents

Everything goes better when the profile goes deep slowly, don’t be in a hurry to go deep fast, hold to the rope or use your buoyancy skills.

Look to the surface

Looking to the surface helps opening the conduits the same way as snoozing, you will find easier equalization process.

Descend in standing position

DAN have developed several studies on this matter, standing position is the most effective when it comes to equalizing, PDF HERE, Just be careful when reaching the bottom, don’t be a kicker!

Don’t wait for the discomfort

When discomfort appear, you already have a difference of pressure, equalize even if you don’t feel the pressure yet.

If it hurts, Stop

As simple as that, dont keep on going deeper, or you will hurt yourself. ascend a little equalize and continue.

Relax

You have plenty of time, don’t feel hurried, when you feel nervous you can force mistakes, overpressing or hurt yourself. Diving have to be an enjoyable experience.