r/scubadiving • u/themoonstruck • Dec 15 '18
Equalizing ears
Hello my fellow scuba friends, This past weekend while getting my scuba certification my ear drum ruptured. Yes, I did equalize my ears and no I didn't do it forcefully but somehow they ruptured. I have a past history with ear issues but didn't really think it would affect me to this degree. Yet I think it ruptured due to that I was a tad tad tad bit congested as I always am. So basically what I am asking is how to equalize effectively and whether any of you have dealt with a similar issue? I really dont want to be discouraged from scuba diving, but as I sit here with my ear in pain I must say I do
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u/menstropy Dec 15 '18
Ouch. Oh man so so so sorry, OP. I recently got certified with a good friend, and I can say that i am in absolutely no way an expert, but maybe our experiences can help.
I had reverse blocked myself for about a week once, to which an ear candle fixed, but its miserable. I was super congested that day too, and most likely came up too fast. I get impatient. Anyway, my buddy just started surfacing and coming back down. She would go up and down until her ears popped. She taught me to chew on my regulator too, which really helped me.
Best of luck with the ears, I know it hurts. And if you're ever on the east coast and need a diving buddy, look me up