Old timer warned me about ear squeeze on a 60 foot job in Port Townsend

Guy named Dutch with 30 years in told me to equalize way more often than I thought I needed to. I figured I knew my own ears after a couple years. Last month I skipped a few on a quick descent and ended up with a nasty squeeze that put me out for three days. Has anyone else ignored good advice from a senior diver and paid for it?

2 comments

2 Comments

blake_lewis2d ago

Three whole days out of the water from a little ear squeeze? Sounds like you caught a bad one, but I've had plenty of little squeezes that cleared up in an hour with some slow swallowing. Dutch probably knows his stuff, but people act like every missed equalization is gonna blow your eardrum. I picked up a mild squeeze on a deep dive once, didn't even notice until I was on the boat, and it was gone by lunch. Sometimes a little pain is just part of the deal.

black.jordan2d ago

Did you try the Valsalva move while tilting your head back? I've had a couple ear squeezes that felt like they'd stick around for days, but I found that doing a gentle Valsalva with my head tilted back and mouth closed cleared it up in under an hour. Blake_Lewis hit it on the head - most of them clear up fast if you don't panic and keep swallowing or yawning. If it's real bad I'll pop a decongestant and skip diving for a day, but that's about it.

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