One often say: Scubadiving makes you deaf !

Indeed, far too many divers (especially professional ones) end up over the years with more or less pronounced hearing problems. Unfortunately, when they realize it, it is usually too late and sometimes the only solution is to stop diving.

What if it was avoidable?

The purpose of this document is to suggest some simple methods allowing the "average" diver to learn to relieve his eardrums. I am a scubadiving and freediving instructor, but I am neither a doctor nor an ENT specialist, and obviously will not claim to replace them. I am therefore not addressing pathological cases but ordinary mortals: if every diver followed these few tips, I am convinced that we would drastically reduce the number of divers with hearing problems.

• Method 1 (accessible to everyone): Learn to gauge your equalisation
• Method 2 (takes a little more patience, but is worth it): Learn to equalise differently

Method 1: Learn to gauge your equalisation

A very few lucky people do not need to make any particular movement to compensate (in apnea, we call this the ventricular tubal patency). For everyone else, you were probably taught to equalise by using Vasalva (you blow through the nose, while pinching our nose).

The problem is that one don’t talk about moderation. Worse, many divers are convinced that if the equalisation doesn’t work, the only solution is to blow harder. One thus witness twisted faces, as if your nose were a trumpet…

The first question to ask yourself is: Is the intensity of my equalisation appropriate?

Required accessories: Dry gauge

The dry gauge is an accessory, initially invented for freediving, which allows you to measure, while remaining on your sofa, the pressure you exert when equalising. Its interest is therefore twofold:

– find out whether the intensity of your equalisation is appropriate or not

-and if you equalise too strongly, discover what intensity you really need and make this new gesture instinctive so as not to hurt yourself anymore.

Is my equalisation appropriate?

The Dry Gauge consists of a gauge, measuring a pressure, connected by a flexible tube to a rounded tip pierced with a hole.

Place this tip against your nostril (as airtight as possible) and block the other nostril with a finger, as on the photo.

Another solution is to pinch your nose (or use a freediving nose clip), and blow through your mouth

Blow into the mouthpiece, as you would to equalise, "without thinking". You will indeed feel the "pop" in your ears, indicating that you have equalised. When the equalisation is done, note the value read on the dial.

It is important to do this in the most natural way possible, without thinking, in order to reproduce a similar equalisation as you would do underwater.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of scuba divers (using Vasalva to equalise) instinctively exert a pressure over 70mm of mercury, i.e. more than three times the necessary pressure.

Fortunately, it is possible, while remaining on Vasalva, to learn simply and quickly to reduce this pressure.

Reduce the intensity of your equalisations

Still using the Dry Gauge, it is possible to learn to adapt the pressure exerted to what is really needed.

To do so, we will repeat the same operation, but this time very gradually. We start by blowing VERY gently, and we increase the pressure LITTLE BY LITTLE, until we feel the "pop" in the ears.

What value did you read?

It is very likely that this value is lower than the previous one, confirming in the same time that you were equalising too strongly.

Repeat this exercise 3-4 times, focusing on the feeling in your ears and trying to find the lowest pressure that is sufficient to equalise. Then let your ears rest.

Automate this new gesture

The following days, repeat these two exercises (5 minutes per day are enough!).

The goal is twofold:

-on the first exercise, check if your “instinctive” equalisation evolves (i.e. decreases)

-on the second exercise, try to improve it even further.

In 5 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week, there are good chances that you will quickly see a clear improvement. Your eardrums will thank you!

Method 2: Learn to equalise differently

Let's be frank: While the first method allowed for significant gains with little effort, the second will require a much greater personal commitment. But believe me, the game is worth the candle.

Indeed, the overwhelming majority of scuba divers learn Vasalva to equalise. It’s easy to learn and generally one don’t (unfortunately) look any further…

Yet you would greatly protect your eardrums by learning another equalisation method: Frenzel. This second method, very widely used by freedivers, is in fact much gentler on the eardrums.

Notice:Freedivers sometimes use a 3rd method, called Mouthfill. This method, very useful for advanced freedivers, is useless in this case, since the scubadiver, unlike the freediver, has air at will. I highly recommend to focus your efforts only on Frenzel

What is the difference between Vasalva and Frenzel?

To put it simply, when you practice Vasalva, air is sent directly from the lungs to the eardrums. This means that the diaphragm muscle is used, as well as the intercostal muscles (located between the ribs), which are powerful muscles and therefore quite difficult to modulate.

When practicing Frenzel, one operate in two steps
1) one move the air from the lungs to the cheeks
2) then one close the glottis (a sort of door located in the throat) and use the tongue like a piston in order to increase the pressure in the mouth, which allows to equalise.

Why do beginner freedivers learn Frenzel?

Freedivers starting at sea learn Frenzel because Vasalva, easy to learn for a scubadiver who has air at will, does not allow the freediver to equalise beyond 8-10m. Frenzel, on the other hand, will allow ordinary mortals to descend to at least 30m if it is well mastered.

Conclusion n°1 : It is therefore easier to exert exactly the desired pressure using Frenzel rather than Vasalva.

Conclusion n°2 : if you are a diver AND a freediver (and therefore master both techniques), forget Vasalva and use Frenzel while scubadiving!

How to learn Fenzel when you are a diver

First of all, for those who are wondering if it is possible to do a Frenzel with a regulator in your mouth: it is entirely possible to do a Frenzel with your mouth open. The regulator, even if it makes the operation a little more tricky, is therefore not a hindrance.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, there is no equalisation traineeship dedicated to scubadivers. And that's a pitty! Nothing prevents you, however, from making a freedivig traineeship, or even a freediving equalisation traineeshipIn either case, you will necessarily approach the basics of Frenzel, and it will be easy to transpose it to scubadiving use.

A workaround is to learn Frenzel by yourself. For example, you can find the following tutorials on our website:

– Dry equalisation for freediving at beginner level (1/2)

– Dry equalisation for freediving at beginner level (2/2)

You can start from this basis, then resume the exercises with a snorkel in your mouth (or any other mouthpiece) in order to simulate the presence of a regulator.

In conclusion

When a scubadiver learns to equalise, he is usually taught only one method (Vasalva) and one never tell moderation. The price to pay can be hearing loss or even a ban on continuing scuba diving.

Yet we have seen:

– that there was an alternative method, Frenzel, which is slow to learn but definitely worth it

– and that, if one prefers to stay on Vasalva, one can also learn to moderate it.

Pierre BOUTEILLON for Deepway

https://deepway.fr/en

contact@deepway.fr