PRESSURE ON AIR SPACES

EQUALIZING YOUR EARS

BY HAYLEE STEVENSON
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 WHAT MAJOR BODY AIR SPACES DOES INCREASING PRESSURE AFFECT AS I DESCEND?
 WHAT IS A “SQUEEZE” ?
 WHAT IS “EQUALIZATION” AND HOW DO I EQUALIZE AS I DESCEND?
 HOW OFTEN SHOULD I EQUALIZE?
 WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I CAN’T EQUALIZE? WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF I CAN’T BUT CONTINUE
TO DESCEND?
 WHY SHOULD I NOT DIVE WHEN I HAVE A COLD?
 WHAT OTHER BODY SPACE CAN BE AFFECTED BY INCREASING PRESSURE?
 CONSIDER THIS:

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DIDN’T EQUALIZE THE PRESSURE AS WE DESCEND

ON A DIVE?
 VALUE

EQUALIZING IS NECESSARY TO DIVE, NOT ONLY SAFELY, BUT ENJOYABLY. IT’S A

SKILL WE WILL USE EVERY TIME WE DIVE. WE’LL USE IT FIRST IN THE POOL, AND
THEN AGAIN IN THE OPEN WATER. AND EVERY TIME AFTER.
 SAFETY CONCEPTS REVIEW
TAKING CARE OF AIR SPACES
• WHEN YOU DESCEND, WATER PRESSURE INCREASES, WHICH MEANS THE
VOLUME OF AN AIR SPACE WILL DECREASE – UNLESS IT IS EQUALIZED
• WHAT AIR SPACES ARE MOST AFFECTED?
– EARS, SINUSES AND MASK
• WHAT IS A SQUEEZE? DISCOMFORT CAUSED BY
AN UNEQUALIZED AIR SPACE
• TO AVOID DISCOMFORT
– EQUALIZE EARLY AND OFTEN
 SAFETY CONCEPTS REVIEW
TAKING CARE OF AIR SPACES
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I CONTINUE TO DIVE, WITHOUT EQUALIZING?

 INTENSE PRESSURE
 PAIN
 BAROTRAUMA

WHY SHOULD I BE GENTLE?

IF YOU BLOW TOO HARD OR LONG, YOU CAN CAUSE A ROUND WINDOW RUPTURE!
 SAFETY CONCEPTS REVIEW
TAKING CARE OF AIR SPACES
• WHILE DESCENDING, EQUALIZE EVERY FEW FEET BEFORE YOU FEEL DISCOMFORT
• FOR YOUR EARS, PINCH YOUR NOSE AND BLOW GENTLY
• FOR YOUR MASK, BLOW SOME AIR INTO IT FROM YOUR NOSE
• IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY EQUALIZING
• ASCEND A FEW FEET AND
ATTEMPT TO EQUALIZE
• BE GENTLE

• IF YOU CAN’T EQUALIZE,

END THE DIVE
 SAFETY CONCEPTS REVIEW
TAKING CARE OF AIR SPACES
WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF I DIVE WHILE SICK WITH A COLD OR CONGESTION?

 A REVERSE BLOCK CAN HAPPEN WHEN EXPANDING AIR GETS TRAPPED IN THE
EARS OR SINUSES
 UPON ASCEND, IF YOU EXPERIENCE DISCOMFORT, SLOW DOWN OR STOP THE
ASCENT. DESCEND A FEW FEET AND GIVE THE TRAPPED AIR SOME TIME TO
WORK ITS WAY OUT. ASCEND MORE SLOWLY
WHAT IS ANOTHER BODY SPACE THAT CAN BE
AFFECTED BY PRESSURE?
• UPON ASCENT, AS WATER PRESSURE DECREASES, VOLUME OF AN AIR SPACE WILL INCREASE,
UNLESS AIR CAN ESCAPE EASILY
• IF AIR CONTINUES EXPANDING, IT CAN LEAD TO OVEREXPANSION
• THE NUMBER ONE RULE IN SCUBA DIVING IS TO BREATHE CONTINUOUSLY AND NEVER HOLD
YOUR BREATH
• LUNG OVEREXPANSION CAN CAUSE VERY SEVERE INJURIES LIKE
LUNG RUPTURE, PARALYSIS
AND EVEN DEATH
• WE CAN AVOID THIS BY
BREATHING NORMALLY
MOST COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS

• VENTING AIR TOO QUICKLY

• DESCENDING TOO FAST
• INABILITY TO EQUALIZE
 WHAT CAN HELP?

 BEING FAMILIAR WITH YOUR EQUIPMENT

 PRACTICE IN A POOL OR IN THE OCEAN
 LEARN VARIOUS TECHNIQUES
 DON’T DIVE WHEN SICK
ENVIRONMENT CAN AFFECT EQUALIZATION

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN DIVING IN VERY COLD WATER?

TEMPERATURE CAN AFFECT ABILITY TO EQUALIZE
COLDER WATER CAN BE MORE DIFFICULT TO EQUALIZE IN
 PADI COURSES

THE MOST COMMON EQUALIZATION TECHNIQUE THAT SCUBA DIVERS USE IS THE
VALSALVA MANEUVER. HOWEVER, FREEDIVERS ARE TAUGHT DIFFERENT
TECHNIQUES. PADI OFFERS AN ADVANCED FREEDIVER COURSE, WHERE YOU CAN
LEARN ADVANCED TECHNIQUES.
 SUMMARY

• ALWAYS EQUALIZE WHILE DESCENDING IN ORDER TO DIVE SAFELY AND

ENJOYABLY
• EQUALIZE EARLY AND OFTEN TO PREVENT SQUEEZE
• IF YOU CAN’T EQUALIZE, END THE DIVE!
• DON’T FORCE IT
• DON’T DIVE WHEN SICK
• BREATHE CONTINUOUSLY AND DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH