Ears Hurting? Master Equalisation Before Your Next Dive

If there's one skill that quietly ends more people's diving before it's really begun, it's equalisation. Ear pain on descent is by far the most common reason new divers, and particularly kids and teenagers diving with family over the summer holidays, cut a dive short or decide diving simply isn't for them. The good news is that with the right technique and a bit of patience, equalisation problems are almost always fixable, and getting it right transforms diving from something faintly uncomfortable into something genuinely effortless.

Why Equalisation Matters So Much

As you descend, water pressure increases and squeezes the air spaces in your body, most noticeably your middle ears and sinuses. Equalisation simply means adding air back into those spaces to match the surrounding pressure, relieving that squeeze before it turns into pain or, in more serious cases, actual injury to the eardrum. Get it wrong repeatedly and you risk genuine barotrauma, which can mean days or weeks out of the water while an injury heals, so this isn't a skill worth treating casually.

It matters even more for family groups diving together over summer, since children's eustachian tubes tend to be narrower and more prone to blockage than adults', which means kids often need more frequent, gentler equalisation and more patience from the adults diving with them.

Common Mistakes We See

The single biggest mistake is waiting too long to equalise. Divers, especially newer ones excited to get down and see something, often wait until they already feel pressure or discomfort before attempting to clear their ears, by which point the eustachian tube can already be partially locked shut by the pressure difference, making it much harder to open. The fix is simple in principle, equalise early and often, ideally before you feel any pressure at all, starting the moment you leave the surface.

Another common issue is descending too fast, particularly feet-first in open water where there's no visual reference to slow you down. A rapid uncontrolled descent gives your ears no time to keep up, even with good technique. Divers also frequently use too much force when equalising, which can actually make things worse or cause inner ear injury, when a gentler, more frequent approach almost always works better.

Congestion is another frequent culprit. Diving with even a mild cold or blocked nose makes equalisation genuinely difficult and increases injury risk substantially, and it's one of the few times we'll actively tell a student or certified diver that the sensible choice is to sit a dive out rather than push through.

How to Practice and Improve

The classic Valsalva technique, gently pinching your nose and blowing against it, works for most people, but it's far from the only option, and it's worth experimenting with alternatives if you find it inconsistent. The Toynbee manoeuvre, pinching your nose and swallowing, and the Frenzel technique, using tongue and throat muscles to push air into the ears without needing much lung pressure at all, are both worth learning, particularly the Frenzel method for divers who find repeated Valsalva attempts tiring on a longer dive.

Practising on land helps enormously before you ever get in the water. Try gentle equalisation techniques while sitting at your desk or in the car, so the movement becomes familiar rather than something you're figuring out for the first time under pressure, literally, on a descent line. In the water, descending feet-first down a line or the edge of a pool, rather than head-first, gives you much better control over your rate of descent and makes it far easier to pause and equalise before pressure builds.

For family groups and kids specifically, patience is the real technique. Let the least experienced or youngest diver set the pace of the descent entirely, stopping the moment anyone needs to, rather than the whole group waiting on one person who's struggling to catch up.

What Instructors Look For

When we're watching a student descend, we're paying close attention to how early and how often they're equalising, not just whether they eventually manage it. A diver who equalises the moment their ears are submerged and continues doing so every metre or so on the way down is in a much better position than one who waits and then equalises forcefully in response to discomfort. We're also watching body language closely, since a diver in ear discomfort often gives it away through tension, a hand drifting toward their mask, or hesitation on the line well before they'd verbally flag a problem.

We'll also check that divers understand they can, and should, stop and even ascend slightly if equalisation isn't working, rather than pushing through pain. That instinct to communicate a problem rather than muscle through it is genuinely one of the more important things we're assessing in early open water training.

Building the Skill Into Every Dive

Good equalisation habits are worth reinforcing on literally every dive, not just as a beginner skill you graduate from. Even experienced divers benefit from a conscious focus on early, gentle equalisation, particularly after a break from diving or when returning to the water after any kind of cold or congestion. It's also worth reviewing your technique whenever you try a new mask or hood, since a tighter seal or different fit can occasionally affect how easily you can reach your nose to equalise.

If you or your kids have struggled with ear discomfort on previous dives, it's genuinely worth flagging with an instructor before your next session rather than just hoping it goes better this time. There's almost always a technique adjustment, pacing change or equipment tweak that makes a real difference.

A Note for Parents Diving With Kids This Summer

If you're bringing children into diving for the first time this summer, the single most useful thing you can do is separate the idea of equalisation from the idea of the dive itself. Practise the technique together on dry land repeatedly in the days before you get in the water, turning it into a bit of a game rather than a test, so it feels familiar rather than stressful once they're actually descending. In the water, resist the urge to hover close and hurry them, since a relaxed child equalises far more easily than an anxious one who feels watched or rushed.

It's also worth remembering that a child who says their ears hurt is doing exactly the right thing by telling you. Praise that communication warmly, stop, let them equalise properly or ascend a touch if needed, and treat it as a normal part of the process rather than a problem. Kids who learn early that speaking up about discomfort gets a calm, supportive response tend to grow into divers with genuinely good judgement later on, which matters far more in the long run than how quickly they got comfortable equalising in their first few sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

My child says their ears hurt every time. Should they stop diving?

Not necessarily. Discomfort usually means the technique or pacing needs adjusting, not that diving isn't for them. Working with an instructor one-on-one on equalisation specifically, away from a full course structure, often resolves it quickly.

Can I use decongestants to dive with a cold?

This is genuinely not recommended without medical advice, since decongestants can wear off during a dive, leading to a painful reverse block on ascent that's often worse than the original problem.

Why can I equalise easily on land but struggle in the water?

Cold water, mask pressure on your face and general nervousness can all tighten muscles around the eustachian tubes. Practising relaxation and slower descents alongside your equalisation technique usually helps.

Struggling with equalisation or planning a family learn-to-dive summer? Our instructors can work with you one-to-one on exactly this. Browse our course listings or get in touch to talk it through - we're at Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, or call +44 (0) 118 9761 729.