How to equalize your ears when scuba diving
Updated 2026-06-30 · Skills & Safety
To equalize your ears scuba diving, gently add air to your middle ears as the surrounding water pressure increases on descent. The most common method is the Valsalva manoeuvre: pinch your nostrils shut and blow softly against them until you feel your ears 'pop' or relieve. The golden rule is to equalize early and often — start at the surface and repeat every metre or so on the way down, before you ever feel discomfort.
Equalizing is one of the first skills you'll practise in your Open Water course, and it's the single most common reason beginners feel ear pain. Done gently and often, it's effortless. Forced or skipped, it can hurt — so understanding the why makes you a calmer, safer diver.
Why your ears need equalizing
As you descend, water pressure rises fast — by about 1 atmosphere for every 10 metres (33 feet) of seawater. That pressure pushes in on your flexible eardrum. Equalizing adds a little air to the middle-ear space behind the eardrum (through the Eustachian tube that connects to the back of your throat) so the pressure on both sides stays balanced.
Skip it and the pressure difference stretches the eardrum, which is uncomfortable and can cause a barotrauma (a pressure injury). The good news: a gentle, well-timed equalization completely prevents this.
Techniques that work
There are several ways to equalize — most divers use the first one:
- ·Valsalva: pinch your nose and gently blow against the closed nostrils.
- ·Toynbee: pinch your nose and swallow.
- ·Frenzel: pinch your nose and make a 'k' sound / push your tongue up — gentler on the ears.
- ·Wiggle & swallow: moving your jaw side to side and swallowing often opens the tubes on its own.
The rules that keep it painless
Equalize before it hurts. If you wait until you feel pressure, the tube can already be squeezed shut, making it hard to clear. Descend feet-first and slowly — going down head-first makes equalizing harder. Never force a hard blow; a forceful Valsalva can injure the delicate round or oval window of the inner ear.
If an ear won't clear, stop, ascend a metre or two until the pressure eases, and try again. And don't dive with a cold or congestion — blocked tubes are the usual culprit when ears just won't equalize.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I equalize my ears when diving?+
Usually because you started too late (equalize before you feel pain), descended too fast or head-first, or you're congested from a cold or allergies. Ascend slightly to relieve the pressure, then try again gently. If congestion is the issue, it's safer to skip the dive.
How often should I equalize?+
Early and often — start at the surface and equalize every metre or so during descent, before you feel any discomfort. You can't equalize 'too much'; you can definitely equalize too little.
Is it bad to force equalizing?+
Yes. A hard, forceful Valsalva can injure the inner ear. Always blow gently. If a gentle effort doesn't clear the ear, ascend a little and try again rather than pushing harder.
Can I dive with a cold?+
It's not recommended. Congestion blocks the Eustachian tubes, making equalizing difficult or impossible, and decongestants can wear off at depth and cause a reverse block on ascent.