Can tiny clicks be equalizing?

[M_Mack]

After seeing a monofin on TV, I've become interested in diving, so I've been reading up on it, freediving included. I saw that equalizing is important and I tried the Valsalva and did get it to work, but I have a question.

My whole life I've been able to make my ears make a clicky sound at will. It's either one click, or a few in a row that almost sounds like a crackling sound. The clicks are usually quiet but I can flex harder to make them a little louder, or hold the click which gives a slight pressurey feeling within my ear. I can to some extent control this to click in only one ear if I want to. Is this me popping my ears? I never really made the connection before, as it's something I've done my whole life without thinking about it, but I did just shine a flashlight in my mouth while doing my ear clicking, and my uvula rose every time so... maybe?

The reason I'm not sure if this is equalizing or not is because when I do it, I feel no sensation of outward pressure, it's just me flexing some muscle to make my ear make a tiny click (unless I hold the click; then I feel a slight fullness in the ears). And the click is usually quiet. But when I did the Valsalva, I felt more like.. an outward pressure in my ear almost like a pop, and then one *loud* click. It felt a lot stronger of a click than the clicks I usually make. So I'm confused about what my voluntary ear clicking might mean, then. Maybe some experienced divers can shine some light on this for me?

 

[FreeRestriction]

This means you are able to open your e-tubes using some tiny muscle i cant recall. I can do it aswell. If you hold the muscle and breath you should hear the breathing IN your ear. You could learn hands free equalizing with this in the future. Id imagine having good e-tube control would also aid in other equalizing techniques at great depth.

 

[M_Mack]

This means you are able to open your e-tubes using some tiny muscle i cant recall. I can do it aswell. If you hold the muscle and breath you should hear the breathing IN your ear. You could learn hands free equalizing with this in the future. Id imagine having good e-tube control would also aid in other equalizing techniques at great depth.

It was hard to tell if I could hear breathing in my ear, so I started experimenting with humming instead. If I closed my mouth and hummed through my nose and started clicking my ears, I discovered that my tiny clicks didn't really make the humming sound louder, but if I managed to make a louder click, suddenly the humming would get much louder. I'm assuming this means the sound was traveling through my eustachian tubes at that time?

I was able to hold this louder click for about 5-10 seconds, but I could not make a big click reliably, and very rarely could I make a big click in both ears at once. When I did manage to make a big click, usually one ear would get the big click and the other ear would get little clicks. This morning, I could only hold the big click in my left ear, but from the afternoon onward, I could only hold it and make the humming louder in my right ear! I could reliably do little clicks all day in both though.

So... what am I doing when I make the little clicks then, if my humming isn't getting louder? It feels like the exact kind of clicks as the louder ones, except the louder ones feel more forceful. Would the little ones still be useful in diving, or would I only want to be focusing on the louder clicks that I am more inconsistent at making?

Sorry if I'm sounding confusing; it's hard to describe exactly what I'm experiencing in words.

 

[RPGgrenade]

I also have those kinds of problems from time to time, the little click may be the tubes trying to open up more at the top and not so much at the bottom, and so far what you've described are the early understanding stages of hands-free equalizing, I'm still not there yet, because although i can open both tube properly now, I still can't do it underwater properly yet, but I think i may have developed a technique that works for me that might change that. just practice popping your ears without your hands. And look up ways to practice what is generally called "BTV" which is voluntary tube opening. there should be plenty of places to look it up here on the forum and online. good luck with it. I've only just started less than a year ago, so I'm a newb, too

 

[Simos]

It was hard to tell if I could hear breathing in my ear, so I started experimenting with humming instead. If I closed my mouth and hummed through my nose and started clicking my ears, I discovered that my tiny clicks didn't really make the humming sound louder, but if I managed to make a louder click, suddenly the humming would get much louder. I'm assuming this means the sound was traveling through my eustachian tubes at that time?

I was able to hold this louder click for about 5-10 seconds, but I could not make a big click reliably, and very rarely could I make a big click in both ears at once. When I did manage to make a big click, usually one ear would get the big click and the other ear would get little clicks. This morning, I could only hold the big click in my left ear, but from the afternoon onward, I could only hold it and make the humming louder in my right ear! I could reliably do little clicks all day in both though.

So... what am I doing when I make the little clicks then, if my humming isn't getting louder? It feels like the exact kind of clicks as the louder ones, except the louder ones feel more forceful. Would the little ones still be useful in diving, or would I only want to be focusing on the louder clicks that I am more inconsistent at making?

Sorry if I'm sounding confusing; it's hard to describe exactly what I'm experiencing in words.

The clicks mean you are getting some movement there but sounds like you can't keep your e-tubes open yet. You probably need some more practice and strengthening the muscles there.

Not sur if the loudness of the click in itself means something - the important thing is for the tubes to open. It does sound a bit though as if the little clicks you describe might not be enough movement to open the tubes (I just tried and I can make my ears click without opening the tubes if I want to).

Try opening your jaw while keeping your lips closed while you make the clicks - see if that helps make the humming louder.

It's very common to have one 'sticky' ear that needs more practice than the other - I dare say that in most cases, it's the right one!

 

[Apneaddict]

Opening your etubes on land is not the same as equalizing, as equalizing assumes there is a pressure differential that by opening them you will equalize.

On land, once you open them once... you have likely equalized any slight pressure difference and repeated openings would not likely yield as "loud of a click".

In short, opening your etubes is the flexing of specific muscles.

Opening your etubes when there is a pressure differential will equalize your eardrum.

In absence of a pressure differential, you may not hear as much of a click... But rest assured these are the same / correct muscles and practicing flexing them - even without the louder click / pop is good training.

Look forward to driving up hills, elevator rides, plane takeoffs and landings, as well as when the A/C kicks on in a tightly sealed room / building. All of these are great times to try to equalize the slight pressure changes.

Oh yeah - and underwater too!

 

[Andrew the fish]

Mack. just get in the water and practice. Hands-free equalising doesn't always work if there is pressure differential high enough. Practice opening e-tubes for prolonged times, get those tube muscles good workout. Also, do not fal behind in equalising, or hands-free will stop working, tube flaps will collapse and lock, and you will have to blow em open. But you are on the right track, hands-free equalising is a way to go.

 

[EARL1220i]

dive safe and practice thats all