Opening the e-tubes?

[RPGgrenade]

So yeah I've never really been too deep (about 10 meters at best) and i was trying to see how i would go about trying to learn BTV under the water.

background: I've been able to open the e-tubes in my ears ever since i learned that yawning could pop your ears (when i was like 8) and i've been doing it ever since, so i have a great control over my e-tubes, except my right one which usually needs a little bit more work, but i was wondering if there was some sort of exercise i could do before a dive that could help open up the e-tubes a little bit more before-hand. like some sort of stretching that allows them to stay open more easily? because I've had this happen before where i kinda practiced BTV (dry) for a few minutes and for about a minute after i stopped i would hum and the tubes would both be kinda 'stuck' open.

If this is something that can be worked so you can keep them open more easily (like tubular warm-ups) I'd LOVE to hear it.

Jaime E.

 

[Canetoad Films]

Flexing the muscle,that opens the E tubes (makes the click sound), regularly is a good exercise. Working at getting more control, and making the muscular movement as large as possible is also good. But the best exercise is clearing the ears while diving, just make sure you are clearing them often enough to keep up with the depth. Once or twice a metre is good but of course it varies with different people. If you are having trouble and getting partial clearing, it is good to train on a rope and gradually alter your depth.

 

[Simos]

You are doing all the right things and sounds like you can do BTV already. The key is to keep exercising them regularly. To help avoid any of them getting stuck (i have the same as you with my right ear) i'd recommend jaw stretches and neck stretches, especially before diving. Try jaw stretches in all directions (open, forward, back, left and right) - also remember to keep a good straight posture while diving and be relaxed...

 

[Antigua Sam]

Sorry to jump in on this. I can make the clicking sound by flexing my jaw but it doesnt seem to work in water. Do you have to keep the mouth shut or can it be open? Is it just a case of the clicking noise is the key to it? there was a thread saying hum and open the mouth and hear a noise in your ears is that effective?

Thanks,

Sam

 

[Simos]

Sorry to jump in on this. I can make the clicking sound by flexing my jaw but it doesnt seem to work in water. Do you have to keep the mouth shut or can it be open? Is it just a case of the clicking noise is the key to it? there was a thread saying hum and open the mouth and hear a noise in your ears is that effective?

Thanks,

Sam

Try keeping your mouth open with your lips shut if that makes sense

 

[Antigua Sam]

Perfect sense, thank you, I thought that the case but wanted to check.

 

[Simos]

Perfect sense, thank you, I thought that the case but wanted to check.

Not sure that's how you are meant to do it, that's just what works for me

 

[RPGgrenade]

I'm also having trouble opening them underwater. And i still have plenty of problems opening my right tube (which makes it near impossible when underwater). Is there anyway to isolate the right ear for working on it? because it seems I'm just making the left ear easier to open while the right one seems to be getting harder.

 

[Simos]

I'm also having trouble opening them underwater. And i still have plenty of problems opening my right tube (which makes it near impossible when underwater). Is there anyway to isolate the right ear for working on it? because it seems I'm just making the left ear easier to open while the right one seems to be getting harder.

Hmm isolating one ear would be really hard - you can try different jaw positions (left, right, front, back etc) and even moving different facial muscles to see if it opens it...

I have the same thing with my right ear, it's always much harder than the left one to clear or open and on a bad day, it's always the one to give me trouble...

However, if you can open it above water then there must be other factors at play underwater (posture, lack of relaxation, not equalising often enough, cold etc)

 

[RPGgrenade]

I feel that the underwater part is just due to pressure. because on dry land it's not subjected to much pressure that it isn't already used to, but yeah. I'm just having a really hard time opening the right one with BTV, I try doing frenzel a little bit to maybe open it up, but it doesn't help very much. One of the only ways I've managed top open it successfully almost everytime is if i keep my jaw pointing to the left, opening my tubes as much as i can then opening my jaw as wide as possible with my mouth closed. But it only stays open in that position for a few seconds, maybe even less. then i have to close and open my jaw again without changing its horizontal position. I'm trying to do that same thing while tilting my head a lot to the left, so that it's almost resting on my shoulder, when i do that i can only hear my right one opening, and when i'm not tilted it's mostly just working the left tube each time.

 

[Simos]

I feel that the underwater part is just due to pressure. because on dry land it's not subjected to much pressure that it isn't already used to, but yeah. I'm just having a really hard time opening the right one with BTV, I try doing frenzel a little bit to maybe open it up, but it doesn't help very much. One of the only ways I've managed top open it successfully almost everytime is if i keep my jaw pointing to the left, opening my tubes as much as i can then opening my jaw as wide as possible with my mouth closed. But it only stays open in that position for a few seconds, maybe even less. then i have to close and open my jaw again without changing its horizontal position. I'm trying to do that same thing while tilting my head a lot to the left, so that it's almost resting on my shoulder, when i do that i can only hear my right one opening, and when i'm not tilted it's mostly just working the left tube each time.

It's quite hard to keep them open throughout the whole dive... I open it and close it multiple times, perhaps a couple of times per metre at the beginning... If you do this and equalise very often, there shouldn't be any significant buildup of pressure difference to make things harder. Frenzeling a bit against the pressure of the mask helps...

Pay particular attention to the first 2-3m of the dive and pre-equalise by pinching the nose on the surface just before the duck dive. Also, don't duck dive too aggressively...

 

[growingupninja]

I feel that the underwater part is just due to pressure. because on dry land it's not subjected to much pressure that it isn't already used to, but yeah. I'm just having a really hard time opening the right one with BTV, I try doing frenzel a little bit to maybe open it up, but it doesn't help very much. One of the only ways I've managed top open it successfully almost everytime is if i keep my jaw pointing to the left, opening my tubes as much as i can then opening my jaw as wide as possible with my mouth closed. But it only stays open in that position for a few seconds, maybe even less. then i have to close and open my jaw again without changing its horizontal position. I'm trying to do that same thing while tilting my head a lot to the left, so that it's almost resting on my shoulder, when i do that i can only hear my right one opening, and when i'm not tilted it's mostly just working the left tube each time.

What Simos said about flexing the etubes frequently, especially during initial descent is something that I have found important. I don't have to think about it much but I pop mine almost once persecond as I start the dive. If I wait until I feel pressure, then a handsfree eq is much harder and if for any reason I crash (too deep too fast on negative dive, sinus issue, just forget to eq for any reason) and stress the eardrum a bit, I will have difficulty eqing for the next few dives--handsfree or otherwise.

I have eq'd hands free ever since I can remember; my jaw doesn't move when I do it. I can hold them open but it is more (mental?) effort than pulsing so I always pulse. On dry land I pop them all the time without paying attention--opening and closing a car window, elevators, etc. Dry training, when contractions are strong, I can hardly NOT pulse them with each contraction. Small brain, large etubes.

 

[RPGgrenade]

In terms of doing it unconciously all day without the need to use my jaw i do it all the time. But everytime i check to see how it's doing i hum and I can almost never hear the hum getting louder on the right side, only the left. I can do it just fine without even having to stress my throat muscles. But i seriously can't get my right side to open up enough. I've heard of some sort of tubular massage thing that's supposed to like drain out the mucus. I don't know how to do it, and i don't know if that's actually the reason i can't open it properly, but i want to try everything i can just to fix my damn right e-tube wider.

 

[growingupninja]

In terms of doing it unconciously all day without the need to use my jaw i do it all the time. But everytime i check to see how it's doing i hum and I can almost never hear the hum getting louder on the right side, only the left. I can do it just fine without even having to stress my throat muscles. But i seriously can't get my right side to open up enough. I've heard of some sort of tubular massage thing that's supposed to like drain out the mucus. I don't know how to do it, and i don't know if that's actually the reason i can't open it properly, but i want to try everything i can just to fix my damn right e-tube wider.

I will try to pay attention next time I have any trouble in the water, but I want to say that the last two times I had any sort of issue it was right side as well. Perhaps it is human anatomy that the right side is smaller.

 

[Canetoad Films]

I will try to pay attention next time I have any trouble in the water, but I want to say that the last two times I had any sort of issue it was right side as well. Perhaps it is human anatomy that the right side is smaller.

I think this is probably the case. I don't have any trouble hands free clearning to depth but one ear is always faster than the other. On the humming exercise, my right ear usually pops open before the other. I have talked to many people who clear their ears like this and just about all of them report a difference between their left and right ears.

 

[RPGgrenade]

my problem isn't the timing of it but the amount, the pressure in the water is just enough to make my right side just stay almost completely shut unless i frenzel (I'm contemplating getting a noseclip under my mask for that) but it'd be nice to be able to BTV properly.

 

[Antigua Sam]

I have had some success with the humming and seem to now be able to open the e tubes on land but not in the sea.

I have heard that it is easier if you descend upright as opposed to duck diving, anyone found that to be the case?

 

[Canetoad Films]

I have had some success with the humming and seem to now be able to open the e tubes on land but not in the sea.

I have heard that it is easier if you descend upright as opposed to duck diving, anyone found that to be the case?

Yes, it easier to equalise your ears upright as apposed to head first.

We have had plenty of success with getting divers to descend slowly on a rope, taking their time working on each equalisation. With most people it takes a lot of work getting the first few equalisations: moving the jaw, side to side, forward and back, moving the head, while flexing that muscle that opens the tube entry; occasionally using frenzal method to pop a sticky tube open, then going back to surface and slowly working at it again. I know divers who took a few months of regularly working it, who now do it effortlessly.

If you are getting some results, take that as a great sign that you are one of the percentage of people who are genetically set up to use this method and work at it.

 

[azapa]

my problem isn't the timing of it but the amount, the pressure in the water is just enough to make my right side just stay almost completely shut unless i frenzel (I'm contemplating getting a noseclip under my mask for that) but it'd be nice to be able to BTV properly.

Jaime, the nose clip under the mask idea never really allows good mask equalization, I would not recommend it.

 

[RPGgrenade]

update: I have figured out a way to equalize hands-free on land through both ear relatively equally and so far has become fairly reliable, now how that will work under the the mask and underwater is still to be tested. It consists of me keeping my jaw lax, pushing my tongue to the roof of my mouth softly, then pulling my tongue down almost as low as i can make, while at the same time trying to voluntarily open my e-tubes with the strange half swallow/yawn technique I learned as a kid. I don't know if anyone has used this method to confirm if it works or not, but at least on land i no longer have problems opening both tubes at the same time (I've also been doing BTV exercises to help it along).