Difficulty Clearing Ears with a Desco Air Hat

[Benji.exp]

Had a job last week doing some inspection work around 90 feet, and I was fighting to clear my ears pretty much the whole way down. I was wearing my usual air hat which I've used plenty of times without trouble, but for some reason on this dive I just couldn't get a consistent block and I was having to mash my nose up against the oral-nasal in awkward ways just to get any relief. I've always liked how rugged my desco is, but could it be that the nose block setup just doesn't work well for me, I doubt since I've been using it for a long while or maybe its just worn out or misaligned? or could it be a me problem, everything else was running smooth, airflow was good and comms were fine, it was just that one issue making the descent a real pain.

 

[Chanter5]

It could be the nose block is worn or misaligned after all this time, maybe inspect it closely or try a replacement to see if that fixes your equalizing issues

 

[TitledDocument1]

@Chanter5 is right, it's probably the nose block, but it's not the only thing. I remember years ago I had a similar problem which turned out it was me and my sinuses from alergies.

 

[agentenglish]

Theyre both right, even if everything else felt fine, a poorly fitting or damaged nose block can make equalizing a struggle. Its probably worth checking or replacing that part to see if it improves your ear clearing on the next dive. Have you had a chance to inspect the seal or try a backup nose block?