But the advertisement in a dive mag said they were perfectly safe for scuba diving, and allowed equalization without hindrance. And I hate the feeling of water in my ears after a dive, so I bought them. I carried them around with me for some time before I finally got up the courage to try them on about my third day on the Nekton Pilot the trip I just returned from.
FWIW, I have always used Scopolamine patches for seasickness, and though dizziness is one of the side effects, I had never experienced dizziness while in the water with the patch, though I have always had the patch on while diving, and also while snorkeling.
So I have a lot of experience with the Scopolamine, without any problems. On the fateful day I put on the Doc's ProPlugs earplugs and went for a dive.
I was able to equalize without too much difficulty. Maybe a little slower than usual, but some days I am kind of slow going down. Once or twice I experienced some discomfort, but that was not entirely outside my experience. I halted my descent, cleared again, and was able to continue down.
Then at about 50 fsw suddenly I began to feel very dizzy and everything began to spin. I immediately halted my descent, waited until I caught my buddy's eye, signaled trouble, ear, thumb-up, and began a slow ascent. My buddy soon caught up with me.
The vertigo continued, and I continued my ascent, rather disoriented. After some distance maybe 10 feet, maybe 20, I am not sure I heard a brief sudden release of air. I thought maybe my regulator had gone kaput, but air kept flowing. I had only been in the water a few minutes, maybe ten at most, possibly as little as five, and I was still very dizzy and concerned that I might pass out, so I skipped my safety stop.
At the surface I was feeling seasick, something which I had not experienced yet on this trip, since the Scopolamine is very effective for me. Back on the boat I stripped off my wet suit and went to my cabin, where I went for the Ear-Dry, which I have used after every dive since my Cozumel trip.
But the instant the Ear-Dry hit my ear I experienced an excruciating level pain. I immediately jumped into the shower and ran fresh water into my ear to try to rinse out the drops. That helped, but I still was in pain. My hearing was normal, and the consensus of the boat captain and instructors was that I had not broken my ear drum. I took two ibuprufin and after a few hours the pain had gradually disappeared.
At the urging of the captain, I geared up and jumped in again, but the minute the sea water hit my ear, I was in pain. Less than from the Ear-Dry, but severe. I got right back out again. I stayed out of the water for 24 hours after that, and then went in again with just mask, fins, and snorkel to "test the water" as it were.
This time the sea water did not hurt at all, but when I tried a few free dives to maybe 10 feet, the pressure hurt, and the pain continued even after I surfaced. A few hours later, again at the urging of the captain, I went in with scuba gear and one of the instructors for a buddy, and just descended the line very slowly to the foot hang bar, waited a few moments, and then slowly ascended. I experienced no discomfort at all, so then we made a dive without incident.
The following day I resumed normal diving, though taking special care to descend and ascend even slower than normal and equalize carefully, and I experienced no further problems. Even the Ear-Dry did not hurt any more. Apparently I had some inflammation or irritation as a result of the Doc's Pro-Plugs ear plugs, but no major or lasting damage. If the vent is fouled by debris while descending it is best to remove the Proplug.
If fouled while ascending, there is no problem because the air and water under pressure can escape around the Proplug. Hundreds of thousands of divers have attested to the benefits of Proplugs for relieving pressure in their ear during descent.
At on the video, Les give's Doc's Proplugs an unsolicited endorsement, "It is making diving, for me, possible. Proudly Made in the U. In that case, swimming with earplugs is recommendable. If you want to do more than swimming, like diving, a certain pressure is applied to the ears. When diving from the top plank, wearing earplugs, the earplugs may fall out when you hit the water.
That is not recommended. But when you stay in the water and grab a rock here and there under water, our swimming earplugs are suitable up to 1 meter under water. This can be a little bit of a fuss, especially with everything else you need to do before a dive. Users should always take care descending to make sure that the plugs are working correctly.
Finally, the earplugs must be cleaned after use and carefully stored, which is another post-dive chore. If you have experienced frequent problems with ear equalization or ear infections, then vented earplugs are well worth trying. They are relatively inexpensive, and you may find that they make a difference in enjoying your dives. The pain of an ear infection or from an injury caused by not being able to equalize your ears is excruciating and is enough to make you consider if scuba diving is really worth it.
Make sure that you remember to equalize as soon as you start to descend from the surface. Never force the equalization or descend when feeling pain in your ears or sinuses. Remember that your neoprene wetsuit and any air left in the BCD start to get compressed, and you lose buoyancy from the moment you leave the surface. Beginner divers are generally taught to pinch their nose through the mask pocket and gently blow against it. Many methods can work for equalizing your ears, so experiment to find the one that works best for you.
Involves thrusting your lower jaw forward and slightly opening the mouth while keeping your lips pursed around the regulator and swallowing. As you ascend and the surrounding pressure reduces, the air inside the inner ear will expand and needs to find its way out.
Be aware that many over-the-counter cold medications can be ineffective, can quickly wear off, or have unpredictable side effects when scuba diving.
Only ever use medications approved for you personally by a medical professional experienced in scuba diving. This can help wash out any debris or salt that can cause the canal to become inflamed and cause infections.
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