Skills · Safety

How to Equalize Your Ears (Diving & Freediving)

by Yannick Schroth Jul 29, 2026 9 min read

Photo: Pixabay via Pexels (free licence).

Equalizing is the skill that lets you go underwater without ear pain, and struggling with it is the most common reason beginners hate their first descents. It is simple once you know the rules: as pressure rises, add a little air to your middle ear (most people pinch the nose and gently blow). The rules matter more than the method: equalize early, gently and often, before you feel pressure, and never force it or push through pain. It applies to scuba, freediving and even snorkel-diving down.
This is general information, not medical advice or a substitute for proper dive training.

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The golden rules

Equalize early: start at the surface, before you feel anything.
Equalize often: every metre or so on the way down.
Equalize gently: a soft effort, never a hard, forceful blow.
Descend slowly and feet-first where you can.
If it won't go, stop, ascend a little, try again; never force through pain.

Why your ears hurt underwater

As you descend, water pressure rises and pushes in on your eardrum. Behind the eardrum is an air space, the middle ear, connected to the back of your throat by the Eustachian tubes. Equalizing simply means adding a little air into that space through those tubes to balance the pressure so the eardrum is not pushed painfully inward. The pressure change is greatest near the surface (the first few metres), which is exactly why so many people struggle right at the start of a descent.

The techniques

Valsalva (the common one): pinch your nose and gently blow against it, as if blowing your nose softly. Easy to learn; the catch is it must be done gently and early.
Toynbee: pinch your nose and swallow. Often works well and is gentle.
Voluntary tube opening: wiggle your jaw, or move it forward, as if starting a yawn, to open the tubes.
Frenzel (for freedivers): a more advanced technique using the tongue and throat rather than the lungs, which works better at depth and on a held breath. Freedivers learn this in a course.

Most divers start with Valsalva or swallowing. If one does not work for you, try another, and combine them (for example pinch, and swallow while gently blowing).

Diver pausing to equalize on descent — Equalize before you feel pressure, and keep doing it all the way down. Photo: Philippe WEICKMANN via Pexels (free licence).

The rules that actually keep you safe

The Divers Alert Network (DAN) and every dive agency stress technique-and-timing over force:

Equalize early and often. Start at or just below the surface and equalize every metre or so, before you feel any pressure. Waiting until it hurts is the classic mistake, by then the tubes can lock shut.
Be gentle. A soft, brief effort is all it takes. A hard, forceful Valsalva, especially late or against a blocked tube, can injure the inner ear.
Descend slowly, ideally feet-first. A head-down, fast descent makes equalizing harder; going down a line feet-first, slowly, makes it easy.
Stuck? Stop, ascend a little, try again. Rising a metre or two relieves the pressure so the tubes can open. Never push down through pain.
Pre-equalize. Gently equalizing on the surface before you descend can give you a head start.

Never dive with a cold or congestion. Blocked sinuses and Eustachian tubes stop you equalizing and greatly raise the risk of a painful pressure injury (barotrauma). Relying on decongestants is risky, they can wear off at depth. Wait until you are clear.

The reverse block (going up)

Equalizing is usually about going down, but air also has to escape on the way up. If congestion traps expanding air in your ear or sinuses as you ascend, that is a reverse block, and it can be more uncomfortable and harder to manage than a descent problem. The fix is to ascend slowly, stop, and let the air work its way out. It is another reason not to dive congested.

When to stop, and when to see a doctor

If you cannot equalize after stopping and trying gently, end the dive, a missed dive is far better than an ear injury. See a doctor (ideally one familiar with diving) if you have ear pain that persists after a dive, muffled hearing, fluid or blood from the ear, ringing, or dizziness/vertigo, these can indicate barotrauma and need proper assessment. Persistent trouble equalizing is also worth getting checked, sometimes there is a treatable cause.

Important: this is general information, not medical advice and not a substitute for training. Learn and practise equalization under a qualified instructor in a scuba course or freediving course, and consult a doctor about any ear problems.

FAQ: equalizing your ears

How do you equalize your ears when diving?

You add air to your middle ear through the Eustachian tubes to balance the rising water pressure. The most common method is the Valsalva manoeuvre: pinch your nose and gently blow against it. Other methods include swallowing (Toynbee), wiggling the jaw, or the Frenzel technique used by freedivers. The golden rules matter more than the method: equalize early, before you feel pressure, equalize gently and often as you descend, and never force it.

Why can't I equalize my ears?

Common reasons are congestion from a cold, allergies or sinus problems that block the Eustachian tubes, descending too fast or too head-down, or waiting until you already feel pressure before trying, by which point the tubes can lock shut. If you cannot equalize, stop your descent, ascend a little to relieve the pressure, and try again gently. Never push down through pain, and never dive with a cold or congestion.

Should you equalize before you feel pain?

Yes, always. The single most important rule is to equalize early and often, starting at or just below the surface and continuing every metre or so on the way down, before you feel any discomfort. Pain means damage may already be starting, and once the pressure difference is large the tubes can lock shut, making equalizing impossible. Gentle and frequent beats hard and late every time.

Is it bad to force equalization?

Yes. A hard, forceful Valsalva, especially against a blocked tube or late in a descent, can injure your ear, including the delicate inner ear, so you should always equalize gently. If a gentle attempt does not work, do not push harder, ascend slightly and try again. Forcing it through pain risks barotrauma (pressure injury) to the eardrum, middle or inner ear. When in doubt, abort the dive.

Can you dive with a cold or blocked nose?

No, you should not dive with a cold, congestion or blocked sinuses. They stop your ears and sinuses equalizing properly and greatly raise the risk of a painful pressure injury, and a reverse block on the way up (where trapped air cannot escape) can be worse than on the way down. Wait until you are clear. Relying on decongestants to dive is risky because they can wear off at depth. This is general information, not medical advice.

Written & maintained by

Yannick Schroth

Founder of NOMADREEF and a former digital nomad. This guide summarises widely-taught equalization technique and safety guidance (per DAN and dive agencies); it is not medical advice or a substitute for training. Learn equalization under a qualified instructor, and see a doctor about any ear problems. About the author · LinkedIn ↗

Sources

Divers Alert Network (DAN), ear equalization technique and safety (equalize early, gently, often; barotrauma). dan.org.
Our own get scuba certified, how to start freediving and freediving safety guides.

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