Hi fellow divers,

Ive been wanting to do my AOWD course, but a few lil things kinda make me think twice. I usually equalise very, and i mean very very slowly. I think my breathing is fine, but i can easily waste 50bar just to reach 17m, yup, equalising. i somehow think that it's not normal and i wonder, how much air will i use just for equalising to reach 30m? how long will that take? how long can i stay underwater then? sigh... pity other divers la kan have to wait for me la etc. LOL

any opinion or kata2 semangat maybe? 

Which method that you use to equalise?

Normally divers will equalise by pinching the nose and force exhalation (Valsalva maneuver) or just wriggling the jaw.

Sometimes doing both at the same time will work better.

Tilting the head slightly upwards while executing the valsalva maneuver works for me.

Hope helps. 

yup2 i usually use that method, or shall i say i have to. it's actually my left ear that always gives me the problem.
tilting head slightly upwards is new, will definitely try that after this.
thanx irukanji

hrmm... firstly, do you have an allergy or sinus problem?
being exposed to allergens or having sinusitis prior to your trip might just cause you to have problems equalizing. other possible causative factor might be a urti.
hehe, if none of those above are troubling you then, my bro irukanji's technique will work 
as for wasting air for equalizing, is it possible that its not due to equalizing but just the anxiety of not being able to equalize? hehe, my suggestion.. try get more dives under your belt, make and meet more friends who will give you the confidence and maybe you'll be able to feel less anxious? plenty of divers here who go out on regular trips and also meet up in town for drinks.
anyway, all the best in your AOW! ada trip, do tell. haven't had salt water in a while 

Actually, once you get past those first 7 meters or so, you won't have so much trouble equalizing. That's because the pressure changes are the greatest in the first 10 meters below the surface. The deeper you go, the less frequently you need to equalize. So if you can already get to 17 meters, you won't have that much trouble diving deeper for the AOWD course.

Having said that, people who have that much trouble equalizing have something else going on. It might be congestion from allergies or sinus inflamation, it might be scar tissue from childhood ear infections (if they were frequent or severe) or it might simply be very narrow eustachian tubes that make pushing air through them to the middle ear troublesome.

Go get specialist advice from an ENT who is also dive medicine trained, or is at least a diver. The solution may be as simple as taking Clarinase before the day's diving (this is what I do, and I'm an allergy sufferer), or it might require more involved treatments.

Hi syaz! All the tips & techniques given by the pros earlier are all excellent..just take it easy & its always a wise move to see an ENT Speacialist, there's a great one at Jalan Ipoh or check with Sungai Buloh Hospital for appointment.
A good rest with plenty of non alcoholic beverages before a dive trip helps....A/C rooms in resort does contribute to blocks / congestion in sinus especially if there's allergies. Get yourself a nasal spray just in case    .....cheers!