I have been an avid snorkeler and free diver (no tanks or snorkel or fins) for a few years and have never had problems equalizing pressure in the ears. I did a free dive in silver springs glen in ocala, florida a couple of weeks ago. the deepest point is about 25 ft. i started my free dive with no problems. when i got to about 18 feet i couldn’t equalized pressure in the left ear no matter what i tried! i even shallowed up to about 12 feet and still couldn’t equalize. i decided to push through it and right before i got to the bottom my left ear gave way… i was extremely dizzy and disoriented and VERY lucky i knew to stay calm and surfaced. i barely made it to wading depth and i kept falling all over the place. What went wrong. i have never had this issue before…why now? what other ways could i have attemted equalization without having punctured my ear drum?

So you learned the hard way that you can’t beat physics and ignore an inability to equalize pressure in your middle ear. What you experienced is called alternobaric vertigo and can result from sudden pressure or temperature changes on the inner ear. Sorry to hear that you injured yourself, hopefully your eardrum will heal quickly without any lasting damage.

Why? Impossible to say from the information given. Perhaps you had a bit of congestion or some other blockage the Eustachian tube to that ear. Perhaps the tissues were swollen or inflamed for some reason. Perhaps the gremlins were about and decided to play a trick on you.

I’m not sure the why is as important as the lesson you hopefully learned about not continuing your descent if you can’t equalize.

What could you have done differently? Again, impossible to say. Were you able to equalize both ears on the surface without any difficulties? If not, it was likely some sort of blockage or inflammation and it was probably a bad idea to try diving that day. If you didn’t have any trouble on the surface, perhaps you waited to long to begin equalizing on that dive and experienced the trapdoor effect, where the Eustachian tube openings get locked shut by the pressure differential. If you had done multiple dives before this one perhaps you irritated the tissues enough on prior dives that they swelled to the point where air couldn’t get through.

Anyway, I hope you can get back to diving soon and don’t try to push past equalization problems in the future. Good luck.

U.S. Divers Fins Snorkel Set Mask Scuba Medium Blue over Black Diving. Mens 7-10. This snorkel set can be found on EBAY at Buy-It-Again-Sports.

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I am taking a scuba class and need a mask, fins, and a snorkel. I may be getting them from Dick’s Sporting Goods although they don’t have many varieties.Was wondering what is a good fin I can buy for class which will be held in a pool that will be from 55 degrees to 86 degrees. Ones that go fast and are comfortable. I will also be wanting to keep them for when I travel the world. So below are a few links to what I may be getting from Dick’s.

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1443929&cp=2367438.2367826.2672649

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2173704&cp=2367438.2367826.2672649

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3927172&cp=2367438.2367826.2672649

The third ones look kind of funny.

Fins made for snorkelling/bodyboarding tend to be shorter and softer than SCUBA fins, because they’re designed for use by a ‘naked’ swimmer. However, if you try to use them for SCUBA diving, you will find yourself working much harder than necessary to push against the heavy resistance imposed by the gear–especially if you’re going to be diving in cold water (55°F = 12.5°C = COLD!), which requires wearing a bulky wetsuit or even a drysuit. On that basis, of the three models you’ve linked, only the second pair is actually intended for SCUBA diving, so if those three are the only models you’re considering, then that’s the pair I’d buy if I were you.

It’s true that split fins require a much shorter flutter kick (which is more streamlined and hence less effort) than using conventional fins. Some people swear by them, but speaking personally, I wouldn’t buy split fins for myself. I borrowed a pair once (Scubapro TwinJet) and didn’t like them very much (they were so soft and floppy, it felt like I wasn’t wearing any fins at all), which kind of put me off buying that design. I have dived Mares Avanti Quattros for years, and been very happy with them–but some people find them too stiff and heavy. They’re also relatively large, making them less practical for travelling.

It basically comes down to personal preference, and what suits you. I was habituated to my Quattros, and I tend to use frog kick anyway, which doesn’t really work with split fins–which could be why I didn’t get on very well with them. Perhaps if I’d given myself a bit more time to get used to them, I would have been converted too. If they’re the first pair of fins that you buy, it might be different for you, since you’ll be getting used to them from Day 1, with no old habits to un-learn.

All the best for your course, and happy diving.

Most foot and leg cramps while SCUBA diving occur because your fin is hanging off the edge of your foot. One of the most common complaints that people have about diving is that their feet and legs hurt when they try to kick with today’s long or stiff fins. Their arches or calves cramp, their toes are smashed into the end of the foot pocket, their legs tire… Sound familiar?

http://forcefin.com/wp_foot.html

The primary cause of all this pain is that most fins are designed to concentrate much of the force from kicking on the smaller muscles of the lower leg and feet. And those muscles simply can’t take the stress of powering a large fin blade through the water. The result? Fatigue and cramping.

But with the trail-blazing Force Fin, our unique foot-pocket design transfers much of the effort of moving the blade to the largest muscle group in your body, the quadriceps, removing pressure from the toes and feet. Because your entire leg is now doing the work, muscle fatigue and cramping is significantly reduced.

Don’t get fouled into eating bananas as the solution for your foot or leg cramps, get into a pair of smart fins – Force Fins
http://www.forcefin.com/

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U.S. Divers Fins Snorkel Set Mask Scuba Medium Blue over Black Diving. Mens 7-10, Women’s 9-12. This snorkel set can be Found on Ebay at Buy-It-Again-Sports.

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