I am wondering if anyone has successfully returned to diving after having blown out there ear drums twice. I have environmental allergies and blew out my ear drums in ten feet of water while, free diving and testing a new regulator. I would like to go back to diving instead of snorkeling and want to make my return to diving in Bonaire. Am I hoping for two much? I just want to resort dive to about 6o feet. Tomyris

Talk to the doctors at DAN.
Call their non emergency line or send them an e-mail asking who you could talk to.
They have helped me a few times... since it isn't an emergency - you have to pay for the phone call but it is a small price to pay for good advice.
I have had my doctor send down some results a few years ago and after doctors talking to doctors, I was able to get back in the water faster than the doctor here said. You are a member of DAN, right?

I hate to admit I am not. I am a pretty casual diver, resort courses every couple of years. It was during my first attempt to get my certification that I was testing the regulator and blew my ear drum. Then a year later I was diving to the bottom of the local pool just fooling around with my snorkel and blew my ear drum again. I will check out DAN though and see what I can find. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! Tomyris

Karen, DAN is the right choice. They do make a new mask that has ear coverings that have a tube back to the mask. This would allow you to equalize the outer pressure to the inner pressure. It seems like a good device for your problem. It would also keep water out of your ears, reducing the risk of an infection. It would work for snorkling also.

TOO COOL! I will definitely check that out immediately. Thanks Cecil.

Karen,

Your first message is a little confusing. Free diving is diving without a regulator. Were you breathing on the regulator or snorkeling? If you were breath-hold diving with a regulator, you are flirting with disaster.

If your ear drums have healed fully (scarred up) there is no reason you can't dive. Please have your doctor take a quick look with an otoscope to make sure before you go. I would be really interested in how you burst your tempanic membrane in the first place and avoid those circumstances. If you have allergies, chances are your eustacean tubes were plugged with thick mucous (snot) which wouldn't allow equalizing. Make sure you stay well hydrated, if you have to, use a nasal spray and/or an antihistamine like Pseudoephedrine and make sure you are out of the water before they wear off. Practice holding your nose and blowing before you dive as an exercise. If you hear a smacking sound, you need to hydrate more and get those passages more patent.

When you say only 60 feet, you must remember that the greatest percentage in pressure change is in the first 33 feet/10 meters (100% or one more atmosphere @ 14.7psi) This is where you will encounter the biggest problems. You found that out in only 10 feet.

Finally, if your eardrums are still blown, don't go. Even those fancy new masks can come off or flood and then you are hosed. Inner ear infections can haunt you forever. You would be better off wearing ear plugs and just snorkeling. There is still a lot of really beautiful stuff to see on Bonaire (of all places) from the surface.

Gordy

Gordy, Sorry the original message was confusing, I blew my ear drums doing both, free diving with just a mask and snorkle and then again with the regulator. Sorry if my use of the terminology isn't the best. As I said before I have been a pretty casual diver, started to get serious about the sport and then diaster. I am bummed that the mask with ear protection won't work. I will check with the allergist about the otoscope inspection. I was on an antihistamine when the ear drums blew on the regulator, I usually am on one for environmental allergies. I will try the exercise you suggested during my daily swim and see what I can hear. Just hoping to see the bottom of the ocean again. I had some great experience's before all this happened.

The mask in question is the ProEar 2000. I have used it for over a year on about seventy dives. I have a permanent hole in my eardrum(not diving related)even after surgery and other assorted work. For me this mask has been the peace of mind I needed even though I logged about two hundred dives before it came out. I always keep some antibiotic drops on hand just in case and never have a problem. If you can equalize the mask will help but it will not perform miracles.

RJ thanks for your perspective on this. Maybe I can try one of the ProEar's out if the exercise Gordon suggested dosen't work out, or both. My husband is an avid diver and we would really like to dive together around the islands we haven't had a chance to stop on yet. Thanks for all your suggestions and advice, I'll try it all out.

Check out http://www.proear2000.com/
A bit clumsy but works for me.

Karen,
I am one of the inventors of the ProEar mask.
It should definitely help you but you must consult your ENT specialist if possible and if you go with the mask then please practice a few times in the pool to get the seal and fit just right. We also have invented a purposed designed hood which adds an additional level of protection. You can email me direct at fantasea@attglobal.net if you have any specific questions. Also, DiveInn on Bonaire carries the mask and you can check it out with Babs at the shop.
Good luck,
Howard

Wow thanks for all the good info. I will be checking things out with my allergist and see if he can suggest an ENT specialist. I will also check out the Proear and see what is what. Maybe someone in the area can let me try one out at the local pool. If nothing else I know there are more avenues out there to investigate that I knew nothing about. Bubbles! Karen