Effects of water pressure

This clip illustrates the effects of water pressure on a ball filled with air. The same compression happens to the air inside the human ear, which is why we have to equalize the ears when freediving.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• snorkeling
• freediving
• diving
• compression
• ears

[SuperScradley]

How do i equalize the pressure in my ears?? Every time i try to hold an blow the air out my nose, the air comes out my eye, open or closed!! is there any other ways??

[ErikCJohansson]

@SuperScradley The same "tubes" that connect your nose and ear also connects to the eyes. Never heard of your problem though - interesting. You can try opening a path for air to enter the the tubes through a yawning/swallowing movement of the yaw, but if your problem is that the air flows more freely to the eye than the ears, I not condfident that would work either.

[ErikCJohansson]

@table5280 Basically, the pressure from the water on the outside of the ear will cause the eardrum to bend inwards. By pushing more air into the ear-canal, e.g. by pinching your nose and trying to blow through it, the pressure inside the ear will become the same as on the outside.

[DragonDude180]

How long can you swim underwater?

[ErikCJohansson]

@EvilCrewMember I'm fairly sure they all are, yes.

[TheCMIP]

nice pool ;)

[EvilCrewMember]

@ErikCJohansson arent all gasses compressible?

[messin1000]

@SuperScradley try swallowing that works

[jay43832]

@SuperScradley Maybe try it with a nose covering mask fitted tightly. Hold it against your face and blow out through your nose...then nose or eye, the pressure has no where to go but toward your ears. Maybe??..

[sasyummy]

above one 18 year old, below one 40 yr old..

[1337nobody]

Come on, learn to swim with fins. You should keep your knees straight, fins are not the same thing as a bicykle!