equalizing

There were times in the past when I had problems clearing.  What I started doing was clearing my ears the night before a dive.  I do this by pinching my nose and slowly blowing until I feel my ears "crackle".  I hope the breath for a count of 5 then release.  I do this for 10 to 15 times.  Each time I do it, it gets easier to clear (getting them to crackle).  Then as I am driving to the dive site, I continue to do this in the car.  Finally, like others have mentioned, I clear before the dive.  The eustachian tubes, like alot of body parts, will perform better with excercise. 

we dove yesterday and i got the clearing of the ear thing down , now i just need to get my lungs worked up for longer downtime.

Pool Practice makes a big difference for me when hold my breath. Concord on Cowell road has a community pool that is like 10-12 feet deep. I like to push myself in an enviornment with no current and lifegaurds. I use spray nasal decongestent before I dive. It is probably a no-no but its part of my ritual. I also begin equalizing as soon as I see the ocean in the pickup, gets the ears warmed up for the pressure change.

Check out the links I posted in my post. There's a bunch of good info on clearing.

I always advise new divers to equalize on the surface first.  Then do a few dives to 5 feet and equalize.   I'm a nose pincher myself.  On a good day a hard snort is all I need.  I know bringing a hand up to your face during a descent can really slow you up knock about 10' off you depth.  DcBatt

I find that if you use the one hand to pinch your nose, you can use your other hand to pull yourself down a kelp stalk quickly and efficiently without exhausting yourself.