Question for you experienced free divers / scuba divers......

The reason is that little hole allows small drops of water in and my ears have time to warm it up.  I think the ease of clearing is a result of the ears being warmer. 

 

Nate

I've often wondered if the cold contributed to my difficulty in clearing my ears (IE cold mucus is thicker than warm) yes maybe a little too graphic.  But now after my earlier anti plug addition to this thread,,,,,, I think I gotta try these,

Thanks for the idea Nate.

  Hey Mooch et al.,

Let me know if you get up to Van Dammne to dive sometime.  I'd love to join in the fun and you guys can camp at my place.  Big spare bedroom here too:
         -Matt

,,,, I think I gotta try these,

Thanks for the idea Nate.

Sure, I hope it works for you.  I have a buddy that had to get his ears drilled.  It was pretty gnarly. 

Call around the surf and dive shops and see who carries them.  Ask if they have the sizing kit.  It's basically one of every size of the plugs you can try on.  They will (should) wipe it clean with alcohol before you try it. 

I already scored dive fins from Fuzz....I might be able to MOOCH more stuff

Dude you just reminded me that I mooched some fins off him too.  I still gotta pay him. 

Call around the surf and dive shops and see who carries them.  Ask if they have the sizing kit.  It's basically one of every size of the plugs you can try on.  They will (should) wipe it clean with alcohol before you try it. 

Just an FYI: We do have the sizing kit at Aquan (and we do clean 'em with alcohol pads after every use).

Not really into the ab thing......I'm more for the spearing

Oh you will be. Ab diving is just plain good practice for any underwater activity.
I wonder of those who freedive whether they did ab diving first then started spearing or visa versa.

Not really into the ab thing......I'm more for the spearing

Oh you will be. Ab diving is just plain good practice for any underwater activity.
I wonder of those who freedive whether they did ab diving first then started spearing or visa versa.

That's what I was thinking too, Tote. 

Joel:  you'll be a way better spearfisherman if you do some ab diving.  Tote is right on about ab diving being good practice for any underwater activity.  It's because ab diving requires getting right down into the terrain of the bottom instead of just hovering above the structure as people often do when learning to free-dive.  There are rare times when the current and visibility allow a hovering spearfishing strategy, and those days are incredible.  The regular M.O. would be much more focused on hunting through the terrain, chest on the bottom for me, finding the fish in their habitat, up close.  That's what you have to be comfortable with to be successful as a spearfisherman.

Tote:  it was abbing first for me.   

When I first started ab diving I loved being in the ocean but it intimidated the hell out of me and I couldn't bring myself to do the;

"chest on the bottom",,,,,,,,,,,"head in a hole",,,,,,,,,,,,,"body wedged into crack"

thing for about 2 whole seasons, needless to say my success rate wasn't that good, then something clicked, and the ocean no longer intimidated me, I felt at home in the water and the surge became a friend instead of a foe.

That was over 20 years ago and I love being in the water as much today as at any time in the past.

Thanks for reminding me,  

i started out abbing too. it takes a while to condition yourself to be able operate effectively on the ocean floor. i reccomend dropping your ab-iron a few times before bringing your speargun out there.

I started ab diving and spearfishing the same weekend, though I tried for the abs first. 

I've never thought to use earplugs, when I clear my mask the air goes into my hood and tends to stay there so that my ears are actually dry 95% of the time (floating around looking down). 

For diving pretty deep....as you guys do.....is a mask preferable to goggles?

Judd

Holy crap, Judd!  Goggles?!!     I only dive 10' and less most of the time and I'd never use goggles in the ocean.  You've got to have a mask, my man!   

Judd,

Go down to Steele's (The Original Steele's) on Telegraph.  That's where I bought all my (first) gear in '85.  They're the most honest dive shop I've ever been in.  They will sell you (or rent) what you need, not the most expensive thing they can get you to buy. I sent a guy there from work just about 2 weeks ago, he came back happy they seem to have the same attitude today they did back then.

It's an interesting place, I won't say anymore, but 23 years later I still drive there from the east bay to buy whatever I need in the way of gear, which isn't much once you have what you need.

Judd, I can float you a mask bro.  Its not the coolest one on the planet but its functional.  PM me an address.


And like p spark, I did them both on the same day.  Its a long trip up north for me, I figure if I'm there I may as well do both. 

Art is it as functional as your paddle?