Have not SCUBA dived in about four years, had some damage done to my ear, getting back into it….questions?

I got certified about 8 years ago and on my last dive of my certification day,i had trouble equalizing and there was a lot of pain. I had water in my ear for a couple of days after. I think I blew to hard and forced my equalizing. I have dove once more since and it was not as bad; but there was discomfort and slight pain still. My buddies recently got certified so, obviously, i want to dive with them. I have been scared to go diving because my ear problems. I can equalize pretty well in my pool. It is easier for me to equalize when I dont have a hood on…can that mean anything?
What should i do?
Any tricks for equalizing?
Should I see a doctor first?
Should I just do a dive and see if i could equalize without pain?

Have a doc check your ears, too make sure there was no lasting problems.

Then, take a SCUBA refresher course. An instructor will go over all the base skills with you again, to make sure you dive safe.

Just remember to equalise early and often. Start at the surface, and every couple feet you decend.

Find a technique that works for you. Some people need to do the pinch and blow, some use a jaw pop, and others use a combonation of these. If one works well on land, it will work well underwater, provided you do it often.

The Diver’s Ear – Under Pressure, part 1-6

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