SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/scuba-ear-pain-four-feet

Without equalizing, about how deep can you go before your ears begin to hurt?

About 4 feet.

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  1. About 40 feet
  2. About 20 feet
  3. About 4 feet ✔

Why: At 4 feet the water pushes on your eardrums about 1.78 psi harder than the air behind them. The eardrums bulge inward and stretch, and pain starts.

Huh, didn't know that: By about 6 feet, DAN says the ear tubes can be locked shut by pressure, making equalizing impossible.

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Four feet down and my ears already filed a complaint.
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References

Answer: About 4 feet. At 4 feet the water pushes on your eardrums about 1.78 psi harder than the air behind them. The eardrums bulge inward and stretch, and pain starts.

  1. DAN: How Your Ears Respond to Pressure dan.org/health-medicine/health-resource/smart-guides/beat-the-squeeze-equalize-like-a-pro/how-your-ears-respond-to-pressure
    At four feet the pressure difference increases to 1.78 psi.
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  2. DAN: How Your Ears Respond to Pressure dan.org/health-medicine/health-resource/smart-guides/beat-the-squeeze-equalize-like-a-pro/how-your-ears-respond-to-pressure
    Nerve endings in your eardrum are stretched. You begin to feel pain.
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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