Ear infections are common if you always leave water in your ears after swims/dives. There are actually many causes of difficult equalizing and hopefully yours is just a simple infection. If it is due to outer ear infection, vinegar drops can reduce occurrence. If its an inner ear infection, it might be connected to your nose, turbinates, throat or sinuses. Which is probably what your case is.

Also, just a gentle reminder, check your equalizing technique before attributing it to an infection. Secondary ear barotrauma can result from poor equalizing technique, making it look like an infection later.

5mm is thick. I suggest you make a few dives using a rented wetsuit before making that choice. Unless you're actually contemplating to collect em all.

if what i think youre saying is correct yes obviously i intend to collect them all a more or less full personal equipment but in progressive stages obviously. right now im just focusing on the basic equipment previously mentioned in my past posts.

amusingly enough i trawled about the internet and found various people saying most instructors are guilty of using 5mm,semi dry or even dry suits in malaysian warm waters so im kind of assured that i really shouldnt be regretting on my own personal choices.

This post has been edited by KiraTomaru: Jun 29 2016, 08:03 PM

i meant collecting wetsuits of different thickness. Then it wouldnt matter that 5mm will be overkill, coz you'll have others to fall back to.

But yea bro. Your life, your dives. Get a less than ideal gear, just settle to it and then love it. Then later focus on how to dive and maybe the reason you dive.

Check out Scubatex for powered mask. I'm not 100% sure if they sell them at MIDE but I'm sure they do. Even if it's not MIDE price, it should be quite affordable.

I have a rotting powered mask at home, contact lens all the way. Get dailies, no maintenance, just use and throw. Bring spare spectacles on your dive trips. I've lost many things to the sea before.

Welcome to the underwater world!

Go see an ENT specialist for a check up. And yes, make sure you are completely healed before going on your next dive.

5mm in Malaysian/SEA waters? Hows your body size like?

The water temp is getting warmer these days. I wear a wetsuit is because I'm afraid of triggerfish.

even 3mm is over kill for east coast islands.... unless diving DEEP all the time...

Yup they do. Sometimes they might not have the lens u need they can change for you back at their store but you buy first at MIDE. A bit mafan.

Got my ear infection from pool dive in shah alam pool lol. Hurt but yeah take the meds and go for follow up if needed. It recovered quickly.

im not sure how to describe my stature like but all i can say is im reasonably thin. oh and so i read triggerfish are highly territorial and badly tempered wouldnt want them fishies biting...

You could try a wetsuit jacket..it can be worn on top of a wetsuit/rashgard. When the waters warm, i'll just wear my fleece-like rashgard..if it's cold then i'll just add on my jacket on top of the rashgard for extra thermal protection.

Mine is recovering too. Next time I shall be more becareful haha.

How to be more careful? decrease the ascend / descend speed? or deepstop?

Dont forget to equalize properly..

I suffered a reverse block in that pool once

FYI

http://www.scubaboard.com/community/thread...ea.16525/page-2

that just proves my point....and its the exact thread which i quoted from with plenty of people saying from 0.5 all the way to 5mm. lets just leave it at this case being a YMMV and for my mileage it just might be that. okay?

FYI, not all locations are that cold. specially in malaysia. 5mm is too much for malaysian waters.
Locations like Nusa Penida is cold but you wont be diving there often unless you like Bali a lot.
Some places temp might get cold too but depends on the season. Anilao was cold during Nov-Jan but warm in May onwards.

That being said. Its not my money so happy shopping

that thread is from 2002. most likely the temperature has gone way up. last year in sabah during my dive it was 24 celcius average. this year, 29 celcius average at the same place.

And it was very very unconvenience while going to wash room after each dive. Unless u plan to settle in your 5mm wetsuit.😅

This post has been edited by kentmeng: Jul 1 2016, 07:23 AM

you went during the same month?

yup. early may 2015 and end april 2016. didn't expect the temperature to increase so much though. advised to wear a wetsuit last year but not this year.