equalising?

[shortcuts]

You can buy a hood with it which is double skinned incorporating two pre cut holes. The inner one of which is larger to allow for the ear cups and the outer one is smaller to retain the cups. If that makes sense!
When you equalise your mask (blow a small amount of air into it through your nose) the earcups are also equalised via the tubes linking the mask and earcups.
Somewhere on the emed site (link below) they discuss it but you will have to search for it yourself as I'm a bit busy atm. Good luck. It works for me.

http://www.e-med.co.uk/diving/dive_quest...cat=76#top

[Mike Ward]

I'm used to be rubbish at remembering to equalise, and was usually so distracted by other stuff that my ears had to become ever so slightly painful before I remembered! By the end of a weeks diving I found my ears could be quite sore - with a sort of sharp sensation in the left ear particularly as I equalised, and if I'd left it a bit late and was deeper than I should have been it was even more painful to equalise than not.

Being a bit slowe, it took me a while, but I've now tried to change the way I equalise, doing so regularly on the descent and before I'm aware of any need to do so. I can still descend at freefall speed, but now I equalise every metre or two - and it works, no pain, no sore ears.

Yes, I know, blindingly obvious - but I've never claimed great intellectual abiltity!

[kc86sting]

Have you tried equalising on the surface and then immediately as you go under, I tend to wiggle my jaw a lot as well. On land If you practice equalising don't if have a sore throat/cold symptoms as that can force bacteria up into the ear.
Has your buddy considered if they get into problems and there on the bottom then they are on their own and a lot further away from the surface as you will be descending slowly, it may never have occured to them.