Ear Problems in Diving: Part 1 — The Outer Ear

Lars Chittka; Axel Brockmann; as modified by Jmarchn / CC BY 4.0
Lars Chittka; Axel Brockmann; as modified by Jmarchn / CC BY 4.0

Many people suffer from ear problems during and after diving. Technical rebreather diver and underwater photographer Dr. Michael Rothschild is an ear, nose and throat specialist in New York City. In this series, he walks us through some of the common causes of dive-related ear problems, and how to treat and prevent them.

Kate Jonker Portfolio

Softness, by Kate Jonker
Softness, by Kate Jonker. Tubular hydroid, photographed using a very slow shutter speed and wide-open aperture to create a dreamy effect. Lit with two torches, one with a yellow filter and one with a pink filter

Kate Jonker is an award-winning underwater photographer and coach, internationally published writer and public speaker, dive boat captain and dive guide based in South Africa.

My Favorite UW Pix: "Sea Legs" — Contributors' Picks

Frogfish, photo by Sheryl Checkman
Photo by Sheryl Checkman: Frogfish, Edge dive site, Alor, Indonesia. Gear: Olympus OMD EM5 Mark II camera, M. Zuiko 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6 lens at 9mm, Olympus PT-EP13 housing, Sea&Sea YS D-1 strobe. Exposure: ISO 200, f/4.5, 1/125s

We asked our contributors what their favorite underwater photos were of the legs, arms or tentacles of critters underwater. And they came back with a variety of subjects from curious crustaceans and cephalopods to jellyfish, sea stars, feather stars, frogfish and even people underwater.