Tried a Kirby Morgan band mask for a week on a job in Galveston, got a weird result with ear equalization

I usually dive with a full face mask, the kind with the oval seal. Last month on a pipeline inspection job in Galveston, I borrowed a buddy's Kirby Morgan band mask to try out. First two dives were fine, but by day three I started having trouble equalizing my left ear on descent. Never had that problem before with my usual setup. After messing with it, I realized the band mask puts pressure on a different spot behind my jaw which changes how my eustachian tubes work. Switched back to my old mask on day four and the issue went away completely. My buddy swears by band masks though, says they're more stable in currents. Has anyone else noticed a connection between mask type and ear clearing? Or am I just unlucky with my anatomy?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_anderson20d ago

Huh, I mean you might just be unlucky with your anatomy, because I've never had that issue with band masks.

parkerbrown20d ago

Nah, I see it differently. I don't think it's anatomy luck. I've talked to a few guys who had the same thing happen with band masks. The strap placement absolutely changes how your jaw sits, and that can mess with your eustachian tubes if you're prone to any tightness there. I had the same issue on a job in the Gulf a few years back, swapped to a different mask and it fixed itself. Your buddy's right about stability in current, but not everyone can handle the way it pulls. Some people just can't clear in a band mask no matter what they do.

vera_robinson3620d ago

Wound up with a similar problem trying out a friend's old Voit mask once, thought I was going to lose an ear drum on a shallow dive. Turns out the skirt was too stiff for my face shape, had nothing to do with the straps themselves really but the combination just pinched everything wrong. Swapped back to my usual soft silicone and it was like magic, no more pressure trapping.