A few months down the line, and after completing another fifty dives, I am glad to report that my ear has healed back to full thickness.

An interesting point is that my damaged ear (my left) seems to have healed better than it was previously. If anything, my right struggles to equalise when bubbling. Tests with the audiologist seem to show that it is a result of the right membrane becoming ’slack’, possibly from diving.

It is hard to pinpoint, but if I could give a single piece of advice, it is to listen to your body when diving and have the courage to call a dive off if you are congested. The worst thing you could ever do is destroy your diving career all for catching that elusive cray, only to find out it is undersized!