Equalization is keeping the air in your middle ear at about the
same pressure/volume as the other air inside you and the water
around you.

As you go deeper, you will need to 'pump' minimal amounts of
air into your middle ear by the process you describe as pre-equalizing.

Keep doing it while going down as soon as your ears tell you to.
Pre-equalizing all at once for a deeper skin dive would hurt quite a
bit.

On the way up, the extra air expands and needs to get out of your
middle ear. It usually goes all by itself, you just feel a slight
pressure
and kear a slight clicking noise.

If you feel pain on the way up, try going back down a bit or to at
least
stay level, and swallow several times, yawn, or wiggle your jaw to help

the air out.

If you still experience problems after a bit of practice, you can try
hot Thai food, decongestants, or an ENT specialist. Don't force it,
a small congestion in the Eustachian tube can easily be stronger
than an eardrum.