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SurfLung
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Ear Plugs for Scuba?

Wed Dec 05, 2018 11:36 am

Ear Plugs for Scuba?
- Back when I learned Scuba diving in the 1960's, we were told to NEVER use ear plugs for Scuba diving because the pressure would drive them into your ear canal. But last Summer two of my dive buddies started using a new ear plug that is supposed to be okay for diving. They're called "Doc's Pro Plugs" https://www.proplugs.com/t-applications ... iving.aspx.
Image
- The ones used for Scuba diving are vented, so apparently they let in some water, enough to transfer the pressure without driving the earplug into your ear. There's a very extensive explanation at the link above. Both of these dive buddies have used these ear plugs successfully for several dives.
- But on one dive trip, each of them experienced a dive where they had blood coming out of one ear after the dive. One of them was experiencing pain (during the dive) before the pain suddenly went away. That's the ear that had blood coming out when he surfaced.
- So, what do you think caused the bleeding? What do you think of wearing ear plugs for diving? :?:
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antique diver
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Re: Ear Plugs for Scuba?

Wed Dec 05, 2018 8:06 pm

Sure sounds like ear drum tissue giving way that caused the bleeding after pain of pressure then sudden relief.

Francie has used them on several dives with much better luck, and she thought they helped a little with equalization (which has always been a little slow for her). Until she lost them. (I hope they didn't meet in the middle somewhere) I think they made two versions, a vented one for diving and non- vented for keeping dry, but not to be used for diving.

Could it be your friends had the wrong kind or just weren't really understanding that equalization still has to be properly done when wearing the vented ones. You can't just push them in and think you can ignore physics. Duh... if it hurts you are going deeper than your ears want to you to go.... STOP and equalize! :shock:
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captain
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Re: Ear Plugs for Scuba?

Thu Dec 06, 2018 11:42 am

Excuse me for being dense but if the purpose of plugs is to keep water out of the ear exactly what purpose is there to plugs that do let water into the ear.
This is like the little girl in the dishwasher commercial asking, "exactly what does the dishwasher do" because her mother washes the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
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antique diver
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Re: Ear Plugs for Scuba?

Thu Dec 06, 2018 2:19 pm

captain wrote:
Thu Dec 06, 2018 11:42 am
Excuse me for being dense but if the purpose of plugs is to keep water out of the ear exactly what purpose is there to plugs that do let water into the ear.
This is like the little girl in the dishwasher commercial asking, "exactly what does the dishwasher do" because her mother washes the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
Very good question. Sounds crazy to be putting ear plugs in to go diving. This link gives a better explanation, but basically they are supposed to assist equalization. I have never tried them, but FT found that they seemed to give her a little help. https://www.proplugs.com/t-applications ... iving.aspx
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Chris
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Re: Ear Plugs for Scuba?

Fri Dec 07, 2018 10:14 pm

I used them for many dives with no problem untill I lost one. They did not seem to help with equalization nor do I see how they would. They are vented through a tiny hole to equalize preasure. What they do: they keep you from getting a shot of freezing cold water from slamming into your ear drum every time you turn your head. Some water will get in, but it warms up and stays there. If fitted right, which is the hard part, they dont leak much. I wonder if these gentleman are those that produce much ear wax, and plugged the tiny vent hole.

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swimjim
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Re: Ear Plugs for Scuba?

Sat Dec 08, 2018 9:11 am

Not vintage, but if you want to keep your noggin warm and not have cold water getting to your ears, these guys ( http://www.otterbaysuits.com/Otter_Bay_ ... suits.html ) make custom hoods that are really great. 12mm on top and 5mm around your face and neck. Just the thing for sub 40 degree diving.

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Bronze06
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Re: Ear Plugs for Scuba?

Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:35 am

captain wrote:
Thu Dec 06, 2018 11:42 am
Excuse me for being dense but if the purpose of plugs is to keep water out of the ear exactly what purpose is there to plugs that do let water into the ear.
This is like the little girl in the dishwasher commercial asking, "exactly what does the dishwasher do" because her mother washes the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

Ditto and I'll pass on this junk.
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SurfLung
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Re: Ear Plugs for Scuba?

Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:59 pm

My dive buddy friends use these ear plugs to help avoid ear infections BUT I have a different take...

My first bout with diving ear infections was in my commercial clam diving job back in 1973. The boss said we should clean out our ears after diving with a Q-tip and alcohol. Pretty soon after I started doing this, I got an ear infection. When I told the doctor about the ear cleaning procedure, he explained that "Ear Wax Protects Your Ear From Ear Infections"... Don't remove it with Q-tips and alcohol. For the rest of that Summer, I was able to keep diving with the aid of "Scuba Queen" ear cups that kept my ears dry at ambient pressure with a little hose connecting them to my mask.

My next ear infection came after using a set of ear plugs for noise reduction. They were those flanged type plugs with ridges that looked like a Christmas tree and every time I pulled them out, the flanges scooped a bunch of ear wax out and rubbed on my ear canal. Got a nice ear infection there.

When I got back into diving in 2011, I got an ear infection because after a dive my ears had some water in them and some softened wax... And they itched. So, I itched them with a Q-Tip... And it felt so good until I got an ear infection. When I went to the doctor, he said the most common cause of ear infections is people itching their ears with Q-tips. They even had a name for it: "Q-tip Ear".

So I learned from this to avoid ear infections by not disturbing the ear wax in my ears. Scrubbing and itching them with a Q-Tip disturbs the ear wax so I don't do it. Wearing ear plugs also disturbs the ear wax, so I don't do that either.

Image
Above Left: Scuba Queen hood with dry ear cups and ambient pressure tube.
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

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Britmarine
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Re: Ear Plugs for Scuba?

Sun Dec 16, 2018 10:47 am

Just throwing the following into the mix from this side of the pond....

1. A page from the 1950s catalogue of the French diving equipment company Hurricane: Protège-oreilles
Image
The caption reads: "EAR CUPS. Rubber. They fit every HURRICANE diving mask and eliminate the unpleasant effects of water entering the ear canals when diving.

2. A page from the 1966 catalogue of the British diving equipment company Typhoon: Ear cups
Typhoon_1966_15_ear_cups.jpg

3. The spare hood of a "Sadko-1" underwater sportsman's drysuit made in the USSR
s-l16009c.jpg
s-l16003b.jpg
Note the small green tube on either side of the hood. Each is located over one of the diver's ears and leads through to a sponge pad on the inside with a small hole in the centre to relieve pressure on the eardrums during a dive.
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