When Good Ears Go Bad
By Sam Bleakley
Silver Soup from Wave Films on Vimeo.
Many surfers like punk, post-punk and punk rock, and they like it loud. Just listen to surf movie soundtracks. Musicians will tell you that constant exposure to loud music will damage your ears. Surfers have another problem – constant exposure to cold water, aggravated by cold winds, can cause ‘surfers’ ear’. Below the hot, buzzing solos marked on the faces of winter waves is a relentless grinding, the regular pulse of a rooted bass, where the body carries out its own protection to keep the eardrum warm by slowly developing lumps of new bony growth (exostoses) that narrow the ear canal and can eventually block it. This can lead to trapping of debris and painful infections; and in the worst case scenario, deafness. If the growth is bad, you can have the bony lumps drilled out, but this keeps you out of the water for three months, can be painful and carries risk of complications.
So, where protection is better than cure, invest in a proper pair of ear plugs early in your surfing career and avoid this problem. Blutac is excellent, as long as you don’t get it stuck in your hair. The foamy ‘swim plugs’ are bad because they are porous, let in water and trap it inside. The christmas tree ‘swim plugs’ are better, but will not make a perfect fit. ‘Proplugs’ are good if you find the right size, plus you can hear through them. I use custom-made plugs. The audiologist, or a specialislast ‘surf plug’ manufacturer, squirts silicon gel in your ear. This hardens to the exact shape, acting as a mould to make a set. These are gems. I have not had an infection in nearly twenty years, and my bony ear growth is reversing. Make an appointment through the audiology department at your local hosptial, or check out the new wave of specialist ‘surf plug’ brands, and they will measure you up and get a custom set made for you. The cost is minimal in comparison with the long term health benefits.
At 17 I had a chronic long term ear infection affecting one ear drum with almost total ear canal closure. A surfing surgeon recommended full time use of moulded earplugs. There was no way I ever wanted to relive the pain of that ear infection whilst I was taking my A-Level exams to get a place to study Geography at Cambridge University. My ears were so closed that one drop of water would block them for a week. It meant I even needed to wear plugs in the shower. It took me a while to get used to plugs, but now I don’t notice, and your balance is certainly not affected.
Surfing awakens your senses. Don’t lose them. Keep your ears warm and dry.
Silver Soup from Wave Films on Vimeo.
Many surfers like punk, post-punk and punk rock, and they like it loud. Just listen to surf movie soundtracks. Musicians will tell you that constant exposure to loud music will damage your ears. Surfers have another problem – constant exposure to cold water, aggravated by cold winds, can cause ‘surfers’ ear’. Below the hot, buzzing solos marked on the faces of winter waves is a relentless grinding, the regular pulse of a rooted bass, where the body carries out its own protection to keep the eardrum warm by slowly developing lumps of new bony growth (exostoses) that narrow the ear canal and can eventually block it. This can lead to trapping of debris and painful infections; and in the worst case scenario, deafness. If the growth is bad, you can have the bony lumps drilled out, but this keeps you out of the water for three months, can be painful and carries risk of complications.
So, where protection is better than cure, invest in a proper pair of ear plugs early in your surfing career and avoid this problem. Blutac is excellent, as long as you don’t get it stuck in your hair. The foamy ‘swim plugs’ are bad because they are porous, let in water and trap it inside. The christmas tree ‘swim plugs’ are better, but will not make a perfect fit. ‘Proplugs’ are good if you find the right size, plus you can hear through them. I use custom-made plugs. The audiologist, or a specialislast ‘surf plug’ manufacturer, squirts silicon gel in your ear. This hardens to the exact shape, acting as a mould to make a set. These are gems. I have not had an infection in nearly twenty years, and my bony ear growth is reversing. Make an appointment through the audiology department at your local hosptial, or check out the new wave of specialist ‘surf plug’ brands, and they will measure you up and get a custom set made for you. The cost is minimal in comparison with the long term health benefits.
At 17 I had a chronic long term ear infection affecting one ear drum with almost total ear canal closure. A surfing surgeon recommended full time use of moulded earplugs. There was no way I ever wanted to relive the pain of that ear infection whilst I was taking my A-Level exams to get a place to study Geography at Cambridge University. My ears were so closed that one drop of water would block them for a week. It meant I even needed to wear plugs in the shower. It took me a while to get used to plugs, but now I don’t notice, and your balance is certainly not affected.
