Best earplugs for sufers ear'

pooh beach's picture
pooh beach started the topic in Sunday, 23 Feb 2014 at 5:41pm

Gday,

Just had both ears operated on for surfers ear, and now ready for the water.

Can anyone recommend a good set of earplugs for keeping the water out/that I can still hear with in the water?

I have used Sorky earplugs which were awesome but had 3 of them fall out when surfing so am onto my 3rd pair. Worth mentioning that Trigger Bros did replace for me free when the first one came out.

Thanks in advance!

pooh beach's picture
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pooh beach Tuesday, 9 Dec 2014 at 9:02pm

also when I wrote that post in Feb I had only lost 3 pairs all prior to ear op, I was hoping that post op with ear canal size difference that they might stay in so gave them another try. Went through another 2 pairs after op and so 5 pairs down, my opinion changed.

pooh beach's picture
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pooh beach Tuesday, 9 Dec 2014 at 9:25pm

[quote} I feel like this is kinda aimed at me cause I stuck up the EQ vid. Whilst I do know a couple of the blokes in the vid who use them (and like em) I'm in no way spruiking anything. If I want I can get a set at discount price, but guess what, I still choose blu-tack over all comers...ya may not hear much, but the tacky shit sure fuckin works, and sticks like shit to a blanket. And who really wants to listen to a bunch of knobs dribble shit in the water for two hours anyway ;-)

PS. I had no idea EQ's were rebranded Sorky plugs. If I'd known I wouldn't have bothered you with such a shit product! [quote}

My bad Green apologies mate (there had been instances of spamming earlier in thread hence my being suss on the vid) and definitely agree with you as far as blu tack being 100% reliable. It's worth noting all the $5-$10 cheap plugs I've used from the chemist that don't allow you to hear have all been awesome in terms of both not falling out and keeping the water out, I am just determined to find ones which stay in AND still allow me to hear. I like chatting with the lads in the lineup, especially when the surfs rubbish. Plus not being able to hear the ocean fucks up my chi! and takes out some of the enjoyment of being out there, especially when it's pumping.

trippergreenfeet's picture
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trippergreenfeet Tuesday, 9 Dec 2014 at 9:26pm

Pooh re: not being able to hear the ocean screwing with ya chi...I know what ya mean, kinda like being in the Get Smart "cone of silence" .

I've also used the standard issue foam and rubber plugs from work, while they stay in, I'm not convinced that moisture is kept at bay.
I'm looking at the ear op myself in the near future, these days I cant even get a plug in my right ear it's that far gone.

udo's picture
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udo Wednesday, 10 Dec 2014 at 7:50am

Ill give EQs a try.......pierce a tiny hole thru the end of each plug with a hot pin and join them together with some light weight fishing line.

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Puzzled Wednesday, 10 Dec 2014 at 11:20am

After trying nearly every commercial product (other than custom made plugs), I still reckon Mac's Auquaplugs are the best and easiest (and cheapest!) option.
http://www.macksearplugs.com/details/ear-plugs-for-swimming/aquablock-ea...

trippergreenfeet's picture
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trippergreenfeet Wednesday, 10 Dec 2014 at 11:55am

Those mack plugs look similar to some of the industrial earplugs I've used...probably the next best plug to using blu tack I've come across.

trippergreenfeet's picture
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trippergreenfeet Wednesday, 10 Dec 2014 at 12:08pm

Pooh, you could always sport Mack's Ear Band, you'd be the hippest cat in the water, yew!

pooh beach's picture
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pooh beach Wednesday, 10 Dec 2014 at 1:27pm

Hah! if it means I get cuddles of hot mums like this one then I'd be willing to give it a run.

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Bruce Richards Saturday, 13 Dec 2014 at 2:57pm

Blu-tack, but not in tropical water.

Purplepills's picture
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Purplepills Sunday, 20 Mar 2016 at 3:36am

Surfers ear brand now have cord pooh beach just ordered a set after a bout of vertigo result of filthy water ear infection and to keep the surfers ear at bay now the cold winds have started.

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Mightymat's picture
Mightymat Sunday, 20 Mar 2016 at 12:10pm

Hi all my name is Mathew, and my business is called Surfers Earplugs Australia. I have suffered from exostoses for over 25 years and have undergone operations on both of my ears. I have worked together with BPI makers of Mighty Plugs to improve the water blocking capabilities of their amazing plugs. They are mouldable and can be sized to fit any ear size, just like blu-tac. My Mighty Plugs for Water Sports are made from beeswax, lanolin and cotton like the originals but we have tweaked the recipe to improve their performance in water. I like to surf reasonably heavy waves and I don't want my plugs to come out, most of the time my plugs don't let in a drop of water, you just need to take a little bit of care and follow my insertion instructions. It takes a few surfs to get used to wearing them if you haven't worn plugs before, the noise blocking doesn't effect your balance but it will freak you out at first. I often recommend that if people have one ear that is worst than the other? To block that puppy up first and get used to the feeling.
Check out my website if you like. www.surfersearplugs.com.au I am getting heaps of positive feedback.

trippergreenfeet's picture
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trippergreenfeet Sunday, 27 Mar 2016 at 7:20pm

Seeing Matthew from surfersearplugs spruik his wares in the above post I thought I'd look into them.
I've got this shitty ear that through a lifetime of abuse and and incident, now has an ear canal so small that no ear plug on the market I've tried so far will fit, and if they do fit, fall out in the water. So I figured $13 for a set was no big gamble if they were the lucky plugs for me.

Wore them for the first time today...by taking only a small amount of the plug material , shaping it to a point which was easy... material is pliable yet has good structure and form holding ability, and getting it in my ear worked well enough in the carpark.

Paddled out into big, onshore conditions, surfing an inside corner (sorry, too much Turpel of late haha) wearing plenty of bombs on the head...suffice to say, these are the first plugs that haven't been too big, popped out or leaked water that I've tried, ever...thanks Matthew, my ears are stoked mate :-)

udo's picture
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udo Sunday, 27 Mar 2016 at 7:34pm

He looks and sounds like that Brian Houston bloke from the Hillsong Church mob.

trippergreenfeet's picture
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trippergreenfeet Sunday, 27 Mar 2016 at 7:35pm

Now that's one hell of a doppelganger.

blindboy's picture
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blindboy Sunday, 27 Mar 2016 at 8:59pm

......but are they better than blu-tac? I have used it for years. Use it once throw it away.

Hako o hakonde ni-biki no inu's picture
Hako o hakonde ni-biki no inu's picture
Hako o hakonde ... Sunday, 27 Mar 2016 at 9:23pm

Board wax is as good as blue tac, always remember the wax ot always the blue tac.
Picked that up in Durban due to the filthy water.

blindboy's picture
blindboy's picture
blindboy Monday, 28 Mar 2016 at 11:09am

Board wax includes the same basic substance as blu tac.

kbomb's picture
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kbomb Wednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 7:34pm

Anyone used the new surfears with the leash get? Be interested to know thoughts.

pooh beach's picture
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pooh beach Thursday, 28 Apr 2016 at 12:37am

yep I've tried them Kbomb, I found them not great, I already lost the little ear hook piece on one of them trying to adjust it in the surf, they are really fiddly to reassemble if the hook comes off (this is hard to describe but you will understand what I mean if you try a pair) they don't come with spare hook, only spare plugs so I haven't been able to use them since. Personally I wouldn't recommend them. I only use Macks Aqua Block earplugs now, you can still hear pretty good with them and way cheaper than surf ears and they don't fall out either. I just get em online here: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281349411871
Worth a try if you haven't already and they are cheap as.

poo-man's picture
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poo-man Thursday, 28 Apr 2016 at 4:44am

Yep I've tried them too. Personally I found the original version better and it took me 18 months before I finally lost one hence recently got the new ones. That rubber string thing is annoying and I'm having a bit of trouble getting the fit right. My personal view is version 2.0 is worse than the first certainly for comfort

BobC's picture
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BobC Thursday, 28 Apr 2016 at 5:05am

Benny Hill just stuck his fingers in his ears and sang Ting a ling a loo.

yeti's picture
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yeti Monday, 9 May 2016 at 8:33am

I'm currently testing the surfears 2.0. I've got exostosis growing in both my ears (about 60% closed last time I saw an ENT) so I'm keen on slowing it as much as possible and avoid surgery ...
So far I've tried
* silicon earplugs: okish but not 100% water tight and they fall off.
* Custom audiologist earplugs. Good but 150$, took 5 sessions to have them molded correctly and I finally lost them (not in the surf but dropped them somwhere as I was packing up after a session ... duh).
* Blue tack is probably the best non dedicated and custom solution. It was actually recommended by my ENT over custom ones. Only problem with them is that if they move slightly during the surf then they lose all efficiency as water gets in.
So what do I think of the surfears? Only tried them once so far, with the medium plug and they were reasonably water tight (as good as custom ear plugs), plus you can really hear well (weird feeling by the way). The small ear hook (they come in 2 sizes) fits me pretty well and keeps them well in place. Wasn't big or powerfull so don't know how they'll fare in stronger conditions. Have to test them with the larger plugs to see how they go. So after the first session I'm happy with them, will update on how they go on the longer term.
The best solution according to the ENT is to were a band (yeah I'm not going there) or a proper hood, to stop the wind going in. Maybe ok in winter then ...

wingnut2443's picture
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wingnut2443 Thursday, 6 Oct 2016 at 7:04pm

Hey fella's, cheers for sharing the info re: ear plugs when surfing. Just doing a bit of research before I buy some and thought I'd check on here.

Backstory - I've been feeling pretty crap for a few months now, and the doc has had me chasing my tail. Went to a knew doc and mentioned the ringing in my ears, sore ears, on and off blocked ears (which I have mentioned to the previous doc) and he had a good look, yep, exostoses, but he also took a swab and yep, infected. Explains a lot of why I've felt crap for a while now.

Turns out for me, the infection has probably been causing the light headed, dizzy feeling and also a lot of the fatigue / lethargy, swollen glands in my neck, and skin rash. Looking back now, it was been on and off for a few years ... ears have been sore on and off for years.

Now, the irony in this has not escaped me. Yep, user name / handle on here is essentially my nickname, wingnut, and well, you all know what that means ... :)

saltman's picture
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saltman Friday, 7 Oct 2016 at 9:36am

Lots of good info here
today I am having a re-drill- 9 years after my first exostosis surgery
Think I might invest in some blu tac

wingnut2443's picture
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wingnut2443 Saturday, 8 Oct 2016 at 8:46am

How'd the op go Saltman? Thanks for the sacrifice. Looks like a system that'll produce good swell started to prog about the time you were under the Makita.

I'm going for blu tac in crowded lineups and points. Good excuse for not hearing the person on the inside.

Otherwise, surfing with my gidget, I'll need to hear so think I'll try the surfears.

lostdoggy's picture
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lostdoggy Saturday, 8 Oct 2016 at 12:48pm

Yeh both my ears are continually infected too wingy.
Where you gonna get the surfears from?
Anyone tried both surfears 1 and 2? Surf stitch are flogging the 1s off for $30, but I've tried neither.

chook's picture
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chook Saturday, 8 Oct 2016 at 3:52pm

a few drops of aqua ear after a surf stops infections. a mate reckons it's good to put it in both before and after a surf. you can make your own batch -- it's just isopropyl alcohol and a few drops of white vinegar.

pointy's picture
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pointy Saturday, 8 Oct 2016 at 5:39pm

i've tried both EQ Seals & Surfears (original).

EQ Seals are great for keeping water out and for comfort and OK for hearing.

Surfears are great for keeping water out and for hearing but not as comfortable as the EQs

My next set will be EQs for their comfort. I'd rather their comfort over the surfears better hearing

lostdoggy's picture
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lostdoggy Saturday, 8 Oct 2016 at 6:09pm

2.0 claims they've improved both hearing and comfort, pointy?
I just bought a set off the bay for $60.
Will report back later. Have no point of reference except blu tac though.

keano's picture
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keano Saturday, 8 Oct 2016 at 9:04pm

After years of blue tack, ear infections, relationship destroying (or saving) deafness and funding my ENT doc's Aspen trips every year for a decade a few years ago I was ready to go under the knife. Or drill. 95% growth in one ear and 80% in the other. I've been surfing 30 years and had seen a bunch of mates have the op and just couldn't do it so had suffered for at least a decade. Then Creatures released Surf Ears. I've not used EQ's but I can't talk up Surf Ears enough. I've not been back to the ENT or had an ear infection since and the look on the ENT's face when I showed him the tech was one of complete dismay. No more trips to Aspen for you buddy. Being able to hear in the water is huge. They do take a little getting used to and I lost a few of the first version but I've had the version 2.0 with the strap all winter and i"m still on my first pair. And they are solid as well. After one quick surf ripped the suit off and forgot I had them on so they ended up on the carpark floor. As I drove off a semi pulled up with a fork lift on the back and the driver started to unload a bunch of stuff for the surf club that was being rebuilt. Didn't realise I lost them till the next day when I came back to surf the same break. Wandered over to where I'd parked and their they were, all squashed by the forklift. Got them back to the car and got a pair of pliers on them and I'm still using the same pair today. Used creatures gear for years now, this is just another great piece of hardware from the company. Thank f**k someone have sorted this tech out.

wingnut2443's picture
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wingnut2443 Sunday, 9 Oct 2016 at 8:16am

@ lostdoggy - I c u ordered some, but for reference, for anyone else I just called up Creatures and asked for the local stockists. A spunky sounding and extremely helpful Elle answered the phone and gave me a few options in the local area.

Thanks keano, good to hear ... I used the 2.0 for the first time yesterday, but don't think I put them in correctly because they sounded "squishy" with what sounded like some water in the ear. The sound was different to when I had tried them at home, a bit more mufdled which I think was due to some water getting in ... while getting the fit at home I didn't try them with any water. Might do that today to check fitting, sound, comfort.

saltman's picture
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saltman Sunday, 9 Oct 2016 at 1:19pm

The surgery these days is a walk in the park compared to the first two
Going through the ear instead of behind the ear = so much better
Enjoying the painkillers ...even if not 100% necessary

lostdoggy's picture
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lostdoggy Sunday, 9 Oct 2016 at 1:58pm

Good to hear, saltman. Is the new through the ear method standard practice now? And how long out of the water?

keano's picture
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keano Sunday, 9 Oct 2016 at 9:22pm

@wingnut- trick is not to push them in too far. Took me a while to work that out after pushing blu tack as far as I could into my ear for years but they seem to work best when you just place them in the ear. Keen to hear reports on anything else going on the market.

wingnut2443's picture
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wingnut2443 Monday, 10 Oct 2016 at 4:50pm

cheers keano, I'll try that. I used 'em again today, and checked in the mirror so knew they were in, but, as you've now pointed that out, yep, I was making sure they were well in the ear. I'll try a lighter touch.

saltman's picture
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saltman Tuesday, 11 Oct 2016 at 9:58am

Yeah front door is pretty much standard of care. But I would check to be sure
Off to indo in 4 weeks. Cutting it fine

wingnut2443's picture
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wingnut2443 Tuesday, 11 Oct 2016 at 11:06am

Hey keano, you're right, lightly inserted the go ;)... Felt like they were hardly in, was going to fall out, but they didn't move and hearing, surf sounds so much better. Thanks for the tip.

My feeling, sense of how far to push them in was so they "just" fitted in, light pressure with my finger only. Sort of like only just into the ear, hardly felt like they were even there.

Thanks for the tip keano.

Hey, Saltman, how r u filling in the recovery time?

surfstarved's picture
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surfstarved Tuesday, 11 Oct 2016 at 3:54pm

I'm working with my second pair of the original model, but if I lose these ones I'll graduate on to a pair of the 2.0. Haven't had a single ear infection since I got them, whereas before the plugs I was on antibiotics and swaying around like a well-lubricated sailor every couple of months. Hopefully it will mean I won't need surgery for few more years too.

wingnut2443's picture
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wingnut2443 Tuesday, 11 Oct 2016 at 5:08pm

Funny you mention "... swaying around like a well-lubricated sailor ..." as I've had weird 'head swimming' sensations and odd 'light headed' sensations on and off for the past couple of years. As it now turns out, they may have well been caused by ear infection(s).

I could never figure it out. I'd wake up fine, have a coffee and go for a surf only to find after coming back home, having a shower and getting ready to head off to work I'd feel this weird "dizzy" feeling. I now suspect it all links back to the ears, ear infection and the exostosis.

Either that or as I suspect, work makes me sick :)

Purplepills's picture
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Purplepills Tuesday, 11 Oct 2016 at 6:22pm

Vertigo Wingnut as per above dirty water had my head swimming, and lying down sometimes felt like I was going to spin out into a blackout. Plugs I bought are the grouse - left at home during raining indo season this year regreatably. Only wear em after storms.

saltman's picture
saltman's picture
saltman Tuesday, 11 Oct 2016 at 7:39pm

Work. Sleep. Dream about surf. And fishing

ljkarma's picture
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ljkarma Tuesday, 11 Oct 2016 at 8:08pm

Vertigo and balance. If you have suffered from this you will know how scary it is.
Each of us have a bunch of tiny crystal like hard fragments floating in fluid inside our ears. Fora range of reasons sometimes they can 'escape' from their correct position, causing the very real and sickening feelings of head spinning, imbalance and dis-orientation.
I know this sounds like BS but I can assure you it is exactly what I have experienced and the really good news is that it is relatively easy to have corrected by getting the right treatment. This simply involves the gentle moving of the head in certain positions over several sessions and is a form of chiropractic/physio performed by specifically trained practitioners. It may require a few nights sleeping almost upright in between sessions but the results are like magic once the crystals are gently put back in place.

udo's picture
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udo Wednesday, 12 Oct 2016 at 1:13pm

Some intersting reading out there on those ear crystal pebbles and
'rock slides' .

saltman's picture
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saltman Thursday, 27 Oct 2016 at 8:20pm

Update on exostosis surgery. Going through the front is the way
4 weeks post op and I am good to go back in the water

nomad1's picture
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nomad1 Thursday, 27 Oct 2016 at 9:24pm

This talk has nudged me towards getting my ears checked out for exostosis... In the last couple years ive had ear infections pop up a few times, especially when surfing in warmer water. Never happened until recently so i wasnt really sure what the reasons could be.

Is it something that is immediately visible when a GP has a look down your earhole? or would they have to specifically be looking for it? I live in Norway so Im not real sure the doctors hear would see it all that often.

udo's picture
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udo Thursday, 27 Oct 2016 at 11:14pm

Cant miss them, bony growths reducing the diameter of the canal probably quite common over there the deep sea fisherman also get them .
google - exostosis ear pics

nomad1's picture
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nomad1 Friday, 28 Oct 2016 at 11:24pm

In that case I prob dont have it... but still regular infections are getting old.. so am going to try and get a gp to look into why this keeps happening rather than just treating each infection each time it pops up.

udo's picture
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udo Saturday, 29 Oct 2016 at 3:11pm

You will have them to some degree...for sure.

How long have you been surfing ?

pointy's picture
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pointy Friday, 16 Dec 2016 at 7:15am

after trying surfears (1) for 3 months I have just ordered another pair of EQ seals so that I can throw the surfears out.

for my ears: the surfears required constant adjustment in the surf, especially after duck diving and are now letting water in - I changed the size in case I had that wrong but they still let water in. They are also uncomfortable. They are also fiddly as the wing regularly comes off when taking them out.

I have had two pairs of EQ seals in the past and they never let in water & never needed to be adjusted, just put them in and forget them

The EQs are smaller that the small surfears and so I assume that I have small ear canals and don't think that the EQs would suit someone with average size ear canals - there seems to be a few people who had them fall out which is why surfears with multiple sizes in the package are a god idea for most people, but for me, I'm going back to what works for me

mcsc's picture
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mcsc Saturday, 18 Feb 2017 at 2:13pm

Anyone got updated reviews on surfears 2.0?
Or other surfing earplugs they've used?