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Swim Plugs and Surfer Plugs

Your ears are delicate organs, and

exposing your ear canal to water makes

you more likely to develop ear problems

that can permanently affect your

hearing. That’s why people who swim

and surf on a regular basis should

consider getting swim plugs or surfer

plugs to keep water out of the ear.

Problems Caused By Water

There are two major issues that swim plugs and surfer plugs protect against.

First, swimmer’s ear is when water washes away the protective coating of

ear wax and leads to bacteria growth in the ear canal. Repeated bacterial

ear canal infections can affect your hearing. The other, potentially more

serious problem is surfer’s ear. This is caused by repeated exposure to cold

water and wind that leads to bony growths in the inner ear, causing infection

and hearing problems.

How Swim Plugs and Surfer Plugs Help

Swim plugs are designed to keep water out of your ears by creating a

waterproof seal in the bowl-shaped portion of your ear. That way, no water

gets into your ear canal while you are swimming. Surfer plugs achieve

largely the same results, but they are also made in a way that they don’t

block sound. This allows you to more fully experience surfing by hearing the

sounds of the waves and ocean and chatting with other surfers while you’re

out waiting for the next set.

Your audiologist can help you select the best type of ear plug to get for your

particular water activities. Often a custom fitted ear plug is the best choice

because it can create the best seal against water, but recreational swimmers

and surfers who are susceptible to ear infections can opt for less expensive

one-size ear plugs or moldable plugs, which are especially good for kids.