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Surfers ear information

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Created by niftynevo > 9 months ago, 20 Oct 2015
niftynevo
QLD, 48 posts
20 Oct 2015 9:12AM
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getswellsoon.com/2014/04/04/surfers-ear/



There are only two truly distinguishable types of surfers. Those who wear earplugs and those who don't.
Those of us who don't wear ear plugs view them with feelings of curiosity, suspicion and occasionally guilt. Guilt that perhaps we should be wearing them. Most of us don't give earplugs any further consideration after that. Until the next time we're confronted by seeing someone with blue-tac in their ears. There must surely be surfers amongst us who are plug-curious. In an ideal world they see themselves wearing ear plugs whilst surfing, but something holds them back. Is it a lack of confidence to go public? Or perhaps there's something else that's stopping them taking the plunge towards ear utopia. Are ear plugs really that much of a hassle? Some of us who don't wear earplugs have experimented with them in the past.. It wasn't for them. Claims of them being too uncomfortable, poorly fitting, expensive, deafening and generally ruining the overall surf experience. The poor earplug it seems, suffers from a large amount of negative stigmatism and general resistance. Why is that? Is it just that earplugs aren't cool? Or perhaps we feel that they would blunt our senses and detract from our overall performance and experience? Some surfers, however, have taken the plunge. They won't go near water without first protecting their ears. These wise salty-dogs who do wear earplugs despite the reasons the rest of us don't. These are surfers that have spent so much time in the sea pursuing their passion, that their bones in their ear have begun to grow again. Chances are that they've suffered the consequences of this new growth. If they haven't suffered, it's likely that they know someone who has and they don't fancy one bit of it. What is it then that this plugged minority amongst us suffer or fear? What do they know that we don't? You'd have to go a long way to come across a medical condition that is more poorly understood and neglected within a sporting community as Surfer's Ear. It's not a badge of surfing honour. It's rubbish. It can keep you out of the surf, and make your life miserable with illness and pain. Pain in your head is hard to ignore and is miserable as a result. In fairness, the main reason why Surfers Ear is poorly understood in the surfing community is that it's also relatively (to other conditions) poorly understood by most in the medical community. Unless you live in a cold water surfing area, it's unlikely your GP will know much about the condition. To a land locked surgeon it can remain a rare condition of seemingly little consequence. To those surgeons that live and operate in cold water surfing communities the condition is common, and they fully appreciate the impact it can have on people's quality of life. What is Surfer's Ear? The ear canal is made from the joins of a few bones of the skull. For some reason exposure to cold water makes these bones grow. It is thought that the greater the exposure the greater the growth, but this is only a theory and not proven. When these bones in your ear canal grow they form exostosis. Exostosis comes from Greek language and means 'new bone'. This bone grows into the ear canal making it narrower. -

Photo of a surfer's right ear showing significant narrowing caused by new bone growth (exostosis).
They had been suffering from recurrent ear infections in this ear. A year previously they had their left ear exostosis successfully removed.
- These bone growths aren't dangerous and most people who have Surfer's Ear (exostosis) are completely symptom free. They may remain symptom free too. This is because a lot of people reduce the amount of time they spend in the sea before problem's start. Getting a job or having children can be useful for that. Some surfers who develop exostosis aren't so lucky. They are plagued by constant pain, recurrent infections and rarely in some of the worst cases suffer with a constant ringing in their ear. Surfing to them, once perhaps irreplaceable as a pastime, now rapidly becoming something relegated to their past. Unless they wear ear plugs.. Wearing plugs stops cold water constantly flushing the ear canal. There seems to be a relationship between exposure of the ear canal to cold water and the progression of surfers ear. They exact nature of this relationship isn't well understood by medical professionals. Once your ears have narrowed for the worse, you are essentially risking getting an infection every time you get them wet. As the ear canal narrows with these bony growths, the ears become worse at draining water and drying out after every surf. You may notice this as your ear being blocked with water for longer after being in the sea. Sea water is dirty. It's teeming with bacteria, algae & zooplankton. The longer the ear canal has water within it, the more likely it is to get irritated and develop an infection. Ear infections hurt, make you feel unwell and can make you deaf while you have them. Going in the sea with an ear infection will make the infection worse and it will subsequently take a lot longer to heal. If left untreated ear infections can smell and look horrible. If severe they can leak pus out of your ear. Not to mention spread infection to the surrounding skin on your head. It's not really known why repeated exposure to cold water makes these bones grow. It's not an area of medicine or surgery that has attracted a huge amount of funding for research. The wide acceptance for exposure to the cold to be the trigger has come from personal observations from surgeons operating to surgically remove exostosis. On the Australian East Coast for example Ear Nose & Throat (ENT) surgeons have noticed much higher incidences of Surfers Ear in surfers that live in Melbourne where the waters are cooler than in Brisbane and the Gold Coast where the waters are considerably warmer. It's not just humans either. Other mammals such as seals get exostosis too. Wetsuit technology has come on leaps and bounds in the last 10-20 years. In fact we're now actually able to make leaps and bounds whilst wearing them! Even summer wetsuits of yesteryear would have made such athleticism tricky. As a result of these developments we're able to spend more time in cold water and are able to push surfing boundaries North and South into frigid seas. Can we then expect to see Surfer's ear incidence on the rise? It seems reasonable that we will.
How Can I Tell If I Have Surfer's Ear? Unless a doctor looks in your ear you can't. As the ear canal narrows you'll start to notice it takes longer for your ears to empty during or after a surf. That sideways shaking of the head in the car park to clear them may be taking a bit longer. Or perhaps your ears clear hours later at work? Some people notice their ears feel full for a while after a surf and can even begin to ache. Aching can be a sign of irritation. Irritation is a stepping stone to infection. Bacteria and fungi absolutely love skin irritation. Especially in a nice damp and warm ear canal. You'll know if you have an ear infection. Your ear will start to really ache. Ear ache is really unpleasant, especially if you have it with a ( temporary) loss of hearing in the same ear.


A large number of surfers will have these boney growths in their ear canals (of varying size) and be completely symptom free. -

How can I prevent it? Wear earplugs. Newer designs can look cool and don't come out during that horrific low tide winter flogging. Ear utopia can actually exist! Ear plugs really do work to prevent you getting Surfers Ear. It's not essential they keep your ear completely dry either. They only need to reduce cold water flushing in your ear canal enough to allow the water in there to stay at body temperature. Much like how a wetsuit works on your skin. Don't stick things in your ear like cotton buds to try and clean or clear them. This irritates the skin further. If your ears are feeling full and taking a while to drain then there's 'Surfactant' drops that you can use.You can ask your GP about them but there's a good chance they won't know much about surfactant ear drops. Their knowledge can depend on how many surfers they have on their books and therefore how often they see Surfers Ear. You could ask in your local (surfing community) pharmacist or surf shop as they are often well versed on keeping on top of problem ears. Surfactant drops work by reducing the surface tension of the water in your ear and help it drain. A bit like washing up liquid's effect on oily water. Don't stop surfing over winter. The overwhelming message has to be to for us to go out and buy decent ear plugs and actually start wearing them.. All year round.
What is the management of Surfer's Ear? If you start getting recurrent ear infections, you've already lost the first battle. Your GP may give you courses of anti-biotic drops to help your ear infections to clear. For your infection to clear effectively however, the pus in the ear canal needs to be able to drain out. The exostosis in your ear canal can make this difficult. Your GP may refer you to an ENT surgeon to have 'micro-suction' of the ear canal to have the pus and infected debris physically removed. The debris is usually dead skin, wax and potatoes (if my Grandad is to be believed..). Micro-suction is then followed by a course of antibiotic ear drops. The exostosis, due to their obstruction of the ear canal, can block the insertion of the suction equipment and make removal of the pus tricky and less effective. The good news is that these bone growths can be removed. The principle of surgery is to widen the ear canal to improve water drainage. To understand the technique of surgery will help dispel hearsay and misinformation. -



This piece of bone is an exostosis and was chiseled off an ear canal.
The exostosis grow in particular layered way that enable them to be effectively removed using a chisel (shown next to the bone).
- ENT surgeons are a highly skilled group of surgeons. They've been removing these boney growths from ear canals for years. They're extremely skilled at it. There are two techniques surgeons use for removing the bone: drilling and/or chiseling. You are put to sleep with a general anaesthetic for the operation. A cut is made just in front or behind the ear. The skin of the ear canal that's overlying the bony growths is then lifted up as a skin flap. This skin flap is kept intact so that it can be replaced at the end of the operation to reline the ear canal. -



A drill being used to remove the bone at the base of the exostosis. The drill provides fine control and precision in areas of the ear canal where the surgeon requires. -
Drilling is the traditional method used for ear canal bone removal. The drill-bits are very small and it is an accurate and precise way of removing the bone. This can mean that bone growing next to or against the fragile eardrum can be removed with fine control. The downside of using the drill is that it is more often associated with damage to the skin overlying the bone growths. This would delay your post-op recovery time (time till you can surf again). It has also been noted that on very rare occasions some patients have had post-operative tinnitus or nerve hearing loss - which has been assumed to be due to the noise created by the drill during the operation. Tinnitus is hearing a sound when there actually is none. Like the ringing you can get in your ears after listening to loud music. Using a chisel to remove the bone has become more popular particularly in the UK and US over the last decade. Chiseling takes advantage of the way these exostosis grow. They consist of horizontal flat layers of bone cells. The chisel is used to gently fracture along these natural planes of cleavage (weak points in the bone). A bit like how you would use an axe to split wood. But with a lot more finesse! This technique makes it much easier to preserve the ear canal skin in a healthy state and the ear canal heals quickly after the operation. Surgeons who prefer the drill would however argue that the chisel is unsafe as it could create a fracture into the delicate structures in the middle ear.


Microscopes allow ENT surgeons to view such detail they are able to operate in the small confines of the ear canal.

Due to the surf culture in Cornwall UK, The Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro undertake many of these operations each year. They have had 10 years experience of using both techniques alone and in combination, reserving the drill for exostoses close to the ear drum as it offers a greater degree of accuracy. When they looked at their results they found that chisel techniques were safe, with less risk of tinnitus and hearing loss. They also observed that patients healed faster after their surgery and seemed to have less pain post-operatively.
How Long Until I Can Safely Surf Again After Surgery? After surgery it is important to allow time for the replaced skin flap to heal. This usually means 6-8 weeks out of the sea. The actual length of time will depend on the state of your ears and the extent of surgery you had. To go surfing too early means a skin infection. That leads to a nasty painful ear infection, and ultimately longer out of the surf.
Can Surfer's Ear re-occur after Surgery? Yes if you surf without earplugs! The data on how long it takes for the bones to grow back and whether drilling or chiseling makes a difference hasn't been collected and analysed. It has been suggested though that once you've had Surfers Ear, the bone in your ear is more 'sensitive' to cold water than an ear that has no history of exposure.
My GP says I have Surfers Ear & I'm getting ear problems. What now? If you're getting recurrent infections you should discuss with your GP the possibility of a referral to meet ENT surgeons. A discussion about the risks and benefits of surgery is very important. We're all unique, and the way our Surfers Ear presents itself and effects us is specific to us. A plan that works for one Surfer may not be the best plan for you. Meeting ENT surgeons initially is about forming a plan together. Surgery doesn't have to be performed. Surfers Ear can be managed with just earplugs and surfactant drops. Perhaps you don't mind getting the odd ear infection. Your discussion will focus on the benefits of surgery Vs the risks of not having it. This discussion is really important as the surgeon is able to give you a balanced view of surgery in terms of relative risk to you. Don't seek management advice from people who aren't in a position to give it. Listening to friends who have Surfers Ear and their experience can be very useful to help inform you, but shouldn't substitute professional consultation. Surgeons aren't robots who want to operate on every person that they get referred. Unlike friends or bloggers with their personal accounts, surgeons have a huge amount of experience dealing with Surfers Ear. They have seen all the risks and all the benefits from following up patients over decades of treating Surfers Ear. They have your best interests as heart.
Reaching Ear Plug Utopia Not everyone reading this article will be convinced of the merits of ear plugs. Good luck to them. Most that do believe in the merits, will probably only go so far as to make a mental step closer towards being an ear-plugged-surfer. Understandable human behaviour and still a worthy outcome for this article. Some will try ear plugs for a while, and then give up. Not seeing results challenges motivation. Hopefully a small percentage will join me by taking the plunge and embracing plugs for good. And surf happily ever after. And who knows what will happen in the future.. one day ear plugs may be cool. DISCLAIMER
-There is no substitution for being examined and treated by a medical professional. The intention of the articles on this website is to inform anyone who reads it of medical issues encountered on surf trips.This website is designed to provide general practical information not specific medical advice.A large proportion of the photos on this site are not our own. We have tried to reference all that aren't ours in good faith. Please contact us if you feel any of your pictures could be referenced better.


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Mickey Smith InterviewIn "INTERVIEWS"EAR INFECTIONIn "ILLNESSES"SURFER'S EYEIn "INJURIES"



cold waterear acheear infectionear plugssurfers earsurfing

mocha1
WA, 929 posts
20 Oct 2015 10:23AM
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My surgeon also insisted that I wear a head cover during winter, Gath Hat or Wetsuit type. He said it's not just water entering your ear ( although that contributes and does cause the ear aches - I didn't get ear infections just blocked ears) but the fact your head gets cold.
so I wear plugs - bluetac and a Gath from about May - October especially for early morning surfs.

MickPC
8266 posts
20 Oct 2015 11:40AM
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Mates make smart a55 comments about me wearing a full brim hat in winter. But the side straps keep the wind out of my ears which is the main thing that gives me grief & the hat keeps your head warm too

katana
WA, 644 posts
20 Oct 2015 12:13PM
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hard to find a doc to chisel with the risk of hitting the facial nerve believe me I tried on all 5 ear rebores

djt91184
QLD, 1211 posts
21 Oct 2015 11:33AM
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Cool some interesting info, ill be having the surgery in the near future and afterwards go the bluetac where previously I (obviously) havnt worn them because hearing is such a great sense to have whilst on the water and my balance suffers the few times I did wear em.

Katana you've had the drill 5 times? get outta here that must be some kind of record! So you had the drill with the insicion? how big is the scar does it come into the hair line?

mocha1
WA, 929 posts
21 Oct 2015 10:00AM
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They go in behind ya ear....virtually remove it

thedrip
WA, 2351 posts
21 Oct 2015 12:30PM
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Gaths work well. I tried a neoprene cap but find the Gath is less intrusive with the added benefit of protection. My doctor told me a year ago to stop being 18 and start providing my ears some relieF.

JulianRoss
WA, 541 posts
21 Oct 2015 1:49PM
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I had mine drilled out from inside the ear. Did both at the same time. The only downside was I couldn't get my ears wet for 6 weeks to allow the internal flap to heal properly. The ear was just packed with a wad of gauze. Avoids the facial nerve, and no funny hair cut to keep the hair out of a scar either.

synsies1000
WA, 270 posts
21 Oct 2015 3:46PM
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$9-$10 a pack. these are softer than the clear putty ones. last for ages as there reusable and Any chemist has them. Yeww up yours winter!

frothman
9 posts
21 Oct 2015 7:17PM
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blue tack,without doubt is the answer here
use it unlit it gets too feral,throw it away ,go another roll
most effective after a few wears when the correct consistency of ear wax and blue tack combined give it the perfect fit
available everywhere you go,cheap and effective



remarc
WA, 78 posts
21 Oct 2015 9:50PM
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With this topic running on a couple of threads thought i would share my experience with swimmers ear and prevention.

5 years ago after seeing a specialist I was booked in to have the operation with 2 of these bone growths in my right ear and 1minor growth in my left. Suffered from the usual issues with infections and constant blocked ears after surfing. Tried blue tac but hated not hearing anything, tried aqua ear but found it not always helped and was a hassle, used the chemist putty/plugs, crap, found doc pro plugs ok but didnt like the fishing line around my head so cut it off and then would loose plugs and they didn't completely stop water.

Researched online in cold climate surf areas and found these plugs called Sorky that were getting good reviews in the US. Couldn't find any retailers stocking them in the West but found them online at Zak surfboards. Ordered a set which were about $60. Not cheap but i still have them and I haven't had to have the op as I dont have problems anymore. I surf at least once a week so the best investment I ever made. Working in industry I'm use to wearing ear plugs and these feel very similar. They have a membrane in them so you can hear well. They do not let any water in if fitted correctly, are comfortable and hassle free. To fit them you push them into your ear canel with your finger then bed them in with a little plastic stick that comes with the plugs as per the photos I have attached. I think you can still get them but the name has maybe changed. Definately worth a look if your ears are keeping you out of the water.






Prawnhead
NSW, 1317 posts
22 Oct 2015 7:53AM
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Select to expand quote
katana said..
hard to find a doc to chisel with the risk of hitting the facial nerve believe me I tried on all 5 ear rebores


1 up on me !Thought i had a shot at the title with 4 !
There i was thinking i was the Mark Richards of ear bores ...damn you katana!

photosbykarlo
235 posts
22 Oct 2015 7:34AM
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I had mine drilled as well, now I use Doc Pro Plugs, seem to be doing the job

katana
WA, 644 posts
22 Oct 2015 8:53AM
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Select to expand quote
djt91184 said..
Cool some interesting info, ill be having the surgery in the near future and afterwards go the bluetac where previously I (obviously) havnt worn them because hearing is such a great sense to have whilst on the water and my balance suffers the few times I did wear em.

Katana you've had the drill 5 times? get outta here that must be some kind of record! So you had the drill with the insicion? how big is the scar does it come into the hair line?


nah as mocha said now they fold your ear forward and go thru the back hardly any Scars the reason i had 5 was one rejected the op within 2 months had to rebore ive tried the sorky plugs but find them painful to wear ???
now when it cold i wear a wetsuit cap

Hunter S
WA, 516 posts
22 Oct 2015 10:01AM
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Select to expand quote
synsies1000 said...



$9-$10 a pack. these are softer than the clear putty ones. last for ages as there reusable and Any chemist has them. Yeww up yours winter!




I thought the problem with this type of ear plug was the risk of having them pushed deep into your ear when you got a decent deep hold down.

With blue tac and pro plugs they sit outside the ear hole

spikeysteve
WA, 84 posts
8 Dec 2015 10:05AM
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Any recommendations for a good ENT for exostosis repair in perth???

Also - for those affected - do you wear earplugs all year round, or just in winter??

photosbykarlo
235 posts
8 Dec 2015 11:30AM
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I had mine done many many years ago by Stuart Miller in West Perth he went through the ear rather than cutting the ear and peeling it back.

Had them done a week apart, about 6 to 8 weeks out of the water.

I wear doc pro plugs all year round (great for when you drop in , sorry didn't hear you )

I have been told that they have started to grow back.

Also it's not just surfing apparently truck drivers get them in one ear from having the window down.

Good luck with it.

GPA
WA, 2519 posts
8 Dec 2015 1:34PM
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There is a good surgeon operating out of Suites in Arnisdale Rd Glengarry (Duncraig). Dr Fisher I think... had my right ear done for the second time in 20yrs... completely closed over. No pain and no scar - just 8wks out. Left ear showing some signs or boney growth but OK after 35yrs surfing...

And I only wear ear plugs when I swim laps in a pool. I don't seem to have trouble with trapped water when surfing or snorkelling...

gpv143
WA, 20 posts
8 Dec 2015 1:55PM
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I have had both ears done by Dr Fisher and was very happy with the result . One thing is that there was no compromise with him on the time out of the water ,8 weeks not negotiable.

mocha1
WA, 929 posts
8 Dec 2015 3:08PM
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Get it done over this crappy wave period and you wil.....should ......miss fckark all surf in the metro anyway

milldhu
WA, 10 posts
8 Dec 2015 8:41PM
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I have been using ear plugs called surf ears from creatures of leisure online
Stay in and comfy

jenkz
WA, 793 posts
13 Dec 2015 8:49PM
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Select to expand quote
spikeysteve said..
Any recommendations for a good ENT for exostosis repair in perth???

Also - for those affected - do you wear earplugs all year round, or just in winter??


I have had both ears bored out and one completely rebuilt by Dr Stephen Rodrigruiz at Hollywood medical centre. Can't recomend him highly enough.

beastsurf
WA, 902 posts
14 Dec 2015 7:35AM
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I have one ear at 85 percent closed the other a bit more. I've been wearing hats in summer and a hood in winter. In five years there has been no change. Touch wood. I don't fancy having the ears cut of.

Dawn Patrol
WA, 1991 posts
15 Dec 2015 9:43AM
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Select to expand quote
jenkz said...
spikeysteve said..
Any recommendations for a good ENT for exostosis repair in perth???

Also - for those affected - do you wear earplugs all year round, or just in winter??


I have had both ears bored out and one completely rebuilt by Dr Stephen Rodrigruiz at Hollywood medical centre. Can't recomend him highly enough.




He did mine as well!

katana
WA, 644 posts
15 Dec 2015 3:08PM
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phil Fisher in Glengary did my 5 rebores and recomend also .
definately do it over summer 8 weeks out sucks

Dawn Patrol
WA, 1991 posts
16 Dec 2015 10:04PM
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Select to expand quote
katana said...
phil Fisher in Glengary did my 5 rebores and recomend also .
definately do it over summer 8 weeks out sucks




Not sure if that is for 2 ears. But I was back in the water after 3.5 weeks for 1 ear. That was from behind as well.

2 ears fair enough for 8 weeks. From what I understand they don't tend to do both ears at the same time.

Mastbender
1972 posts
21 Dec 2015 10:23AM
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It has to be the original, no others will work, and no other colors will work, even if its the real thing "Silly Putty", flesh colored only in the red shell.
It bonds to the skin and it's easy to remove, nothing else does that.
One egg will last you about one season, when it starts to get slimy, it's time for a new egg.
Cheap and proven, an old California trick.

frothman
9 posts
29 Dec 2015 11:01AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
jenkz said..

spikeysteve said..
Any recommendations for a good ENT for exostosis repair in perth???

Also - for those affected - do you wear earplugs all year round, or just in winter??



I have had both ears bored out and one completely rebuilt by Dr Stephen Rodrigruiz at Hollywood medical centre. Can't recomend him highly enough.




Select to expand quote
milldhu said..
I have been using ear plugs called surf ears from creatures of leisure online
Stay in and comfy



I've just got a pair of these,jury is still out
not sure wether my ear canal is staying completely dry
any tips on wearing them?

frothman
9 posts
2 Jan 2016 11:15AM
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update
this thing fell out of my ear today whist body bashing
the other one let water in which i can hear sloshing around in the canal now
save ya money punters
these things suck

djt91184
QLD, 1211 posts
5 Jan 2016 10:36AM
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Iam going in on the 22 of this month for the procedure

jbshack
WA, 6913 posts
5 Jan 2016 4:55PM
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Pardon my ignorance but what is surfers ear exactly

As in whats the problem, is it hearing loss or water getting trapped in your ears after and during surfs.



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"Surfers ear information" started by niftynevo