Ear Plus While Swimming

Plenty of people use them for OWS in cold water as they can prevent vertigo in people who are susceptible to it. (In my case, it's not rough water that triggers it, only cold water. Without them I would get out and fall flat on my face!) The silicone ones are best for that as you can mold them to your ear canal and they're less likely to come out during a rough swim start. I'd guess quite a few pool swimmers wear them as well--I do sometimes if water is cold or I just want to get used to swimming with the plugs due to an upcoming race.

This is what happens to me going into T1 when I forget my earplugs on the swim.
Barbara Bush laughs at me as I fall on my face


Had to post it. Yanti gets a kick out of the pic

I have the opposite issue. If I try to swim with earplugs, I get real dizzy and lose my water balance. To each his own.

Yea I always have something in there, In the pool I have my waterproof headphones in with the Ipod going, OWS I use silicone plugs under my Cap.
MY problem is getting water out once water gets in It takes half a day or more to get it out, not that I get earaches or anything like that .


Edited by RRH_88 2014-01-31 8:26 AM

For the longest time I never used them till I was training for a cold OWS and was told earplugs will help. After training and racing with them, I will not go without as they really help with keeping the water out and balance when you get out. I don't like things in my ears so it did take some time to find the ones I like and getting use to them.

I got swimmers ear by the end of December and it took me a couple of weeks to be completely healed. After that experience, I swim with earplugs and I don't think I will swim again without them. They don't bother me (I don't think they help me with balance either as some of you mentioned) and my ears stay dry during and after the swim.

I also did a HIM last weekend and I use earplugs during the swim. No problem at all. So, if they help you, don't hesitate to use them!

I wore them for the first time for a cold OWS, and realized I had gotten used to the feeling because I had been swimming for a few months at the pool with ear buds and waterproof ipod. I can't swim without something in my ears now, indoors or out, and including all races. sooo much better.

I thought everyone swam with ear plugs. Kind of like biking with bike shorts, and running with shoes. Only the people who don't are weird. :-)

I can't stand getting water in my ears because I can't get it back out very easily. I use the waxy, siliconey type moldable plugs. I haven't tried any others, but I really like them, so no desire to try anything else.

Funny story, I let my husband use them and told him to place them over the ear canals, not to shove them down into the ear canal. Of course, he shoves them into his ear canal - because he doesn't believe me. Guess who couldn't get them back out?

SMH

Yes, I use them. When I first started swimming I didn't and was constantly dealing with water in my ears. Now I use them all the time. It's great not having to worry about water going into my ears. I replace them once a year as they lose their seal.

I'm trying to get used to swimming without them, cause logistically it's a bit of a pain getting to start line with them in, and if you carry them you risk dropping in the sand. Also, would prefer being able to hear while swimming, since my vision sucks so bad I can't see. Having said that, swimming with them is really much more comfortable to me than without.

Regarding having water stuck in your ears for hours after a swim without - carry a small bottle of 50/50 water/isopropyl alcohol mix, squirt in your ears, and the water comes right out.

I always use silicone plugs now. Too many times getting sick during or right after a swim because water got in my ear. Sick, as in, I can't function for several hours because I'm so naseauted. My tri suit has these teeny tiny little mesh pockets on either side of my hip, and I just cart the ear plugs around in there before the race.
There's always been a chance for me to put them and then put my swim cap on before getting into the water for my wave. Even if I have to wear the plugs for 10 minutes before my wave is getting into the water. Same thing on a pool swim.

I always wear ear plugs. I have some relatively inexpensive Speedo (at least I think they are) ear plugs that just push into your ear. These are the ones that have three round 'plunger' layers and are blue-ish. They work for me. The only negative, and I don't really consider it a negative, is that you can't pull your swim cap down over your ears like most folks do. With the plunger type ear plugs in, the stems stick out a bit and it's difficult (at least for me) to then pull my swim cap down over my ears, so I don't. I know that causes a bit more drag, but I'm not all that worried about that incremental drag....and if you saw my swim times, you know I have bigger problems that the drag created by the stems of my ear plugs...

But long story short, I always wear ear plugs and the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Absolutely. I use the little plug ones for pool training and i use the kind you can get (wax type) from pharmacy section of any store for OWS and races. Coming out of water in race, I strip them out and dispose of them. I never swim without them. I know some people can go without, but I don't like water in my head/ears.

I use the christmas tree type. I CAN swim without them, but I prefer to have them in.

I'm going to take this to the next level, though.

I CANNOT swim without my nose plug. Seriously, it messes me up. I think I'm in the minority with that, though. Well, I can swim without a nose plug, but I cannot swim laps or race without. I do not plug my nose when I jump or dive into water, it's only with swimming laps. Does that make me weird?

I used to get ear infections frequently until I starting wearing ear plugs. Once I started using ear plugs I stopped getting infections. I don't wear ear plugs during races because I want to be able to hear in case of emergency. There is a small risk that I will get an infection, yet this has not happened yet. I think it is work the risk just to be able to hear during a race.