Ouch!! A dive injury I hadn't seen ...

Just returned from a two-part trip to North Sulawesi, second of which was a liveaboard covering the Sangihe archipelago plus Bunaken and Lembeh. One of the dive guides (both of them wore full 5-mil suits plus hoods every dive) did a back roll off the boat and came up holding his ear, which he continued to do for the entire dive. Later in the trip, when we were near Manado, they ran him into town to go to the doc ... the result ... perforated eardrum! And this happend through the hood. My guess is that the pocket of air inside the hood was rapidly compressed when he splashed, causing an effect similar to clapping your hand on your ear hard enough to cause trauma. No diving for two months for the guide.

I use a beanie a lot, but I've melted a small hole thru the neoprene right over each ear, theory being that it will allow equalization to happen more rapidly and prevent the scenario the divemaster went through. The downside is that bubbles that make their way into the beanie make an awful racket as they escape through the holes!

Anyone else have experience with this or seen this?

I've never seen or heard of such an injury from wearing a hood. I almost always wear a beanie or hood, but have never noticed any additional pressure around my ears from the hood. Wonder if it was one of those one in a million chance accident or is more common than we think?

probably the hood made a plunger type effect on his eardrum when he hit the water. That is why im glad i dive where i dont need a hood. I have read alot of people cut or melt a hole over the ears on the hoods which i would kinda imagine this would have probably helped him outa this situation

If the hood seals agaisnt the ear and traps air in the external ear canal then as you submerge (even just a little) the eardrum can rupture outward. An infrequent injury, but not unheard of.

I've never heard of it. I usually wear the pro plugs when without a hood, but with one I find the hood keeps water from going in the ear forceful enough as to give me "swimmer's ear". I wonder if cutting tiny holes in the hood by the ears would elliminate this ear injury possibility yet still keep me free of the swimmers ear?

It's easier to just not wear a hood.

My buddy forgot his and tried that in 40 F water here in NS. Was a no go.

Garrobo:

It's easier to just not wear a hood.

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It's easier not to wear a wetsuit either

When I was a new diver I got ear squeeze from wearing a hood. It was vented as well but didn't prevent my injury.

I guess anything can happen. But I dare somebody to go diving without a hood in 50-something F or lower temp water.