Doc's Pro Plugs

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Not sure about the diving aspects but my Brother in law is an avid surfer and swears by them......
 
Well, I never had a problem with my ears clearing but last February I was on a live aboard an on the very first dive I got do depth no problem then for some reason water got inside my ear canal causing vertigo not to mention I could not hear out of my left ear for awhile. This made diving very difficult that week. I had to see an Ear, Eye,Throat doctor when I got back. Strange though, I've been diving since and haven't had that problem again. I have two trips planned early January (Cayman Brac) and February (Grand Turk) and I don't want the same thing to happen while on vacation. I guess just a precaution.
 
I figure if it can happen once unexpectedly it can happen again! I didn't even hear about Doc's Pro Plugs until recently.
 
I've been using Doc's Plugs for the past 4 years. I've had a history of water related ear infections over the years but haven't had a single one since I started using them.

However, that being said, the little tab on the right plug that holds the little plastic string tying the 2 together broke so I was at my LDS to buy a new pair and the owner told me a bout a new product called EarShield. It's a spray that coats the ear canal and repels water. I decided to try it and was amazed at how well it did. Usually, I have a hard time getting the water to drain from my ear canals after a dive, but with EarShield, no problem at all. I don't know if I've given it enough of a test or not as I've only used it the last 3 or 4 dives so that may not be enough. But like I said, so far, I've had no problem with water in my ears. And the best part is I can dive without wearing a hood, cap, or the mask strap far enough down so that it covers my ears to hold the plugs in. The EarShield is a little more expensive than Doc's Plugs, but it appears to be enough in the sprayer to last for quite a number of dives as it only takes 1 squirt to protect the ears if the instructions are followed. This is the only thing that I've found other than Doc's Plugs that work for me.

EarShield
 
Basically they keep your ears from flooding. For cold water and surfer's ear (exostosis) this can be very useful, the main reason I use them. Since they do keep most of the water out of your ear, when properly fitted, this can be extremely helpful for outer ear infections on tropical vacations. I still use ear beer as an added precaution.
(note-on the Lembeh trip an extremely experience diver, dives almost every day in cold water, did not do ear beer or other precaution, got an outer ear infection, and missed about half the dives along with being miserable. That's an expensive mistake on so many levels.)

IMO, their claim to facilitate clearing is not viable. I see no help at all, nor any hindrance, but still consider them to be an extremely useful diving tool.

It sounds like you had a clearing problem, did some baurotrauma, and suffered the consequences of that. I'm not sure the Proplugs would have helped your particular problem.OTOH, they are cheap and properly used won't hurt you and can help. Why NOT try them. They've been around a long time and are a viable product.

What did the ENT say? What diagnosis, treatments, precautions, and advice they give you?
 
Just a note to be sure to read the DAN article on the topic in order to better make an informed choice on whether or not to use. I have not felt the need to consider using them for myself, but this gives me pause regarding recommending them to others.

DAN | Medical Frequently Asked Questions

Excerpt:
Dr. Shannon Hunter, an ENT physician at Duke University Medical Center, N.C., also expressed reservations. “I have reviewed the limited information on the vented plugs, and it appears that there is too much of a chance for failure — “Too many ‘ifs’,” Hunter said. “If the plug vent is occluded by wax or debris, it should be removed — at depth? In cold water, where the temperature in the ear canal is warmed by the presence of a plug?

“An influx of cold water to the vestibular system is a setup for vertigo, nausea and even vomiting — this is duplicated every day in vestibular testing procedures used to test patients for balance disturbances. A similar situation at depth is possible if a fouled earplug were removed and allowed for an abrupt influx of cold water into a warm ear canal. The resultant effects of nausea, vomiting and vertigo could be deadly.

“There is just not enough data or evidence to recommend the use of plugs for divers. The risks of complications underwater from malfunction or removal of an earplug are real and can potentially place the diver at increased risk for injury.”
 
The article JackD links to is well worth reading. That said, I have tiny eustachian tubes, and after open water my ears were full of water for 48 hours, despite several applications of ear drying drops. The Pro Plugs, for me, make equalization much easier and dramatically reduce the after-dive fullness in my ears. I will dive without them, but it's much less pleasurable.
 

Back
Top Bottom