Ear protection in contaminated water.

[CCRescueDiver]

I was reading through Public Safety Diving by Walt Hendrick, and he mentioned something I had never heard before about ear protection in contaminated water,

Chapter:16 Page: 232
"At least one physician recommends filling the ear with olive oil or baby oil before making the dive, since studies indicate that these benign coatings will make the ear more resistant to infection."

Anyone have any experience with this method?

 

[ditch-diver]

I'm gonna stick with my dry hood, thanks.

Never heard of this one.....

 

[Gary D.]

I was reading through Public Safety Diving by Walt Hendrick, and he mentioned something I had never heard before about ear protection in contaminated water,

Chapter:16 Page: 232
"At least one physician recommends filling the ear with olive oil or baby oil before making the dive, since studies indicate that these benign coatings will make the ear more resistant to infection."

Anyone have any experience with this method?

Being a Dago myself the Olive Oil is in the car. I have used it for years on recoveries but not on rescues. Does it work? If you don't get an infection it just may have but we have one lake here locally that nothing works except staying out of it.

Gary D.

 

[Thalassamania]

Contaminated water normally calls for a Superlight mated to a Viking suit with the appropriate neck dam. In a life or death situation, I've been told that oil's a good idea, mineral oil that is. But I can see no reason while olive oil would not work. I guess that's to dress the salad my Mom used to say I was growing there.

 

[CCRescueDiver]

Thanks guys.

 

[Tacman55]

I second ditch-diver's opinion... If you feel it necessary to place a barrier such as oil in your ear in order to dive a location I would consider it a dive site that required the use of a FFM mated to a latex or suitable dry dry hood and full dry suit. That would be at the least...

Interesting theory and chances are before the technology we have now was a plausible one..... But I wouldn't be one to test it....


Dive Safe

JG