Torn Eardrum, any experience with the Doc's ProPlugs

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LiveFree0rDie

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Hi all. On the last trip to Roatan, just before hitting 100 dives, I cleared my ears at about 20 feet and felt air bubbles exiting my ear. Went up, saw the doc, he confirmed a small perforation and said no more diving... still had 3 days left!!!!

Long story short, the perforation healed over, my ENT doc (not a diver) said because I had tubes when I was young and the damage that happened in the military, there was a lot of scar tissue and the odds were that this could keep happening.

I did some cursory research - there seems to be two solutions if I want to keep diving: vented earplugs and an odd mask/earcup combo. The mask seems like it could dislodge pretty easily if you are - like me - the kind of diver that hugs the coral and looks under ledges. The ear plugs looks unobtrusive?

My question to the board: has anyone used these at depths to 90ish? Do they regulate pressure or do you still need to clear your ears? Has anyone with perforated eardrums used these over several years? Any recurrence?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

WWG1WGA
 
No personal experience using them other than one of my regular tech and cave diving buddies has been using them since around 2010 and still swears by them. We've made dives to 200'+ together (sorry, he doesn't participate here). :)
 
My dive buddy and I both use the pro plugs. She had multiple eardrum issues earlier in life and wanted to try the pro plugs just to be safe. I decided to get them mainly because I'm prone to swimmers eat and they seem to help by preventing so much water flushing in and out.
They do NOT regulate pressure! You sneakily still have to clear your ears, but they do make it easier. I have used them down to 95' in Cozumel.
I have since last mine and done a few dives without missing them, but I will likely rebuy before my next trip. They are so damn inexpensive compared to everything else in this sport, why not give them a try?
 
I wear them every time I dive. I have a problem with retaining water in my ears after prolonged periods under water leading to ear infections. I've not had an infection since I started using them. By the time I get out of the water, what little that has gotten past the plugs has easily drained. And as Scuba Doobie Do said, they don't prevent pressure build-up. You still do have to equalize. The only drawback to using them is that I always have to wear some type of headgear for fear of losing them while diving. The plastic "string" between them may be long enough that I can tie them to my regulator just so I won't lose them if the pressure won't hold them in my ears. Of course, I always wear a hood when diving colder water and a thin cap when in warmer water.

And just in case you're wondering, my avatar was a photo taken in Coz 3 years ago before I started using them.
 
All, thanks for the feedback. Just ordered 2 pair on Amazon.
Wish I had seen this thread earlier. I would have advised going to a dive shop that sells them and make sure you get the proper size. The first ones I bought were not the right size and did not keep as much water out as I would have liked. I'm actually glad I lost them after a night dive since I then went to my LDS where they knew how to size them and bought the size larger than I had before. Been happy with them since.

Hopefully,the ones you ordered work out for you.
 
My wife used them until recently. She said they made it far easier to clear her ears. I've been with her as she wore them below 90' in Cozumel.

They're small and clear so she has lost a pair or two. They were not lost during the dive, but either on the boat or on land. Fortunately, they're fairly cheap.
 
I use them anytime I will be doing more than one dive in a day. I struggle with ear issues on repetitive dive days, and the pro plugs are the only way I can continue to dive. Recently did 40 dives in 10 days thanks to the pro plugs. Without them, I would have at best gotten in 20.
 
When I lap swam a lot, the kick turns would get my ears loaded with water which was a problem when I went on scuba. I used the Pro Plugs for a few years, and they worked ok.
The problem is not losing them. I was always careful with my gear, but I still lost a bunch.
 
JBL offer a similar product called Hydro Seals. I have never used these, so cannot attest to their performance; but included a link to some user reviews.

One difference seems to be that this product apparently keeps the ear canal dry, so might be targeted more towards free diving and/or snorkeling applications. However, many people seem to love these for diving as well; might be another low-cost option to consider, particularly in a case where frequent ear infections are a problem.
 

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