Earplugs? Personal preference or a real reason?

[kallend 2,027]

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I'd rather have one more sense telling me about potential danger.
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For as long as you can still hear, before your hearing is damaged.

I already have hearingproblems and I do not want it to become worse.

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I just haven't had any hearing problems after 24 years of jumping.
When will they start?

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You'll find out.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[topdocker 0]

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I'd rather have one more sense telling me about potential danger.
top

For as long as you can still hear, before your hearing is damaged.

I already have hearingproblems and I do not want it to become worse.

.

I just haven't had any hearing problems after 24 years of jumping.
When will they start?

top

You'll find out.

The causes of tinnitus can be as numerous as there are patients. Noise exposure is the most common one, but it is only one. It can also be caused by TMJ, concussion, diabetese, and any number of neural diseases.

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Jump more, post less!

[kallend 2,027]

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I'd rather have one more sense telling me about potential danger.
top

For as long as you can still hear, before your hearing is damaged.

I already have hearingproblems and I do not want it to become worse.

.

I just haven't had any hearing problems after 24 years of jumping.
When will they start?

top

You'll find out.

The causes of tinnitus can be as numerous as there are patients. Noise exposure is the most common one, but it is only one. It can also be caused by TMJ, concussion, diabetese, and any number of neural diseases.

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Believing that you are immune from noise induced hearing problems is very foolish.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[billvon 2,991]

>The causes of tinnitus can be as numerous as there are patients. Noise
>exposure is the most common one, but it is only one. It can also be caused
> by TMJ, concussion, diabetese, and any number of neural diseases.

Agreed. However, it is definitely one of the top causes.

It's like lung cancer. You can get it any number of ways. But if you really don't want to find out what it's like, not smoking is a good idea.

[Southern_Man 0]

I believe based on the reasons in this thread, that I am going to get some earplugs and try them out. Assuming I can hear people talking just as well, there doesn't really seem to be any downside. I'd like to be able to hear for a long time.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[topdocker 0]

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I'd rather have one more sense telling me about potential danger.
top

For as long as you can still hear, before your hearing is damaged.

I already have hearingproblems and I do not want it to become worse.

.

I just haven't had any hearing problems after 24 years of jumping.
When will they start?

top

You'll find out.

The causes of tinnitus can be as numerous as there are patients. Noise exposure is the most common one, but it is only one. It can also be caused by TMJ, concussion, diabetese, and any number of neural diseases.

top

Believing that you are immune from noise induced hearing problems is very foolish.

I don't believe I am immune, and I get my hearing checked every two years, never been an issue.

Wearing ear plugs is completely up to the individual and they have to do their own risk assessment. I do not feel it is worth the added risk for what I perceive as little benefit.

My ears are taking way less damage than my liver.

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Jump more, post less!

[FrancoR 0]

Ok, i tried out my Worksafe earplugs yesterday for the first time and ironically i also had a to close for comfort situation under canopy.

First of all the earplugs work fine, it is noticably quieter in the plane, but i can still hear and undersand talking on the planne. Pressure is not a issue as the earplugs have a little hole in them just enough for the pressure equlisation. I will be using them on days were i jump a lot and on noisy days.

While on final i had one canopy in front and to the left of me but no space on the right because there where houses and of course the canopy in front of me was slower and started turning closer to the house. Screaming did not work at all. I had to fly in brakes on final, but no issue with my windloading.

I also had 3 other close calls on caopy collisions, all were swoopers cutting into my approach, they were so fast i wouldn't even have time to scream.

If it does not cost anything you are the product.

[popsjumper 2]

It's always a good idea to protect your hearing. Earplugs help.

The problem with hearing damage of this sort is that it doesn't show up until later in life. A little now, a little later and and little more later...it builds up over time.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[skyjumpenfool 2]

Read my article in Parachutist on Tinnitus.

Plane noise, wind noise, drunken babbling (Bill) are all harmful over time. My dad is 85 and lives 300 miles away. I can't talk to him over the phone because he can't hear me. Hearing loss is a tragedy and what's worse is that it can be prevented in most cases. WEAR EAR PLUGS!

Using hearing protection you like will make the sport better... skydiving, motorcycling, or whatever.

IMHO as always.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[3mpire 0]

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Read my article in Parachutist on Tinnitus.

which issue? i'd be interested in reading that article

[jim_32766 0]

I wear the soft foam earplugs from before take-off until just after I land. I can still hear my ProTrack alarms just fine with the plugs in. They are a very cost effective way help reduce hearing damage.

The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

[ianmdrennan 2]

After 3000+ jumps I just started wearing them.

Really wish I'd started many years ago. I've noticed a slight decrease in my ability to hear certain frequencies in the last few years.

Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[iopenhi 0]

I'm too lazy to search this thread to see if it has already been pointed out, but this has also been discussed here: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=3743151;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

You can't make chicken salad out of chicken manure.

[TiaDanger 0]

I just discovered earplugs my last trip to the dz. Even though I wear a full face, it makes my trip to altitude the way down much more comfortable. I will now wear them on all jumps!

And for the record: the appropriate ranking of cool modes of transportation is jet pack, hover board, transporter, Batmobile, and THEN giant ant.
D.S. #8.8

[regulator 0]

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I put my ear plugs in right before exit and take them out as soon as I am under canopy, I find the noise in freefall to be too loud for me and I am trying to reduce hearing loss.

I found that after I switched from an open face to my full face Mamba that the noice in freefall was drastically reduced.

[TheCaptain 2]

The only time I wear ear plugs is as a TI. I only wear them in freefall as I want to be able to comunicate with my student clearly all other times.

Kirk
He's dead Jim

[skyjumpenfool 2]

I buy a box of foam ear plugs and leave them at manifest for anyone who needs them. Hearing loss is 100% preventable people!!!!

One TI I talked to this weekend is trying a $3,000 device to help eleviate her Tinittus issues. Imagine this…

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!! 24/7.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[Granimal 0]

I put them in before I get on the plane and take them out after landing.

I first noticed hearing loss when the annual physicals I needed to get in the Army showed a downward trend in my performance during the hearing tests. The tests picked it up before I even noticed it personally.

I now notice some hearing loss, especially when there is ambient noise in my environment, and it is very frustrating. I firmly believe that years of not protecting my hearing while skydiving contributed to some of this hearing loss.

[skyjumpenfool 2]

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Read my article in Parachutist on Tinnitus.

which issue? i'd be interested in reading that article

PM me and I'll send you a copy of the whole article. There is a lot of info/research that did not make it into the magazine. I think it was May 09... I'll check.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[PiLFy 3]

Hi,
I'm a student, too. One w/nerve damage in one ear... I wear ear plugs for the ride up to altitude. My DZ flies Super Otters. Two 6,000HP turbine engines scream right outside the fuselage. I don't know how many decibels they create. I can tell you it's loud enough to do damage over time. My nerve damage makes me more sensitive to loud noises. I take them out before I jump. Ear plugs don't seal your canal completely. So, no worries about the pressure changes. The student radios are hard enough to hear without wearing plugs. I'm betting your instructors won't want you wearing ear plugs under canopy for that reason. There's no reason you can't on the plane ride up, though.

[dninness 4]

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My DZ flies Super Otters. Two 6,000HP turbine engines scream right outside the fuselage.

Wow, man, I wanna know what DZ you jump at, 'cuz with 12,000 hp combined, that Otter must climb faster than the Space Shuttle. :)

NIN
D-19617, AFF-I '19

[PiLFy 3]

I asked one of the tandem guys during a climb up to altitude. He told me 6500HP, each. Another guy there who helps w/plane maintenance told me it's more like 6000HP. I'm pretty sure he said each, as well. Not true? They fly Super (Twin) Otters.

For the purposes of this thread, though. Loud is loud. The planes are in good shape, but day B loud.

[Inspired 0]

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I asked one of the tandem guys during a climb up to altitude. He told me 6500HP, each. Another guy there who helps w/plane maintenance told me it's more like 6000HP. I'm pretty sure he said each, as well. Not true? They fly Super (Twin) Otters.

For the purposes of this thread, though. Loud is loud. The planes are in good shape, but day B loud.

I know that Skydive Chicago claims that theirs are the most powerful engines available on the Twin Otter, and they are the PT6A-34 which produce about 750 SHP each.

You are right though... they are loud!

[dninness 4]

We had a Skyvan in for our boogie last weekend and that @#$% thing is LOUD!!

I jumped it one evening, and on my way to the DZ the next morning I stopped at Home Depot and bought a bulk pack of earplugs.

The packaging said that properly installed they should knock about 30db off the noise environment. They did a pretty good job, and I've started wearing them in the Otter, too. They have not inhibited my ability to hear my dytter, either.

NIN
D-19617, AFF-I '19

[dninness 4]

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I asked one of the tandem guys during a climb up to altitude. He told me 6500HP, each. Another guy there who helps w/plane maintenance told me it's more like 6000HP. I'm pretty sure he said each, as well. Not true? They fly Super (Twin) Otters.

I suspect someone was pulling your leg. 750hp a side sounds far more accurate.

6000hp, you'd need swept wings to keep the darn things from coming off on rotation. :)

NIN
D-19617, AFF-I '19