How loud are freefalls - from wanna be skydiver

[clavus 0]

Hi,

I've never gone skydiving, but finally want to sign up this month. I worry about the potential of risk to my ears as I suffer from pulsatile tinnitus (hearing of heartbeat in ears). Would ear plugs be suffice to prevent any damage? Could skydiving exacerbate the problem? Thanks.

H

[ManagingPrime 0]

There is an existing thread "noise in freefall" and the db levels are listed between 80 and 100.

[headoverheels 333]

What??? Did you say something? Speak up!!!

[clavus 0]

Good grief, that is loud. Another 20 db levels and you've got a diesel engine room. Hmm...

[jrjny 0]

it's not that bad - when you have a helmet on you don't even notice the 'noise'. It is more like part of the setting you find yourself in. Doubt you'll have a problem, earplugs should be ok but talk to your instructors.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

I have tinnitus and have had as long as I can remember. I wear ear plugs in the plane but not in freefall. I don't care to have anything blocking my eustachian tube in freefall. My logig is I am more concerned with a 15 or 20 minute 70 db plane ride than a 50 second 90 db freefall.

[CloudyHead 0]

This is kind of unrelated, but for my first 3 jumps I would get this extremely loud crackling in my ears after my canopy opened. It felt like my ears wanted to pop but were not able to, and the pressure was so intense it actually hurt. It felt like there was 300PSI in my cranium as i could hear the "swooshing" sound of fluid in my head. After about 10 seconds, this built up fluid in my ears would "drain back down", and i was fine. Since then i haven't had that problem (maybe i'm swallowing more often during freefall and naturally balancing the pressure).

[RufusW 0]

Does a full face helmet stop the sound?

[DaVinciflies 0]

It can help, but it won't stop it.

[clavus 0]

Is the pressure you mention here akin to the sort of pressure one feels when descending in an airplane?
You know the terrible pressure that makes all the kids and babies on an aircraft cry during descent.

[sacex250 0]

Quote

I wear ear plugs in the plane but not in freefall. I don't care to have anything blocking my eustachian tube in freefall.

Where do you wear your earplugs? Your Eustachian tubes are in your throat right at the back of your mouth. Ear plugs work much better in you put them in your outer ear canals. What you don't want are ear plugs with an airtight seal, disposable foam earplugs will allow the outer ear pressure to equalize during the descent while still providing good hearing protection. If the inner ear pressure doesn't equalize then using the Valsalva technique (pinching the nose and blowing into the ears) will help balance the pressure.

It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

[skydiverek 63]

Check my post HERE:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4122546;search_string=ear%20plugs;#4122546

[deltron80 0]

Quote

Hi,

I've never gone skydiving, but finally want to sign up this month. I worry about the potential of risk to my ears as I suffer from pulsatile tinnitus (hearing of heartbeat in ears). Would ear plugs be suffice to prevent any damage? Could skydiving exacerbate the problem? Thanks.

H

you don't need lame ass ears any more once you learn how to fly around in the sky like jesus christ

[shah269 0]

pulsatile tinnitus (hearing of heartbeat in ears).
I HAD TO GOOGLE THIS!
WOW! No kidding!
Ah it's loud......for like 1 min.
Some people put in hear plugs on the way up.
But on the way down....I think most go wide open.
Especially if you have an audable.

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

[fendor1369 0]

I have jumped with out a helmet and with out hearing protection it is not bad.

John - D.S 1313

"I'll jump it, Np. It's all good"

[JackC1 0]

Quote

Hi,

I've never gone skydiving, but finally want to sign up this month. I worry about the potential of risk to my ears as I suffer from pulsatile tinnitus (hearing of heartbeat in ears). Would ear plugs be suffice to prevent any damage? Could skydiving exacerbate the problem? Thanks.

H

Pulsatile tinnitus. Crap, another thing I have as well as plain old ringing-in-the-ears tinnitus. Gee thanks. Ignorance is bliss and all that.

Skydiving isn't so bad really. My tinnitus came mostly from standing in front of a cranked 100W Marshall stack three nights a week. Skydiving hasn't made it any worse I don't think.

Still, ear plugs on the ride up are a good idea. I'd rather be able to hear someone yelling at me under canopy so I take them out for jumping. But if you do use ear plugs in free fall, use porous ones. If they seal too well, you can get perforated eardrums from the pressure change.

[skymama 37]

I have pulsatile tinnitus in one ear. I've found that it's worse on the days that my displaced disks on that side of my neck are aggravated. So, yes, sometimes when I skydive my neck ends up hurting, which then makes me hear the heartbeat sound more. But, I don't think skydiving in itself has made my conditon worse and my hearing is great. Of course, the best person to ask is your doctor.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[sundevil777 102]

My thoughts:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4083263;search_string=different;#4083263

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[extreme78 0]

I noticed a HUGE difference in noise switching from student Protec helmet to my full face Oxygn. I could not believe it how quiet it got on my first jump with it :-).

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.

[skydiverek 63]

Quote

Still, ear plugs on the ride up are a good idea. I'd rather be able to hear someone yelling at me under canopy so I take them out for jumping. But if you do use ear plugs in free fall, use porous ones. If they seal too well, you can get perforated eardrums from the pressure change.

I have started jumping with earplugs. Here are the key things and SOLUTIONS to your 'fears':

- air pressure equalizes inside your head, not outside your head, so earplugs do not affect this process (as far as I know, there are no natural holes in the ear-drum for the air to pass thru) - please correct me if I am wrong. Watch the below video (disable AdBlock first, if you have one):
http://video.about.com/pediatrics/Ear-Pressure.htm

- buy the highest NRR rated ear-plugs (NRR33 is the highest one possible). BUT, not all NRR33 rated earplugs block the same amount of noise at DIFFERENT frequencies. I have done a lots of research the 'Moldex' disposable foam earplugs (used in NASCAR) are THE BEST. Check the dB table in the PDF for a given model:
http://www.moldex.com/hearing-protection/foam-earplugs/

- do not reuse foam earplugs. 'One jump-one pair' will keep you away from ear infections

- buy the CORDED version. That way, you can remove the earplugs from underneath the helmet, after the opening, by pulling the cord (tuck it neatly under the helmet for freefall). With earplugs removed under canopy, you will not be deaf during the canopy collisions and command exchange with another jumper ('you cutaway!', etc)

- freefall noise is over 120 dB, airplane can be over 100 dB, Optima is 120 dB. On an average skydiving day you are exceeding your daily noise quota (measured in minutes) many, many times, permanently damaging your hearing

- there is no cure for deafness (apart from hearing aids...), or for tinnitus (constant 'ringing in the ears')

- set your Optima canopy alarms to Volume "1", and the far-most left pitch (if you take your earplugs out, under canopy)

- once you fly the airplane and jump wearing the earplugs, you will not want to do it again without them. It is like jumping with and without goggles

- you are less worn-out after the day of skydiving

- you can actually hear people BETTER in the airplane (the 'bad' engine noise is canceled, and the human voice is filtered and passed thru - pretty neat, huh? :-) )

- read this whole thread:
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4059225;page=1;mh=-1;;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC