Ear Plugs

[northcave 0]

I know this topic has come up before but i thought i re-visit it.

After 3 jumps in one day i get ringing in my ears for a few days. Really annoying and not suppirising considering the noise levels of skydiving and the plane.

Anyway i remember someone suggesting there were ear plugs that have small holes in the centre that allow a good level of noise reduction + the ability to let your ears adjust to pressure easily.

Anyone heard of these or is a DIY job to normal ear plugs?

Tim

[AllisonH 0]

I just use the normal foam ear plugs you can get at any drugstore, hardware store, etc. I've never had any problems with equalizing pressure (except when I had a cold, which I cannot blame on the earplugs). The foam lets air through.

[kkeenan 14]

I have always used regular, unmodified earplugs in jump planes. The noise level in the avaerge jump aircraft is high enough to cause hearing loss. And the exposure is cumulative, meaning it adds up over time. Anyone who jumps very often should wear earplugs for the ride up. Most will allow for the escape of excess pressure during ascent.

Kevin

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Noise levels during freefall are very short in duration (30-60 sec); I wear regular foam ear plugs on the ride up and take them out just before exit.

[northcave 0]

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The foam lets air through.

So you actually freefall with them still there. Is that a good idea?

[BillyVance 34]

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The foam lets air through.

So you actually freefall with them still there. Is that a good idea?

Why wouldn't it be? The roar of freefall is just as bad or worse than the roar of engines, even if it's just a fraction of the time. If it's the kind that lets air through, leave them in.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Remster 30]

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The foam lets air through.

So you actually freefall with them still there. Is that a good idea?

Why wouldn't it be? The roar of freefall is just as bad or worse than the roar of engines, even if it's just a fraction of the time. If it's the kind that lets air through, leave them in.

Well, for those of us who hear , I really hate it when I forget my ear plugs in and jump with them. The Dytter sounds are much harder to hear, and if you are really focused on the jump, it would be easy to not notice them.

And once open, I like to be able to hear what is going on, and warnings from others if there are proximity issues.

Remster

[AllisonH 0]

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The foam lets air through.

So you actually freefall with them still there. Is that a good idea?

Yes, I wear them for freefall too. My dytter hurts my ear without them, and I can hear it well with them in. I can still hear the plane's noise, people talking in the plane, uncollapsed sliders flapping around, etc.

There are times when I choose not to wear them if I think I'll want to be able to hear especially well under canopy, such as for night jumps or jumping into parties at another local airport, or times when I just forget. These jumps remind me of why I prefer to have ear plugs.

[JustChuteMeNow 0]

These ear plugs from Para-gear are great and they have the small hole in the center. They sit flush with your ear underneath your helmet and they aren't constantly falling out which is a problem I had with the foam ones.

Surefire Sonic Defenders

Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that statistically half of them are stupider than that.

[kallend 2,070]

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The foam lets air through.

So you actually freefall with them still there. Is that a good idea?

Why wouldn't it be? The roar of freefall is just as bad or worse than the roar of engines, even if it's just a fraction of the time. If it's the kind that lets air through, leave them in.

Well, for those of us who hear , I really hate it when I forget my ear plugs in and jump with them. The Dytter sounds are much harder to hear, and if you are really focused on the jump, it would be easy to not notice them.

And once open, I like to be able to hear what is going on, and warnings from others if there are proximity issues.

I prefer to jump with them in. I just use the cheap foam earplugs, and I've not had a problem.

...

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

[demoss99 0]

I suffer from tinnitus (ringing of ears) for days/weeks after a long weekend of jumping. Partly due to sinus issues but also due to noise etc... I started using the sonic defenders referenced above and I find my ringing doesn't last near as long and is not near as intense. They stay put and also allow for equalization of pressure on the way down.

"I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."

[tbrown 26]

Well, for those of us who hear , I really hate it when I forget my ear plugs in and jump with them. The Dytter sounds are much harder to hear, and if you are really focused on the jump, it would be easy to not notice them.

And once open, I like to be able to hear what is going on, and warnings from others if there are proximity issues.

I leave my earplugs in when I jump and my Pro-Dytter is one more reason why I do. Those things are really shrill. I don't think it's such a good idea to have one go off next to your ear without protection. So I wear the earplugs and have no problem hearing my audible.

I might ask which way your Dytter is pointed. I have mine in my helmet with the back side (speaker side) facing my ear. If it's facing away from my ear, I DO have trouble hearing it, so I'm wondering if that might be the problem.

I really like my Pro dytter, but I'm not going to allow it to drill a hole through my ear either.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[wmw999 2,485]

I jump with the earplugs in, too. And I used to when I had a Pro-tec as well. No problems hearing the Dytter with either helmet.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[rygon 0]

never used them for skydiving as of yet but have some for work. I have used the foam ones before and although they are good at blocking the noise it seems to remove higher frequencies more than the lower giving a muffled sound. I now have some custom made ones (which work paid for :) ) and they seem to keep the frequencies in balance but quieter. So everything sounds exactly the same just not as loud.

[Gato 0]

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.....i remember someone suggesting there were ear plugs that have small holes in the centre that allow a good level of noise reduction + the ability to let your ears adjust to pressure easily.

Anyone heard of these or is a DIY job to normal ear plugs?

The plugs you're probably referring to are made by EarPlanes, very cheap, but I'm not sure if they block enough/too much noise. (around $7.00)

http://www.drugstore.com/qxp12445_333181_sespider/earplanes/earplugs_flight_ear_protection.htm


These were recommended by a drummer friend of mine, the Vaters, and they run around $20.00:

http://www.vater.com/newproducts/product.cfm?M=287


And these are what I use onstage, every gig, $15.00 per pair:

http://www.hearos.com/earplugs/products-00211.html

I haven't tried the other 2 brands, yet, but I can tell you that the Hearos work exceptionally well at blocking high noise, and I can still hear my bandmates talking. Since they don't really "seal" I'm sure they'd relieve air pressure at almost the same rate as wearing nothing at all. No question you'd be able to hear your Dytter. Enjoy.

T.I.N.S.