EARPLUGS:

EASIER COMPENSATION

Difficult compensation? Damaged ear drums? Frequent ear infections? For all these problems it seems that the 

proper solution comes from the USA and is it represented by anatomic ear plugs. They are the outcome of intensive research started over 30 years ago. They are made of flexible and soft plastic and once they are fitted into the ear they close the canal preserving it from external agents and avoid the sucker effect of the hood.
Some models do have a valve system that at a certain depth let water flow in moderately avoiding the effect of the pressure on the canal.  

HOW DOES IT WORK

As in the picture, if the plug was watertight during the dive, the increasing external pressure and the correspondent volume reduction of the air left in canal between the plug and the ear drum, would have dangerously pushed the plug toward the eardrum causing severe injuries. The small valves on the plugs instead by letting water in avoid this to happen. This way, then the external pressure is mainly borne by the plug and the compensation turns to be easier. 

PROS AND CONS
Although the experts opinions about this product are really controvert (click on the link), the producers claim that the use of these plugs helps prevent the ear infections as they act as a filter against the debris and since they reduce the water flow they also help to prevent thermal traumas. This latter feature is more useful in scuba diving as in spearfishing the change of water into the canal occurs at every dive. Many people witness that even divers with pierced eardrums have been able to dive thanks to these plugs. By clicking on the following link you can see the test on such a diver performed by the hyperbaric centre of Sassari (Italy): TEST 

In case of healed eardrums wounds, the presence of a scar on the membrane makes the latter more fragile than a sane one and however more keen to future ruptures. For this reason the plug might help the freediver to easily compensate as the external pressure works on the plug rather than on the membrane.A really negative aspect of these plugs is that it reduces the hearing of 35db in surface. It is also possible that after use the ear canal can redden so it is very important to carefully clean the plugs after every use by paying attention to the valves as there shouldn’t be any trace of earwax on them. 

For any further info or to provide us with your personal experience write us in the contacts section.