Chesapeake bay water
plug the ears and nose. After a few years I became so sensitized I’d get an ear infection in 12hrs
simple question about noseplugs
And earplugs.
I’m used to not using either when I swim or roll. I grew up on swim teams and have spent most of my life in/around water, kayaking being a fraction of the time. Once I learned how to breathe while swimming it bacame instinctual to keep water out of my nose without a nose plug (I admit I do open my eyes underwater often but other than pool water, only sometimes do I get a temporary irritation).
If swimmers can go without nose and ear plugs, why is it necessary for most people to do so while rolling, assuming relatively clean water and no predispositions? Are ears subsceptible from any water that gets into the nose?
Pools are generally clean and warm
Swimming pools are actually quite clean with the amount of chlorine in them, so ear plugs are usually not necessary to prevent infections. Those who get infections from pools usually do so because a small amount of water gets trapped in the external auditory canal after getting out of the pool. Over time irritates the skin.
The other problem mentioned above “surfers ear” or exostoses, is due to cold. For some reason, cold temperature (usually cold water), causes overgrowth of the bones in the ear. So yeah, if in cold water, wear plugs. Most pools are not cold enough to cause this problem.
head up versus head down…
Most of the time when swimming, your head is face down into the water. I have no problems swimming without nose plugs. However, when rolling, my head is upside down looking up and whether it’s gravity or some other factor, the water just rushes right into my sinuses. If I have to roll and I don’t have nose plugs, I tend to do a backdeck roll as my head stays in the face down position and thus I don’t get water up my nose.
I keep my eyes open…
… when rolling. Wife is jealous ‘cuz she wears contacts;-)
But, after reading this thread I might start wearing some ear protection when a dunkin’ is likely.
ok
I can understand that, but I roll every time without using nose plugs. Regarding ears, during late fall or early spring I try to use a hood; recently the NRS storm hood.
I suppose like some of the other responders said, it all depends what you’re used to and in some cases where you roll, and I’m wondering if this is true if there is any inherent risk if you’re accustomed to keeping the water out of your nose from experience in the water.
agree with jay
for rolling practice, i use plugs (smiley’s are the best) in both fresh and salt water for practice, and swimmers goggles to protect the eyes in fresh water as i prefer to roll with eyes open. when you need the roll, it won’t matter as you’ll soon discover when you capsize and realize that you forgot to replace the nose plugs!
As a mostly whitewater person, I used
to feel sheepish 25 years ago when I was wearing nose plugs on the Ocoee. Now, when serious playboaters may roll many times in a day, no one thinks much about whether one uses nose plugs or not.
I always use nose plugs that I can get on or off easily with one hand, and I only wear them if playing or if running rapids where my odds of having to roll are increased. But as I get more into touring kayaks, I sure don’t anticipate wearing nose plugs unless I am surfing waves.
Nausea and light headedness
I wear ear plugs for rolling practice and ww because I found I was getting light headed and nauseous when doing a lot of rolling. Doc’s Pro-Plugs are the best. I prefer the vented ones as I can hear and the pressure seems to stay equalized.
I also either either nose plugs or diving mask when practicing rolling in fresh, pool or cold water. I also do so in ww.
Nose clips and ear plugs
I too am prone to sinus infections and “soggy ear”, and fresh water burns too much anyway.
The one time I forgot to wear them in fresh water, I still rolled up just fine, so I no longer worry about that. The pain hits right after coming up, not so much while doing the roll.
There is NO WAY I would consider forgoing either nose or ear protection in a swimming pool. Despite heavy chlorination and a clear appearance, they are notoriously dirty–too many bodies in a very small amount of water.
The only times I have rolled and/or wet-exited in the ocean I never noticed any sinus pain even with no head protection at all. It’s the one place where if I forgot my plugs, I wouldn’t care.
Same here
Never had any problem with water up my nose swimming or diving or body surfing when I was a kid on the shore, still don’t. Rolling another matter especially when you are first learning and really have to stop and feel that upside down position - water has time to get places it doesn’t in normal swimming.
As to ears - I started getting pain in one ear at the end of the first season that I was really wet a lot, after I got the roll down well enough that I could pretty much count on it in practice anyway. I play violin on the side - can’t afford to mess around there. So I went right for the ear plugs, been wearing them religiously for practice or similar since then and haven’t had a problem again.
Do ear plugs stop that?
I sometimes get that light headed felling when practicing rolling. I always assumed it was blood sugar or something like that because it doesn’t always happen.
I’ll have to give ear plugs a try. Actually makes perfect sense.
Without the plugs
I just curse silently and try to ignore it.
earplugs help for some people…
For me, when really cold water rushes into my ear canal, I get a slight sense of vertigo. I’ve also used Doc’s Pro Plugs religiously over the last few years particularly for my spring and winter whitewater runs. Once the water warms up a bit, I don’t need ear plugs but that really depends on each individual.
Fresh vs. salt water: big difference.
Generally, fresh water up the nose is a bad thing, and . saltwater up the nose isn’t.
Some dime store physiology:
The inside of ones nose is lined with membranes (which is why people snort cocaine: it passes across nasal membranes into the blood stream ), and water passes across a membrane from a less saline solution to a more saline solution (osmosis). Since your bodily fluids are more saline than fresh water and less saline than sea water, when fresh water is in your nose it will actively transport across nasal membranes, whereas salt water will not.
So when you roll in fresh water, you risk transporting the water and all of its nasty ingredients across membranes into your body (hence, general discomfort, and sometimes sinus infections). This will not happen in salt water ; hence rolling in salt water is generally misery-free.
Fresh vs. salt water: big difference.
Generally, fresh water up the nose is a bad thing, and . saltwater up the nose isn’t.
Some dime store physiology:
The inside of ones nose is lined with membranes (which is why people snort cocaine: it passes across nasal membranes into the blood stream ), and water passes across a membrane from a less saline solution to a more saline solution (osmosis). Since your bodily fluids are more saline than fresh water and less saline than sea water, when fresh water is in your nose it will actively transport across nasal membranes, whereas salt water will not.
So when you roll in fresh water, you risk transporting the water and all of its nasty ingredients across membranes into your body (hence, general discomfort, and sometimes sinus infections). This will not happen in salt water ; hence rolling in salt water is generally misery-free.
Interesting…
I am glad I asked this question. I usually roll with plugs in fresh water. The blowing out thing sometimes works for me and other times does not.
Now that the water was getting warmer was considering just trying to train myself not to care and deal with the water in the nose as I thought that the discomfort was largely pyschological. Now that I know more about the issue with infections I definitely don’t think that is the way to go! Especially in the nasty water in which I usually paddle.
Matt
Self-plugging technique
This could be useful to try: http://blog.swimator.com/2011/07/human-nose-clip-getting-water-up-my.html
It is a technique used by competitive swimmers and if done properly, it actually fully plugs the nose and no water gets in.