don't use earplugs. I did as a kid when I was getting ear infections, but I haven't had an ear infection in years.

I use a nose clip when I use a snorkel. That's it....

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I use earplugs... I was getting dizzy and sick every time I got out of the water, someone suggested using earplugs. Magically I never got dizzy or sick again.... Now it's to the point where if I lost or forgot my earplugs, I'd be hesitant to even get into the water.

I don't and have never even tried either (for swimming).

and you use which earplugs? do they ever fall out?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I will put the Mack earplugs in for really cold water, it helps with the dizziness. I also started using a nose clip when training in open water. I was suffering terribly with allergies after open water swims but Missy Franklin legitimized the nose clip in my mind. It has been amazingly effective for me. I still dislike the way you have to breath exclusively through your mouth so I don't use it when racing. I use the TYR nose clip.

Only use earplugs in salt water swims. Don't use a nose plug.

Nope and Nope, though some people I know like the noseclip when using a snorkel. On my back I just us my upper lip to stem the flow of water up my nose. I do know some world class backstrokers who swear by a noseclip though.

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I wrote this, you should read it:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/...n_Swimming_6700.html

I've been researching ear plugs since my son has chronic ear infections. At least one per swim season. I think I had one ear infection as a kid since I remember having to mess with wax plugs once. We tried that with my son and it was a colossal failure. He's 8 and we tried starting at 6. We just got https://www.proplugs.com/medical.shtml based on ENT recommendation. Once he's over current infection he'll try those.
When we picked up his team suit at a brick and mortar swim store (who knew they still existed) I had grabbed a pair similar to the proplugs. The girl working there told me not to get any of what they had in stock. To wait for the Arena ones to arrive since in their opinion they are the best.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

earplugs: I use them every swim, otherwise I get a bit dizzy. I used speedo biofuse earplugs (the ones shaped like a christmas tree) for a while, but they kept falling out. Now I use zoggs silicone ear plugs, which work well for me.

noseplugs: I use them while swimming in the pool. The pool I swim in seems to use some chemicals that don't agree with me. If I don't use noseplugs, I start sneezing and get a runny nose for a couple of days. I use the speedo competition nose clip, which I usually wrap in kineziotape for extra grip.

thanks guys! for answering! but can you add what KIND of plugs you use when you answer? and how they work? do they fall out? any minuses? any plugs you tried and didn't work before you found the plugs you like?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I always swim, training and racing, with my smiley nose plug. I do not like having water in my nose.

I have never used ear plugs, yet :)

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they all seem to fall out IME but a cap or swim band helps combat that. Never tried the swim band but I noticed them at the store and ENT also recommended.

http://www.macksearplugs.com/products/Ear-Band

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Use earplugs - ever since I was a kid I had difficulty removing water from my ears post-swim.
-Cheap rubber ones for the pool
-Macks moldeable ear plugs for racing. My concern is that regular ear plugs have a piece that sticks out, I don't want anyone jamming it up my ear during ows. A little more comfort in cold water is also a benefit.

Nose clip for kicking with a snorkel.

Wax kind. Not sure of the brand. Work great at keeping the salt water out of my ears (salt water causes my string gag reflex to kick in). Only issues is a fear that the wax will get stuck in my ear but that has never happened.

I've tried the plug kind (the ones that look like mini Christmas trees). Those never stay in my ears.

I have used this Speedo set for the past 5 years. The nose plug is a little slick, so I score the inside and wipe the grease off of my nose before I put it on. I also wear it upside down, so it is actually under my nose. The ear plugs work well for me, as long as I am not wearing a cap. The cap distorts the shape of my ear canal and I do not get a seal. I started to wear plugs when the sloshing of water in and out of my ear became distractingly painful. I know it's not macho to wear them, but I see them like goggles as they are all in the yes I can swim w/o them but why the hell would I category. If I am swimming with a cap, I use the silicone mold plugs. They work great but get a little grimy after a few uses.

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Oui, mais pas de femme toute de suite (yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away) -Stephen Roche's reply when asked whether he was okay after collapsing at the finish in the La Plagne stage of the 1987 Tour

why don't you use macks in the pool?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Never used nose plugs. It'd be counterproductive. I exhale through mouth and nose underwater.

Use earplugs in OWS. In the pool pulling the swim cap over the ears seems to be enough.

I wear these ear plugs at times. Wrap them around my goggles and they stay in place without a cap. Only in pool though.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Could never be confused with a fish, but after I got a swimmer's ear type of ear infection several years ago, I forced myself to buy some earplugs. I have the flanged type (speedo, but they don't make those anymore). They work great and keep the water out. They have never fallen out. They're an on-again/off-again thing, though: anytime I get water trapped in my ear for a few hours after a swim, they go in for a few swims because I am paranoid of that infection recurring (it sucked). I always eventually end up leaving them out because I hate the way they change sounds under water.

I've got a permanently ruptured ear drum in one ear and had tubes two or three times as a kid in the other. Always get ear infections and water in my ear. Have to use earplugs or I wouldn't be able to finish the swim. Tried all different kinds of wax, fancy ones shaped like the inside of my ear, etc. was about to quit triathlon before I ever started because none of them worked until I tried macks rubber ones, the ones shaped like little purple xmas trees. Since then, I've never gotten a drip in my ears. Use them for every single swim. Work like a charm for me, but as I found in my research, every ear is different.

https://www.walmart.com/...mp;wl13=&veh=sem

I wear earplugs every time I swim for fitness. They never fallout as I always use a swim cap too.

From talking to an ENT I know and my speech pathologist wife, it's all about physiology. Some people just don't have issues. Some do.
Without them, I notice water "going in" every time I turn to breathe. One ear (can't remember which) is worse than the other. I suppose when I'm just splashing around with the kids I can do the head tilt thing anytime. Can't mess with stopping to do that all the time when swimming for fitness.

First I ever tried were TYR. For some reason, I think they work 'better' and last a little longer than Mack's. I keep a pack of them in backpack for 'race day'. They're also 2 to a pack and cost a fortune, relative to Mack's. I use Mack's exclusively outside of racing.

In terms of "lasting"....Mack's seem to really only last me 2, maybe 3 times. I know they say they should last longer. After the first use, I have to get them smudged in just right and the chances are that I'll have to stop, drain out and reset one is high. I can tolerate that for 1000-1500 meters. I time so that I use a fresh pair on the weekend when I'll spend more time in the pool, then I can use them usually twice during the week for 1000-1500 meters. They seem to lose their effectiveness when they lose that tacky feel after the first/second swim.

I have not tried the Walgreens brand. It's on my todo list. I really don't want to mess with anything that isn't disposable for something rather insignificant. Just one more thing to fret about. Like I need any more of that in triathloning.

Edit: Additional
I feel like I spend an inordinate amount of time getting them smudged in. But when they're in, I feel like Iron Man (not Ironman). Swim cap, goggles, ear plugs. Like I'm impenetrable to water. Yah, I know it's weird, but I think that every time. The other thing that sucks is that right before the race, I find myself asking "What did he say?" as the race director is firing off last minute instructions. Of course, I should just relax and do what the guy in the same color swim cap is doing.

Use a noseclip to prevent chlorine allergy. Been using it for 10 years. Plastic type - speedo or TYR. Trick is to get the oil off of your nose to make it stay on and guess what? Rub your pull puoy over your nose and also inside the clip. Works like a champ! Only need the clip when swimming in chlorine.

I have a friend who is an ear doctor. He talked me into getting some custom earplugs done (he did give me a deal). Yes, at $50 a pair they aren't cheap but I have been using them without issue for 3 years now. Basically he injected a mold material into my ear canal, let it set up and then did a little custom shaping and voila, awesome ear plugs that fit perfectly and are super comfortable. They are great for really cold open water swims, but also great when I hit the pool at the same time as the kids swim clubs and the Special Olympic swim team. It can get noisy and they help me concentrate a little better.

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Ian

I swim with nose clips for training but not racing. I frequently get sinus infections from swimming and the only way to prevent them seems to be with nose clips. The ones that work for me are the Speedo Competition style clips. Any other style I've tried won't stay on. I believe my nose can be described as "Patrician".

I don't wear the clips for racing as I'm afraid that getting hit while wearing them could be ugly.