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.
and you use which earplugs? do they ever fall out?
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.
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.
Old Speedo = great.
New Speedo = hurt my ears.
Zoggs = fall out.
Arena = push in to easy / get stuck / hard to grab to pull out.
My old speedos have lasted years, maybe 3+, used pool and open water. Comfy, easy to get out, float, neon yellow ends (easy to see) etc.
I was gutted when they started to fail (silicon is now degrading) and hunted around for a replacement, hence the other comments above. Managed to find an eBay seller with old stock so bought two extra sets to keep me going for a while 
Funny how something so small and ‘trivial’ can be so hard to get just right … lol
WD
I have had loads of ear infections so I used the Speedo silicon ear plugs for a while and it worked great. I stopped using them after a while because I lost them and instead use Auro ear drops to dry my ears after every swim! Haven’t had an ear infection in 6 years so I’d call it a success!
Old Speedo = great.
New Speedo = hurt my ears.
Zoggs = fall out.
Arena = push in to easy / get stuck / hard to grab to pull out.
My old speedos have lasted years, maybe 3+, used pool and open water. Comfy, easy to get out, float, neon yellow ends (easy to see) etc.
I was gutted when they started to fail (silicon is now degrading) and hunted around for a replacement, hence the other comments above. Managed to find an eBay seller with old stock so bought two extra sets to keep me going for a while
Funny how something so small and ‘trivial’ can be so hard to get just right … lol
WD
i’m surprised, tho, that among all the above you didn’t list macks moldable silicone.
- no, don’t use either in normal training or racing.
- noseplug use: only in swim meets doing IMs, for the backstroke leg of it. it helps me to stay under a little longer after the turn, and doesn’t seem to make any difference on the other legs.
- what kind of noseplug? the small wire ones used in synchronized swimming….which is my background and fits into why i breathe as i do in the water, including a negative pressure in my mouth when it’s open but doesn’t take in water.
- avoiding ear infections: tired of paying the pediatrician for our swim team children’s ear problems i took his advice, for offspring and myself, by dripping some rubbing alcohol into each ear after a pool swim (no need for ocean or lake swim, said he), letting it settle…and displace the water in there…and letting the excess drop onto a towel. it’s done the trick for all of us, so i’m happy with the cheap and easy cure.
peggy
I am UK based, maybe that make is around but I haven’t noticed them.
I have seen other types of plugs you can self mold but to be honest, hygiene has always put me off. Maybe it’s because every time I see discarded ones they are in the corner of the showers with short curly’s stuck in them along with other body debris … lol
WD
Have used earplugs once or twice in really cold water. Not sure what brand, but they were the Christmas tree style. Worked as advertised. Easy to lose getting out of the water in a race.
Have never tried noseplugs/clips.
I have used 3 different sets of earplugs
Mac “Ear Seals Ear Plugs” (Probably my favorite of the 3)
- They seam to keep water out of my ears the best.
- I usually cut off the cord
- Find them easy to loose
- I suppose you could shove them in too far if you are not careful
- Sometimes hard grab to pull out, but I suppose leaving the cord on would help that greatly
Mac “Pillow Soft Silicone Ear Plugs”
- Do not like them, because I can never really get them to fit in my ears well, but I would think they would be one of the best if they work for somebody
TYR “Silicone Molded Ear Plugs”
- Think my ears are just a little weird for these, I know a guy that loves them, but for me they let just a small amount of water in. Not much, and has not been enough to cause ear issues.
Earplugs? Yes. Standard Mack’s Aquablock. Non-moldable. Little purple things with the clear case.
Never needed to try anything else again. They don’t budge, they come out no problem, they are comfortable. They are also really good at blocking noise and I have used them as earplugs for sleeping when I didn’t have my little foam ones.
I have raced with them occasionally, but not always (are there rules about that?). I feel like they helped in cold water where I easily got a little dizzy or headaches. I have been using the same two pairs for a few years. No leaks. No breaks. No downsides. I haven’t had an ear infection since using them, but no idea if it’s related. I used to get about one a year. I would get water stuck in my ears pretty often, so even just stopping that has been well worth the $7 paid many years ago.
Usually I ‘wash’ them in the shower after a pool session. Maybe I should run them through the dishwasher occasionally for some disinfectant type cleaning.
Noseplug? No. After how much I have made fun of my wife for pinching her nose anytime she’s in water, I would probably get some major ball busting. I think I would like to at least try it with a snorkel though.
Yes I ear use plugs. Used to get dizzy because of the cold water and plugs solved that issue. I’ve used Speedo plugs and recently bought these from Amazon that are 5 bucks for a 5 pairs and will last you a while.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W3DE3BO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I also used moldable ones but they are expensive, they don’t block the water too well and while they say they are reusable but they get gross pretty quickly.
earplugs: for 60 years i’ve avoided them. the self-molding silicon plugs, however, seem to work pretty well (macks, for example). do you use earplugs? why? which ones? which work? which don’t?
noseplugs: i don’t use. the ONLY time i think i wish i had noseplugs is when i’m kicking, because my method of doing a kick set is to kick on my back, hands in front (as if i’m pushing off the wall). when i do push off the wall after every length i dolphin off the wall, upside down (because that’s where i’m going to end up after i surface) and if i don’t exhale the entire time water runs up my nose. this limits how long i can dolphin underwater because i can only blow out for so long (about 8 kicks max). that’s it. that’s the only time i ever wish i had noseplugs.
do you swim with noseplugs? why? which work? upsides? downsides?
Those look ‘very’ similar to the old type Speedo I mentioned above
WD
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I cannot stand the feeling of water in my ears so I wear earplugs every swim! I use the cheap “cork screw” type from Walgreens. They never fall out.
Same - I use Mack’s Aqua block Christmas tree shaped ones. In the 10+ years I have used them I’d say one has fallen out less than a dozen times and it’s because I don’t put them in correctly or my swim cap is pulled down too low and nudges them loose. They are easy to lose but they fit my ear perfectly and have kept me from constantly getting water in my ears when swimming. It’s a cheap and easy solution. If I lose them during a race no big deal.
Never needed nose plugs.
Ear plugs I get ear infections. For over a year been using Underwater H2O I pod shuffle for all swimming, most the time it is open water. Except racing.
earplugs: for 60 years i’ve avoided them. the self-molding silicon plugs, however, seem to work pretty well (macks, for example). do you use earplugs? why? which ones? which work? which don’t?
Yes. Because if I don’t, I get nauseous - not sure why, I am not otherwise prone to motion sickness. The grey speedo ones work the best for me. The silicon type suck for me and I think I have some TYR ones that are OK. But the speedo are the simplest and most effective.
hygiene has always put me off. Maybe it’s because every time I see discarded ones they are in the corner of the showers
i don’t think you should get your earplugs there. i recommend buying them new 