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If you suffer from swimmers ear, wearing earplugs is an absolute must whenever you go swimming. The question is, can you wear ear plugs for snorkeling?
Yes! You can wear earplugs when snorkeling. If you will be staying on the surface during your snorkeling sessions, a standard set of earplugs will work great. If you like to dive underwater when snorkeling then you will need some vented ear plugs.
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Who Should Wear Eaplugs for Snorkeling?
If you regularly suffer from swimmers ear after spending time in water, then I would highly recommend earplugs for snorkeling. Swimmers ear is an ear infection caused by water in your ears creating a moist environment that aids bacterial growth. Symptoms included redness, itching, and swelling.
If you’re lucky enough that you don’t suffer from swimmers ear, then earplugs aren’t necessary, but it’s still a good idea to wear them anyway, just to be on the safe side.
Which Earplugs Should I Buy?
There’s a reason why Mack’s Pillow Soft Putty Earplugs (link to Amazon) are the most popular choice. They mold to your ears which is great for a few reasons. First, they will fit virtually any ear so you don’t need to worry about them being the wrong size. Secondly, they’re super comfortable as they perfectly mold to your ears. Thirdly, they are really effective at creating a seal to keep out as much room as possible. And they’re fairly cheap too!
The earplugs are disposable, but you should be able to get a few uses out of each set before they start to lose their effectiveness. Make sure you knead them well before putting them in to make sure they fit well, and make sure the earplugs and your ears are dry before you put them in.
What If I Like to Dive Underwater When Snorkeling?
If you dive down underwater when snorkeling then you can’t wear ordinary earplugs. You need to equalize the pressure in your ears which you can’t do with ordinary earplugs.
One solution is the IST ProEar Mask. This is a mask with a built-in ear cover which I will talk about next. The other solution is to buy vented ear plugs like the Doc’s ProPlugs (link to Amazon) which are designed for diving as they allow you to equalize the pressure in your ears. They do let some water in because they are vented and can’t create a full seal, but they are effective at keeping most of the water out.
A Snorkeling Mask With Built-In Ear Covers
If you’re not a fan of wearing earplugs and could do with a new snorkeling mask, you might want to consider the IST ProEar Mask (link to Amazon). This unique mask has built-in ear cover to keep your ears dry. It’s designed as a diving mask but works perfectly fine for snorkeling. The downside is it is quite expensive if you will only using it for occasional snorkeling sessions.
How Else Can I Prevent Ear Infections from Snorkeling?
Along with wearing earplugs or a ProEar mask, there are a few other things that can help to prevent swimmers ear from snorkeling. Head over to Verywell Health for some great tips for dealing with swimmers ear.
