WHAT IS SURFER’S EAR?

Surfer’s ear is extra bone formed as lumps that grow in the ear canal. The cause of it is exposure to cold water and wind, especially the combination of the two as the wind creates a chill factor when your ears are wet. The extra bone growth, also called exostosis is believed to be the body’s defense mechanism to protect the ear drum. The problem is that the exostosis doesn’t go away afterwards, instead it continues to grow. As surfers we are frequently exposed to windy and wet conditions and that’s why this condition is common among surfers. Hence the name; surfer’s ear. The pace of the bone growth will increase with lower temperature and more frequent exposure. However, how bad it gets varies from person to person as some seems to be more prone to develop exostosis than others.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

When your ear canal gets narrower due to the exostosis, it’s harder for the water to get out once it’s in your ears. If you experience water stuck in your ears after a surf session, it might be that you are developing surfer’s ear.

Recurring ear infections is also an indication that you might have surfer’s ear. As your ears get worse at drying, the risk of catching an infection gets higher. You might not notice when the exostosis develops, and it’s not unheard that surfers who live in colder climates get ear infections once they travel to warmer places with more polluted water.

THE STATISTICS

With improvements in modern wetsuits we are able to spend more time in colder conditions. The side effect of this is that more people develops surfer’s ear.

Recently we have made studies at two surf events, first in Ireland then California, where we examined 107 surfers of all ages who had surfed for at least five years – some were pro surfers, some happy enthusiasts. As many as 75.7% of the participants had some degree of surfer’s ear in at least one ear. 74 of the participants had surfed for more than 10 years, and for them the corresponding number was 84%. Half of them(!) had the highest grade of closure in at least one ear, meaning two thirds or more of the ear canal is closed.

In 2016, a similar study was made by Dr. Vini Simas and the Water Base Research Unit at Bond University with a small group of WSL Championship Tour surfers. Simas and his team found that all 14 surfers who took part in their study had developed surfer’s ear in at least one ear, and all except one in both ears.  Again, the highest grade of closure was observed for 50 % of the participants.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

If the exostosis becomes severe, the only way to have it removed is by surgery, where the extra bones get drilled or chiseled out. It’s definitely not the most pleasant procedure to go through. For one, it will keep you out of the water for some time, and once it’s done it doesn’t prevent bone from growing back again. Surgery is the last option, but there are proven ways to be prevented. By wearing ear plugs  you can easily protect your ears from the elements.

Related: Common Surfer’s Ear Questions

Tom Carroll after his second ear surgery

WHAT IS SWIMMER’S EAR?

‘Swimmer’s ear’ (in medical terms also known as otitis externa) is a painful condition where the skin in the ear canal becomes infected. ‘Swimmer’s ear’ commonly occurs when water gets stuck in the outer ear canal. It is a common condition among swimmers and water active people, such as surfers. Anyone can be exposed to getting ‘Swimmer’s ear’, even those who are not fully immersed in water, But having even just a small amount of water in your ear can create the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to cause inflammation, irritation, and infection. The reason for this is when water gets stuck in the ear, ‘bacteria that normally sits in the ear canal’ can get beneath the surface of the skin causing ‘Swimmer’s ear’.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Symptoms of ‘Swimmer’s ear’ can include pain, redness and swelling of the ear canal or an itchy feeling inside of the ear. Pain when tugging the earlobe, or when chewing food, is also a common symptom. It is said that some patients report temporary hearing loss or their ears feeling “full.”

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SWIMMER’S EAR AND SURFER’S EAR?

Doctor Douglas Hetzler explains the difference between ‘Swimmer’s and Surfer’s Ear’, and the common confusion between both medical terms.

‘Surfer’s ear’ is the bone growth that occurs in the ear canal as the typical growth to cold water. Whereas, ‘Swimmer’s ear’ is caused from water being stuck in the ear canal which leads to bacterial infection. In more severe cases, Dr. Hetzler explains that some people can even get an overlap of both ‘Swimmer’s/Surfer’s ear’ at the same time. Dr. Hetzler also touches on a phenomenon where people that are in warmer waters, or on vacation, tend to spend more time in the water, thus leading to a greater risk of being infected with ‘Swimmer’s ear’.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SWIMMER’S EAR AND A CHILDHOOD EAR INFECTION?

‘Swimmer’s ear’ and a childhood middle ear are not the same condition. If you can wiggle your child’s outer ear without pain or discomfort than the ear condition is probably not swimmer’s ear. It is important to note that young children are often highly exposed to both conditions. It is best to consult with a doctor.

THE STATISTICS

Studies have been made that indicate that at least 10 percent of the population will have at least one case of ‘Swimmer’s ear’ during their lifetime.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

If you have symptoms, questions or concerns, it is best to consult with your doctor. ‘Swimmer’s ear’ is usually treated with ear drops and cured within 7-10 days.
As a preventive measure, wearing earplugs, keeping your ears dry and clean is the key to not getting ‘Swimmer’s ear’. Also, keeping objects out of the ear, for example, cotton swabs, will help prevent infections.

COMMON SURFER’S EAR QUESTIONS

EAR ISSUES RELATED TO WIND- AND KITESURFING

Why is it important to protect your ear while kite- or windsurfing? Here are 4 good reasons:

SURFER’S EAR

Surfer’s ear is extra bone formed as lumps that grow in the ear canal. The cause of it is exposure to cold water and wind, especially the combination of the two as the wind creates a chill factor when your ears are wet. So even if you don’t dip your head into the water as frequent when you are wind- or kitesurfing, compared to wave surfing, you will still be at risk due to the wind factor.

The extra bone growth, also called exostosis is believed to be the body’s defence mechanism to protect the ear drum. The problem is that the exostosis doesn’t go away afterwards, instead it continues to grow. The first symptom of Surfer’s ear is often that water get stuck in your ears because of the bone lumps, which can lead to recurring ear infections. 

If the bone growth becomes severe, the only way to fix it is by surgery, where the bone lumps get drilled or chiseled out. The drilling method, which is the most common, includes cutting the ear open and flip it forward to give access for drilling. After surgery the ears get stitched back. It’s definitely not a pleasant procedure to go through and it will keep you out of the water for quite some time. Read more about Surfer’s Ear here.

EAR INFECTIONS

Ear infections is often a side effect from surfer’s ear as water more easily get trapped inside the ears, which create a breeding ground for bacteria to cause inflammation, irritation, and infection. Symptoms can include pain, redness and swelling of the ear canal as well as an itchy feeling inside the ear. Pain when tugging the earlobe, or when chewing food, is also a common symptom. Read more here.

RAPTURED EAR DRUMS

Crashing into the water surface with your ear first, there is a high risk of rapturing your eardrum from the pressure of the impact. A raptured (or perforated) ear drum can be very painful. Ear drum rupture can also be caused by an ear infection. The eardrum usually heals by itself within a couple months, but it’s important not to get any water in your ears during this period.

WIND NOISE

Riding in high wind conditions can be a noisy affair, and it can actually contribute to hearing loss over time. A study made with cyclists showed that they experienced noise of 85 dBA, which is enough to cause noise-induced hearing loss over time, when traveling at 15mph (24 km/h or 13 knots). This makes it highly relevant also for kitesurfers, riding at high speed in windy conditions. The higher the wind- and riding speeds the noise increases.

The best way to protect your ears from all of the above issues is to wear earplugs. What sets SurfEars apart from most other earplugs is that they let enough sound through to not affect your hearing or balance, but effectively reduces a large portion of the high pitch wind noise, giving you a more comfortable and safer ride.

SurfEars come with changeable parts in different sizes, allowing you to customize them to fit your ears perfectly.

EAR ISSUES RELATED TO WHITE WATER KAYAKING

SURFER’S EAR

White water kayakers tend to be prone to develop a condition called Surfer’s ear (or exostosis). Surfer’s ear got its name because it’s common among surfers and is caused by cold water in the ears. The colder the water the faster this condition develops why kayakers who spend time in frigid melt water are at high risk.

What happens is that lumps made of bone develops in the ear canal. This is believed to our bodies defence mechanism to protect the ear drum from the cold, but it tend cause more problem then protection. 

The bigger the extra bones grow, the narrower your ear canal get and water can get trapped behind the bone growth. Typically the first sign of Surfer’s is that you get water stuck in your ears. As your ear get worse at drying, there will also be a higher risk to develop ear infections. In severe cases, surgery might be needed to remove the bones. This is a can be unpleasant experience including cutting the outer ear open to give the surgeon easy access to drill the bones away whereby the ear is stitched back. Read more about surfer’s ear.

SWIMMER’S EAR

Swimmer’s ear (or otitis externa) is infection in the ear canal. When kayaking this can be caused by poor water quality or remaining moist in your ears that allows bacteria to thrive. Ear infections can be treated with ear drops. Read more about swimmer’s ear.

PROTECT YOUR EARS

Wearing ear plugs is the best way to prevent the above issues. What sets SurfEars apart from most other earplugs is that they let enough sound through to not affect your hearing or balance, but at the same effectively reduce a large portion of the high pitch noise from rapid water.

HOW IT STARTED

The idea behind SurfEars was born in 2011 when Christian Dittrich, cold water surfer since 25 years, had a serious ear infection during a surf trip to Morocco. Totally deaf on one ear for nearly a week and forced to stay out of the water, the infection was a real pain to get rid of. It wasn’t the first time and surely not the last. Christian went to examine his ears and was told he had a severe case of exostosis, or Surfer’s ear, in both ear canals. He was facing a future of either having to cope with bad ear plugs, go through a nasty surgery (which would only temporarily ease the issues) or quit surfing.

Having tried nearly all ear plugs on the market, the conclusion was always the same – wearing earplugs sucked. Not being able to hear your environment takes away a big part of the surfing experience. Struggling to hear and talk to other surfers makes you feel isolated and also affects your balance, which is crucial for surfers. Adding to that, most ear plugs had a bad fit, resulting in poor comfort and water leaking into your ear.

Tired of having to cope with lousy ear plugs, Christian decided it was time to come up with a better solution. With a background in mechanical engineering and experience from design of mobile phones and acoustic materials, Christian teamed up with a few surfing / engineering friends and started working on what would become a truly important product for the world’s surfers.
The earplug project quickly became an obsession for us and we worked on numerous ideas, concepts and prototypes in the mission of creating the perfect earplug. We invested in a 3D printer, a priceless tool for building and testing ideas, and it was was running non-stop for longer periods churning out new design concepts, eventually lead us to the final design.

The key requirements for our new product was to protect the ears without affecting important senses like hearing or balance, since they are crucial for surfers and other water athletes. We wanted a product that made it possible you to hear the world around you, communicate easily with other surfers and allowing you to embrace the full experience of surfing. We also wanted product that was so comfortable to use that you could keep it in your ears for hours, without even thinking about it.

Kicking off the project in 2011, we’ve spent over 25 000 hours to get to where we are today. They say it takes 10 000 hours to really understand what you’re doing, so I guess we should be pretty good at designing ear plugs by now.
Looking back at our first product launched back in 2014 which was already a great product, we’re beyond stoked about the improvements we’ve made with SurfEars 3.0. It’s by far the best earplug we’ve ever tried.

More importantly, we’re proud to know that SurfEars will help many thousands of surfers get a better experience on the water while staying away from the doctor.

WHO ARE WE?

We’re a team of professional product designers, engineers and dedicated surfers with more than 25 years on the water. Our team has extensive experience from designing, developing and manufacturing high tech consumer electronics and sports equipment. Combine that with a great passion for water sports and countless hours on the water and you have a recipe for success! Since the launch and success with SurfEars we found out there is a need for ear plugs outside surfing, in 2015 we launched SwimEars for the swimming market and in 2017 we launched dBud for music.