Just returned from a two-part trip to North Sulawesi, second of which was a liveaboard covering the Sangihe archipelago plus Bunaken and Lembeh. One of the dive guides (both of them wore full 5-mil suits plus hoods every dive) did a back roll off the boat and came up holding his ear, which he continued to do for the entire dive. Later in the trip, when we were near Manado, they ran him into town to go to the doc ... the result ... perforated eardrum! And this happend through the hood. My guess is that the pocket of air inside the hood was rapidly compressed when he splashed, causing an effect similar to clapping your hand on your ear hard enough to cause trauma. No diving for two months for the guide.
I use a beanie a lot, but I've melted a small hole thru the neoprene right over each ear, theory being that it will allow equalization to happen more rapidly and prevent the scenario the divemaster went through. The downside is that bubbles that make their way into the beanie make an awful racket as they escape through the holes!
Anyone else have experience with this or seen this?
I use a beanie a lot, but I've melted a small hole thru the neoprene right over each ear, theory being that it will allow equalization to happen more rapidly and prevent the scenario the divemaster went through. The downside is that bubbles that make their way into the beanie make an awful racket as they escape through the holes!
Anyone else have experience with this or seen this?
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