Why can’t I hear audible alarms in the water, but hear them just fine on the audio of videos?

[nippurmagnum]

I have high frequency hearing loss, and cannot hear audible alarms on my Mares Puck computers at all. However, when I play back videos that I recorded on solo dives, if my alarm was going off, I can hear it just fine. Why would that be? Does the recording change the frequency? Is it a matter of how the sound travels through water vs. air?

 

[Angelo Farina]

I have high frequency hearing loss, and cannot hear audible alarms on my Mares Puck computers at all. However, when I play back videos that I recorded on solo dives, if my alarm was going off, I can hear it just fine. Why would that be? Does the recording change the frequency? Is it a matter of how the sound travels through water vs. air?

The recording does not change the frequency.
But water has much higher impedance than air (1500000 rayls instead of 400 rayls), so your ear sensitivity drops significantly underwater.
Sound travels faster and with lower losses in water, it is just your timpanic membrane which is "designed" to operate in a low impedance medium.

 

[SlugLife]

Wearing a hood will also block and muffle sounds.

 

[VikingDives]

Before I learned how to breathe underwater (more) correctly, I noticed the same thing.

For me it was the constant inhale and exhale cycle. Your reg is transferring all the noises it makes to your head, plus there's ambient noise. Exhalation is loud too, just ask any rebreather diver about the difference.

 

[scrane]

If you can't hear the audible alarm you should disable it if you can do so. Just because you can't hear it doesn't mean everyone around you can't.