Scuba diving using silcone earplugs?

[ciderapple]

I'm hoping someone can help me on this.

 

We have booked "discover scuba diving" for one of the excursions on our cruise. It is a beginners dive.

 

My 12 year old son has a perforated ear drum and has been wearing silicone ear plugs for years when underwater swimming and snorkling. I have just ordered a new pack of ear plugs and it says on the back of the pack do not use for scuba diving or at depths over 10 feet. I phoned the company and asked why, they said there was a risk of the plug being pushed completely into the ear canal with the change in pressure.

 

I am very naive and have no idea whether this trip will work for him now. I would appreciate any advice on how deep we can expect to go and whether it is feasible for him to have the scuba diving experience but stay around the 10-12 ft depth.

 

He will be so disappointed if he cannot try scuba diving it was going to be the highlight of the cruise for the kids.

 

I would be grateful for any information or advice.

 

many thanks

[NM_Eman]

I'm sorry to disappoint your son but he can not dive with a perforated ear drum. The silicon plugs are no protection and significant ear damage could result. The worst thing that could happen would for water to enter the middle ear under pressure causing severe vertigo which could easily cause him to panic, bolt to the surface sustain an over expansion injury and die.

 

Any operator that would take any person, let alone a youngster on a discover scuba with a perforated ear drum cares only for the money and nothing for his safety.

 

Check with a local dive center and ask the instructors for more detail.

 

Take him snorkeling and have a great time!

Kent

PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor

[bruce-r]

I agree with NM Eman. If you don't believe us, call or email http://diversalertnetwork.org/ They are the leading diving medical experts.

Here is their article about diving with a perforated ear drum. They also advise against it.

 

Plugs that have a hole in them allow water to enter the canal and defeat the purpose of the plug. If there is a perforation of the tympanic membrane, this could cause middle ear infection. Advocates of the use of ear plugs have not presented enough evidence to recommend the use of plugs.

Plugs that are solid are likely to get pushed too far into the ear at even a shallow depth.

[ciderapple]

Thank you so much for your help.

 

We just feel so stupid for not realising earlier!

 

I know he will understand once I explain the real risk to him, I just feel bad for the intial mistake in booking this excursion and letting the while family down!

 

I am now reviewing all our excursions! He will LOVE the snorkling, I know.

 

thanks again :)

[thedebbied]

Thank you so much for your help.

 

We just feel so stupid for not realising earlier!

 

I know he will understand once I explain the real risk to him, I just feel bad for the intial mistake in booking this excursion and letting the while family down!

 

I am now reviewing all our excursions! He will LOVE the snorkling, I know.

 

thanks again :)

 

You should not feel stupid. These are the things most of us learned only when we become certified. You were smart to ask questions.

[oldmedic]

just wondering if he might be able to do a helmet dive?, it is not exactly like scuba diving, and I have not recieved any training in it, so I am not familiar with the pressures that this creates, since air is pumped into the helmet, I would presume air pressure would be at 1 atmosphere, any divers with experience in the helmet dives?

[oldmedic]

your question started me to wondering if it would be possible for your son to do the underwater sea trek helmit dive.... I ran across this website: http://www.sea-trek.com/faq.html you might want to contact DAN and see if they have any information about it.... hope he is able to find some type of underwater activity to participate in. Have you considered the Atlantis Submarine excursion?

[scubaduba]

Thank you so much for your help.

 

We just feel so stupid for not realising earlier!

 

I know he will understand once I explain the real risk to him, I just feel bad for the intial mistake in booking this excursion and letting the while family down!

 

I am now reviewing all our excursions! He will LOVE the snorkling, I know.

 

thanks again :)

 

NO DIVING QUESTION IS A STUPID DIVING QUESTION, Along with your child's perforated ear drum there is also a study printed in medical journals that have proven that children who dive run the risk of altering their growth plates because of the gases the body absorbs while diving. So they (the doctors) state the age requirement should be raised to between 16-18yrs. Take your child Snorkleing he'll probably love that just as much.;)