Review: Doc's Proplugs

A few months back, I went to the doctor's office complaining of an earache. The doctor checked out my right ear, then my left, gave me a funny look, and asked if I spent anytime in the ocean. I wanted to say a joke about hunting a white whale, but I let that go, and told her that I was an avid surfer. Turns out that I have the early stages of surfer's ear. Cold water and harsh wind has actually caused bones to grow in my ear canal, and if I don't take care of it now, I may have to get surgery.

The doctor basically said that that I had two options available to help me alleviate my ear issue. I could either a) stop surfing (fat chance) or b) surf with ear plugs. The first plugs I tried were from the pharmacy at Gelsons, and they were an epic fail. That was probably because they cost around $5. So, the next time around I decided to shell out some extra dinero and purchase ear plugs designed for surfers. Doc's pro plugs caught my eye, mainly because that doctor who invented them is actually a surfer (not to mention that Santa Cruz surfer Ken "Skindog" Collins swears by them).

The plugs are shaped to cover the ear canal and the "crest of the helix" (that part of the ear just outside of the ear canal). There is also a tiny hole in each plug, so that you can equalize your ears if necessary with minimal discomfort. The plugs are meant to fit snugly, so that they can minimize water and wind entering the ear canal. With that being said, the plugs come in a variety of sizes and need to be custom fitted to the user's ears. That can be done either via a ear specialist, or you can drop 30$ and purchase a package of four plugs in different sizes (Small, Medium, Large, Extra-Large), to find a plug that fits your ears best.

Field test results: I have used the plugs for a week now, and I will say that they have helped dramatically. Finding the best fit did take some time, but when the water is freezing (last session I actually saw my breath) the ear plugs help minimize the ear ache. They do seem to let some water in when I duck dive, but with further testing and trying different sizes, I think that issue can be resolved.

I will check back in a week or so to give an update on how the plugs are working out!