Waterproof hearing aids

adamlogan

adamlogan

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I'm looking into waterproof hearing aids. I am considering becoming a professional recreational scuba diver. It would really help if I could wear hearing aids on the boat without worries.

I understand some new hearing aids are water resistant, but I'm skeptical. My current hearing aids a pair of Naida Pro S which were supposedly water resistant, it couldn't take the humidity of Honduras and kept switching off. I really don't want to worry at all about humidity or water.

The best water proof hearing aid I'm aware of right now is Siemen's Aquaris, but it was released in 2011? And only rated to a depth of 3 feet, which means I can't even swim to the bottom of a pool. Is there something on the horizon or something more recent on the market I should be aware of?
 
There isn't anything that will cope with actual diving regarding hearing aids, nothing at all!
 
The only official waterproof hearing aid is the Siemens Aquaries.

Even the Phonak H2O hearing aids are not as waterproof as the Siemens Aquaries.
 
Bummer. I wonder how much interest or demand there is for such a hearing aid.

It kinda makes sense that it's not of much interest to manufacturers, it's such a niche market. Even hearing people can't carry conversations underwater. Well, not without expensive full face masks equipped with radio anyways.

It'd probably be worth it to get the Aquaris for an active lifestyle, not just for water-sports. The main thing is that the hearing aids can survive if I fall into the water with them on, and keep functioning in very humid environments and perspiration.
 
I think I read that the Aquaris are only rated at 5/7 so it's not even truly waterproof, just water resistant. But I don't know for sure.

There are hearing aids that are water resistant, but probably still not the best for boating/water sports/etc.
 
Siemens Aquaris were tested to 3 feet, that doesn't mean that is the maximum depth you can take them. That being said, I would not scuba dive with any hearing aids, including waterproof ones. The pressure caused by scuba diving may interfere with the seals and other components.
 
Maybe I can help out here, I am a NAUI Instructor

There are several problems with this, even if you remove water/circuitry/electronics and housing the whole mess in a water tight casing, and this is subjective that there would be absolutely NO air inside the housing subject to pressure / Atmospheres depth.

Sound travels 4.3 times faster in water than air.

Hearing itself follows two methods, Air conductivity and bone conductivity. HA's will amplify the sound at the air in the canal, these sound waves travel to the drum and so on. As with bone conductivity, it is 40% less effective than air conductivity. In addition, due to the speed sound travels in water, it is nearly impossible to determine direction of sound in water. A "Waterproof" HA will need to make physical contact with bone and use that as a means of vibration transmission, if you examine physiology of this, it gets complicated quick. Factor in the circuitry will need to be completely encased in a polymer, the complexity of the device is by no means impossible, only complex and expensive.

I'm afraid our Marine mammal cousins are far better equipped than even those with normal hearing when submerged.

NOAA has some excellent articles on the subject.

If you do decide to "go pro" or even Master Diver level, you will be exposed to the physics of diving, and this is covered to a decent degree. You can also contact NAUI for more information, DAN (Divers Alert Network) should have several documents on the subject as well.

Myself, as a NAUI Scuba Instructor who is also HoH, I don't even play with my HA's near water, I remind my students to LOOK AT ME when talking to me so I can get the best understanding of what they are saying to me, I take what I CAN hear, add to what I see them say by their lip movements, I am not deaf, but I do have some %$!@(*!! issues hearing, go figure. I also ask them to touch my shoulder to get my attention rather than talking to the back of my head and hoping that I can hear them. But I am also LATE onset, I can piece most things together as it were.


Good luck with ITC, you'll have fun.
 
images


Rionet used to make these and came in fun colors also. No idea why they stopped their waterproof hearing aid production.
 
Bottesini said:
images


Rionet used to make these and came in fun colors also. No idea why they stopped their waterproof hearing aid production.
Click to expand...

I got one of these (one ear is NR) in I think it was 2000 in a plain old tan flash color. I think it was rated for 3' (I don't have time to dig the paperwork at now). Even at the time I bought it I had to have the volume all the way up. But, it serves its purpose of being able to swim with it on and not worry about being out in the rain. What I did, and would do again I just haven't been in awhile, is have it on but turned off and under a swim cap. Then when I wanted to stop and talk all I had to do was raise the flap of the cap and turn the aid on.
 
If it's just on the boat, should it matter if it's good for more than 3'? Just curious because when you go underwater you can't really hear anything anyway, right? The above mentioned ones - Aquarius and some of the Phonaks, they're good for a quick shallow dunk... Mine are safe in the rain or an accidental splash but I'd take them off to swim... I do underwater photography though so I had similar research before my latest new pair and people kept saying "but there's no sound underwater"
 
Not to mention, lots of things are waterproof until you get so far down in the water. They'll hold up but once you get say 50 feet below or something, the pressure is too much on the water proof device and poof, broken. If you're just staying on a boat, doable...... but if you're actually diving, I'd say it will be difficult. :(
 
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