Cold Water Surfing & Dipping: The Essential Guide to Preventing Exostosis

Cold swells and icy plunge pools deliver an unmatched endorphin hit. Yet every blast of 15 °C (59 °F) water across your ear canal quietly triggers bone growth. 

To help you find the best ear protection for cold water surfers, this guide explains how external auditory exostosis (EAE), or “surfer’s ear,” narrows the canal, traps water, and invites infection.

Below is a research-rich playbook for anyone who spends their weekends chasing winter waves, alpine rivers, or fjordside kayak camps.

Table of Contents

1. How Cold Water Affects Your Ear Health

2. Early Symptoms and Long-term Risks of Exostosis

3. Best Types of Ear Protection for Cold-water Conditions

4. Surf Earplugs vs. Hoods: Which Offers Better Protection?

5. Why Waterproof Barriers Matter in Icy Surf?

6. How to Dry and Care for Ears After Each Session

7. Gear & Habits That Increase Your Infection Risk

8. Protecting Your Ears During Cold Plunges or Dips

9. When to See a Specialist About Ear Damage

10. Conclusion

11. Frequently Asked Questions

How Cold Water Affects Your Ear Health

Understand how icy water triggers bone growth and sets the stage for long-term ear damage.

• Physiology. Water colder than 19 °C strips heat from the thin canal skin. The body responds with osteoblastic bone deposition, creating ridges along the canal wall that safeguard the eardrum but steadily reduce its diameter.
  
  

• Dose–response. StatPearls’ review estimates risk rises 12 % for every additional year of cold-water exposure, and severity correlates with both temperature and annual session count.
  
  

• Wind factor. Wind-surf and kite-surf athletes develop EAE even faster because wind chill keeps surface moisture cold for longer.

Early Symptoms and Long-term Risks of Exostosis

Spot the subtle early warnings to prevent surfer’s ear or long-term hearing loss.

Left unchecked, EAE can culminate in tympanic-membrane perforation or permanent conductive loss.

Best Types of Ear Protection for Cold-water Conditions

Here’s how to choose the best ear protection for cold water surfers and stop trouble before it starts. 

Cold-water rule of thumb: below 15 °C, use all three layers—spray + plug + hood—for sessions longer than 20 minutes to avoid surfer’s ear.

Surf Earplugs vs. Hoods: Which Offers Better Protection?

We compare surf hoods and earplugs to uncover the best ear protection for cold water surfers in real-world wipe-outs.

• The 2021 PubMed analysis of 367 surfers found earplugs cut exostosis risk by 66 %, whereas hoods alone showed no statistical protection
  
  

• Hoods, however, reduced wind-induced otalgia and helped retain core body heat, making them a valuable secondary defence
  
  

• Optimal stack: Plug first so the seal is unmoved, then pull a snug neoprene hood over to dampen wind chill and hold plugs in place

Why Waterproof Barriers Matter in Icy Surf?

A proper seal is the best ear protection for cold water surfers, keeping microbe-laden water from lingering in your canal.

P. aeruginosa thrives between 4 °C and 42 °C, so frigid breaks do not inhibit its growth. Cold water also slows evaporation; trapped droplets linger inside the canal, especially if early exostosis has already narrowed the passage. 

The longer the skin stays wet, the easier it is for bacteria to colonise micro-abrasions created by sand or wax removal. 

A BMJ case-control study showed swimmers in seemingly pristine freshwater had a 15-fold higher otitis externa risk than non-swimmers. Similar outbreaks have hit competitive swimming teams.

Barrier sprays and waterproof surf ear protection prevent cold, microbe-rich water from lingering against canal skin long enough to seed infection or stimulate further bone growth.

How to Dry and Care for Ears After Each Session

A simple drying ritual finishes the job, and your gear starts and halves the cold water infection risk.

1. Drain immediately. Tip each ear toward the ground and gently tug the outer lobe

2. Towel only the pinna. Avoid cotton swabs inside the canal

3. Warm-air technique. Hold a hair-dryer (low heat / low fan) ~30 cm away for 30 seconds per ear to evaporate residual moisture

4. Post-session re-oil. Two pumps of mineral-oil spray restore the hydrophobic layer and soothe canal skin

5. Inspect gear. Rinse plugs and hoods in fresh water and let them air-dry to keep bacterial counts down

Gear & Habits That Increase Your Infection Risk

Avoid these common mistakes that undo all your protective efforts in seconds.

• Floppy hoods that balloon and flush repeatedly
  
  

• Hard-stemmed earbuds/earphones that chafe the canal epithelium
  
  

• “Ear digging” with fingernails or swabs breaks the wax barrier and seeds bacteria
  
  

• Re-using damp neoprene gloves or caps without rinsing
  
  

• Pure alcohol ear drops after every session (over-dries skin and causes micro-cracks)

Protecting Your Ears During Cold Plunges or Dips

Cold plunges at 5–10 °C, even if brief (30–120 seconds), can cause significant local vasodilation in the ear canal and surrounding tissues. 

This increased blood flow is part of the body’s response to cold, but can make the ear more sensitive and potentially vulnerable to cold-related irritation or infection.

 Apply hydrophobic spray beforehand, insert vented plugs, and wear at least a 1.5 mm neoprene swim cap. After the dip, perform the full drying routine and re-oil.

When to See a Specialist About Ear Damage

See an ENT if you notice:

• Persistent one-sided muffled hearing or tinnitus
  
  

• Recurrent infections despite plug-and-spray use
  
  

• Water-trapped sensation that lasts >24 h
  
  

• Visible bony nodules or canal blockage ≥50 % on otoscopic exam (often discovered during routine check-ups)
  
  

An otologist can confirm EAE via otoscopy or CT scan and discuss monitoring vs. canalplasty. Surgical success is high, but be aware of tympanic-membrane perforation (~5 %) or stenosis (~4 %) risks. 

Conclusion

Cold-water safety comes down to small, consistent habits. To avoid illness, follow these health guidelines for surfing in winter or cold water.

Pair Ear Pro’s mineral-oil hydrophobic spray with vented plugs and a snug neoprene hood, then follow a thorough drying routine. 

This trio delivers the best ear protection for cold water surfers, helping you avoid infections and exostosis while you keep chasing winter swells.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the best way to prevent surfer’s ear?

Use a three-layer defence: apply a hydrophobic spray such as Ear Pro, insert well-fitted vented surf earplugs, and wear a snug neoprene hood for every cold-water session. Follow with a thorough drying routine.

2. Are earplugs enough for cold water surfing?

Earplugs block most water entry, yet pairing them with a hydrophobic spray and a hood gives fuller protection against cold, wind chill, and trapped moisture.

3. Can you get exostosis from cold dips or plunges?

Yes. Repeated short plunges in five to ten-degree water can trigger the same bone-growth response seen in long-term surfers, especially if ears are left unprotected.

4. How do you treat early signs of surfer’s ear?

See an ENT specialist for confirmation, minimise further cold-water exposure, and use preventive gear faithfully. Mild cases often stabilise when irritation stops, while advanced growth may need surgical canalplasty.