I can’t stay underwater that long! It has a air-permeable membrane in the battery door. So long as I come up for air here and there, it’s good.
Thanks, this is very helpful. I’ve also seen the aids on Ebay but I just don’t have the stomach to pay that much money for something that may not work out of the box, let alone not offer any warranty.
I mainly want the IP68 aids so I can kayak, go white water rafting, and take surfing lessons. Kayaking without hearing, while it’s possible, is pretty dangerous for someone new to the sport like me.
When I swim at the beach I usually just put my aids into a waterproof bag.
I’ll start looking at all the aids you mentioned and pass along any new information I get. Thanks.
iHear Medical has a Facebook page where people comment on their experiences with iHear products or ask questions. The experiences have been mostly positive and iHear seems to be a good, responsive company to deal with.
Found something else that might be useful. A company called Hal-Hen that’s been around since the 1940s makes hearing aid accessories. They have a product called Super Seal for BTEs. It’s a water proof protective sleeve you can put on a BTE. I don’t think they sell directly to consumers so their products would have to be ordered through a hearing aid dispenser or audiologist. Hal-Hen Product Information
Have you figured it out yet?
Thanks for the link. I wondered where those seals had gone 
I used to use those seals when playing soccer. They’re basically like a condom that fits over the hearing aid. You have to use the tool pictured to stretch out the seal enough to put over the hearing aid. They actually work pretty well – despite being difficult to put on the hearing aids – but they definitely don’t totally encase the hearing aid. I really doubt they’d work for swimming or water dunks of more than a few seconds.
I did call iHear the other day and they said no way they’d use their aids in the water.
Also, the UK manufacturer of IP 68 hearing aids seems to produce “shooters” hearing aids – hearing aids for competitive shooters that have a hearing loss. If you could get them, they might work but their settings are all tied to different types of shooting competitions. So, I’m not thinking that’s much of a solution either.
No solution yet. Haven’t called about the rechargeable Siemens aids that are supposed to be IP68, but don’t think there’s anything on the market that specifically says “you can take this hearing aid swimming, kayaking, surfing and it will be ok.”
Perhaps using a combination of things might work. For example, an iHear Max (or some IP68 aid) plus a swim cap or ear band.
Well, that’s certainly possible. I would think using the sealer plus a swim cap or ear band that is waterproof but allows airflow might work. I don’t know how the hearing could function if it doesn’t have air access for the batteries and blocks out all sound.
iHear Max according to customer service isn’t 8 rated against water (I think it’s 7). But the iHear aids are inexpensive enough that it could be worth the experiment. Or maybe they would provide one for the experiment. I’ll take a look at different swim caps / bands and see if there’s a possible way forward.
Unless you have the boys to go eBay you’re pretty much screwed
One style of swim cap that’s been recommended to keep hair and ears dry is the “ear pocket” style. A search on Amazon will return many results, but here’s an example of one: https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Swim-Cap-Long-Hair/dp/B01MTKV8I3/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1498480381&sr=8-19&keywords=swim+caps+with+ears
I’m crushed by this news. The aquaris changed my life. I will address why a waterproof hearing aid is so terribly important to me below (in response to why someone would want a waterproof hearing aid) but, because my aquaris has started cutting out on me, I have started today to look for alternatives. The IP Ratings are confusing and more technical than I could have imagined but what I have discovered is that the aquaris I believe was IP57 and the water resistant ones are now IP68 (which is theoretically better). So although the alternatives are not called waterproof, they very well may solve the issues that users like myself had before the aquaris. The IP ratings weren’t designed for hearing aids and Siemens was the first to use them to market the aquaris but I think (or at least hope) that they are still useful as I buy my next device. For me, I lost my hearing in my early 30s while still active and before the aquaris moisture was a daily issue. I even had to cut out certain activities altogether because they just didn’t work without being able to hear others and I couldn’t risk breaking another hearing aid. Living in Texas and spending time in rain forests in Ecuador and Hawaii combined with being sweaty by nature meant that all other devices I tried would cutout constantly from April through November and would be completely destroyed in less than year. That’s just from normal use in very hot and humid climates which many times can be as wet or worse than being actually submerged. The aquaris always worked and I’m skeptical that something that isn’t waterproof would hold up in those situations much less in more extreme situations that I enjoy. The aquaris wasn’t perfect but it meant that I didn’t have to worry about it just walking outside in the summer or while having fun doing something more strenuous. I was also able to do things I couldn’t for almost a decade. I’ve been caught in rain storms for an hour with no cover and no dry pocket to put the device in. I’ve had to pass under waterfalls while hiking to get out of places. I’ve crashed in the snow while skiing. I’ve been thrown in a pool at a party. I’ve lost 6 pounds of water weight in day from sweating. I’ve been knocked down by a wave in shallow water. I’ve hunted boar in Hawaii in places that were as wet as can be where not being able to hear the guide could have severe consequences. I could do all of those things with the aquaris and would not have had the confidence to make the trips if I was worried about my hearing aid being destroyed again. The aquaris held up time after time. It even held up when my 1 yr old sucked it off my ear into her drooling mouth and wouldn’t spit it out. It actually worked with my lifestyle. When the air was cutoff to the battery, it never took more than a minute to start back up and usually less than 30 seconds. The seals had to be replaced every 18 to 24 months and the blue tooth was horrible but it gave me a freedom I hadn’t had in years. I’m terrified that even with an IP68 rating that I am going to ruin a new one in no time but I guess I will find out and report back.
For your use, I would guess that any of the newer IP68 hearing aids in BTE format (not RIC) would do well for you.
I certainly hope so. I’m leaning towards the Oticon OPNs but it turns out that my aquaris is under warranty for another 48 hours so I hope to get another year out of iut. It seems to me that exposure to humidity is just as bad as if not worse than dunking a hearing aid in water for an hour. Moisture in gas form gets into everything. We have problems with cell phones for the same reason, even the new IP68 rated ones. I’ve used desiccant jars but need to invest in an electric dryer. Have folks had success with those and could make a recommendation?
You can have them repaired after warranty expires, for $200-300 range. Third party companies also repair.
Hi. Are you familiar with Ear Gear? (Link below). This will help protect hearing aids against sweat and moisture. Also, some people have luck with small balloons (pictures below). With balloons, if you close it entirely, you’ll have to use silver oxide batteries which don’t require air (unlike zinc batteries).
Pictures
http://talkingtwentyfourseven.blogspot.com/2010/06/prepping-for-water-fun.html
ip 68 is water resistance and not waterproof.
i have readed somewhere that ip68 aids can survive underwater just for few time but battery and door is causing problem . its ruining ip 68 capablity who will wear aids in water without battery?
2 Audiologist advised me not to get Siemens Aquaris:
- its based on the older Micon technology.
- No receiver in ear means less high frequencies. High frequencies don’t go down the tube.
- Not very good at being waterproof.
- Its much larger than Siemens Pure.
With this in mind I went with the Siemens Pure 7 Binax. I have used Siemens Pure 7 Binax while rock climbing, repelling, cave exploring and riding my bicycle in the pouring rain without any problems. So at first I was practical sold on the Aquaris, but after seeking the opinion of 2 audiologist I bought Siemens Pure 7 Binax.
Curious where you go caving? I’m in Central California and have been caving for 10-15 years.
I’m in San Diego, CA. I should have said “mine exploring” . I belong to 2 groups that explore abandoned mines. If you are interested in exploring mines, let me know. I can give you information on our events. We often go to mines in Death Valley and Mojave. I would rather risk losing a hearing aid in a mine than be left out of conversations. Years ago I used to explore without hearing aids. Some of the guys were soft spoken and I had no idea what they were saying. What kind of hearing aids do you have and are you into self programming?