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?
Do you know David Angel? He lives in Santa Clarita and he also explores abandoned mines in that area. I know him from caving. I’m in foothills out of Fresno, CA. Mark
Didn’t read your full email. I have Kirkland (Costco) KS7s. Yes, I self program. I have a minipro.
Yup, He’s a great guy. I’ve explored mines with him. He doesn’t like anyone calling him David. He only goes by the name Dav. Whatever you do don’t call him David. Yeah, he is a lot of fun to explore with. I’ll prob’ly see him at Underground 2018 coming up in November.
Thanks for the tip on the Ear Gear. I tested the Oticon OPN3 for a week and really liked it. The sound is much better and much more clear than the Aquaris. The phone connectivity isn’t perfect but works very well and I’ve really enjoyed streaming audio from Apple devices directly. Overall I would say I hear much better with OPN3 and I am very happy with the connectivity. I had three minor issues. 1. I was in the Everglades/Gulf Coast this past week not doing anything particularly strenuous but the temperature was mid-90’s and I was wearing a suit which makes me sweat. As soon as I walked out the door of the airport, the OPN3 had some issues. During the most humid parts of the day, performance suffered but I also couldn’t use my camera because the lens fogged up and my phone speaker had issues a well. 2. It doesn’t stream text alerts. This seems to be an Apple issue based on what I’ve seen online but odd. The direct streaming of everything else was great and being able to hear ambient noise and the streaming audio directly at the same time was great, especially for navigation from google maps in a rental car. 3. The alarm on the phone only sounds through the device so the night I forgot to turn off the device, but took it out of my ear, I didn’t hear my alarm in the morning. It seemed to pair well and switch between iphone and ipad well but it I did have to reconnect a couple of times. The phone switching between the Bluetooth in my truck and the device was more cumbersome but I honestly don’t think I would need the truck Bluetooth connection anymore since I can hear ambient sound along with streaming. I’m now testing the OPN1 with the same settings as the OPN 3 but have only had it for an hour or so. The sound is a little more natural than the OPN 3 and I don’t have the same issues with background noise (again same settings) but I’m not sure if it is $1400 better (I only hear from one ear so I only need one device, but that’s $2800 for most folks). I need to find a crowded situation since that seems to be wear the OPN1 shines.
Hi everyone,
I currently own the siemns aquaria. And they DO have many issues. This is much due in part to the hearing aid battery cutting out and beeping erractically after it hits the 30 min mark. I have also used waterproof batteries that do not require the use of air. (non-zinc air batteries) These work better since they work for a longer amount of time. They cost about $30 a pop, and can be damaged by water, FYI. From my understanding after purchasing them, they became discontinued by Siemens. I use these while lifeguarding, but after an issue with the Fortune500 company i was employed by at a popular resort, I was removed from my role, when these cut out. I have also heard Siemens was given a lawsuit a bit after purchasing them in 2016, so this may be why they are discontinued. However, from my understanding, it was always the ZincAir battery that was the issue. Not the hearing aid itself. They should be entirely water resistent. I’m not sure if Siemens is replacing them, but mine have broken several times, about 2 times for water damage, and 6 other times from the battery doors breaking. (luckily this happened while they were under warranty).
Does anyone know of any other waterproof hearing aids that would work for so meone lifeguarding? Or would my best best be using the “waterproof” batteries that are rechargeable that do not require air?