Yet another wetsuit question...hooded or not?

Hooded. if you don't need it, flip it back. I'd wear my hood paddling out, then pull it off. make sure it has a bill, it helps pulling it back over.

 

Surfers ear is bone/cartilage growth (resulting from prolonged exposure to cold water/air) inside your ear canal that drastically reduces its diameter and can ultimately close it. (The surgeon described to me that a normal diameter is about that of a pencil and both of my canals had closed in to the diameter of a pencil lead.) For about the past 5-6 years, about once every few months i would get water/wax/sand (I think its actually earwax and sand grains that close it and water is trapped inside) that caused total blockage in one ear or the other at random. Not wearing a plug, or losing one during a surf was usually the cause. It's annoying to lose hearing in one ear even for just a few days, due to the blockage. Once blocked, infection sets in, and the routine was hydrogen peroxide and antibiotics to loosen the wax, kill the infection, get the ear opened. It wasnt the end of the world but an ear surgeon told me that the more the canal closes up the riskier the surgery (less of a pathway to guide the drill). Its still a very low-risk procedure, I'm told.

I had the right ear surgery December 19. They knock you out with general anethesia, and drill it back to a normal diameter removing all of the bone growth. You now have exposed bone without skin protection, so infection is a risk. They pack the ear canal with gauze soaked with antibiotic gel. NO HEARING for several weeks and the INCREDIBLY ANNOYING sensation of having a sock stuffed in your ear because you do! After about a week the desire to reach in and pull it out is constant and quite irritating. For me there was not much pain after about the first 24 hours. After about 4 weeks the surgeon removed the gauze packing, said the healing was going well. Hearing is back! For another 4 weeks just antibiotic eardrops. A total of 9 weeks after the surgery, the doctor said i could start surfing again.

I hated the entire ordeal and swore I would not get the surgery on my left ear, but this summer I have already had two multi-day blockages in my left ear, so I will probably end up doing the left ear this winter in late December.

 

hooded vests suck under drylocks.. just saying.. get the hood and pull it down if too warm.. i have both hooded and non.. i wear the hooded one a lot more

 

I don't think I surf that much in the winter to get surfers ear.i heard plenty of stories about it but im only in the water maybe 5x a year each winter depending on swells,and im only out for an hour.maybe if you surf all day in the winter it would be wise to use plugs.3/2s suck,only good for summer.i rented 1 from ronjon surfshop in December like 8yrs ago,i had a 12hr rental,by the time I drove to my break it was 4hrs in.tried going out and nearly died of hypothermia,i was so pissed they gave me a 3/2 rj suit(maybe if It was Patagonia,wouldve been ok).I didn't have time or the patience to drive it back to lbi so I shipped it back in a box.dont know if they ever got it.i rock a 4/3 hyperflex all yr long,have one of those hooded vests.id lke to get a heated vest one day when I hit the lotto.5/4/3s are expensive,but u get quality stuff,cheaper suits like mine only last a few yrs

 

I was looking at Patagonia 5/4/3's today. $650.... I would rather buy a $200 hyperflex and order Takayama egg or mini special.

 

If you are buying a winter wetsuit - get the hooded one- Chich has it right slide it back if you are hot. Suits with an integral hood are much warmer than just adding a separate hood

I've had both of my ears drilled for Surfers Ear- left one in 98, right one about 3 years later. I spent a lot of years surfing before I knew about surfers ear and hoods weren't too common back then.
Mitchell described the experience pretty well - but left out the fact that (at least the way they did my surgeries) they slice the ear off to come in from behind and get a better angle to drill the ear canal. Eating is uncomfortable initially with all that sh-t stuffed in the ear canal too

Not using hoods in mid 40 degree water is asking for trouble, surfing winters will probably catch up to you sooner or later - no need to accelerate the process.

 

get a hooded suit. If you don't, you're gonna be wearing a "squid lid" anyhow (looks dorky, doesn't warm your neck and can give a pretty nasty rash).

 

4/3 O'Neill Mutant with detachable hood.

 

Exactly. Best of both worlds, and a damn good suit overall. Better deals in the spring...

 

JTS- my surgeon mentioned that they might have to do mine that way, and that they couldnt be 100% sure until they actually started the procedure, but he didnt end up needing to move my outer ear out of the way.

So let me ask you this: 10-15 years later, are you symptom free? Have you continued to surf year around?

 

So I reckon from Mitchell's account(thanks for the info and time) my ears aren't as screwed as I thought. I can still hear. But I always have ear pain/congestion. I always have sinus problems. And I mean always.

And now my eyes are screwed up...And those bastards around RC's in Florida won't give me a pair of sunglasses !!

Kids wear ear plugs if you shralp the winter juice, and live fast and die young. Trust me..........

 

As a musician this is absolutely scary. I got fitted for Pro Plugs. They're vented to let in sounds but keep water out. They also are great if you go to loud rock shows. I'm seeing Muse in Philly soon and bringing mine.

 

this. and...it comes as a 5/4, i believe. better too warm than too cold.

& realistically, a 3/2 & a 5/4 will cover all your bases for year-round surfing. since you already have a 3/2, a 4/3 isn't really going to get you a significant amount of added warmth. a 5/4 will.

 

Valid point as long as you have a good, sealed 3/2. If you have the cheapy $100 unselaed kind (like me) the difference between the 3/2 and a good 4/3 is massive.

 

yep, I wear a 4/3 year 'round here. Tried a 3/2 and froze my ass off. However, I wouldn't expect a 4/3 to keep me warm enough in VA winter water temps.

 

I didn't buy it expecting it to disappoint me. I guess I'm just annoyed with the chest zip thing. Plus it fits a little tighter than my xcel which I'm not super-psyched on. But I've literally only worn it three times since I bought it in June/July so I guess I should give it a chance.

I'm glad to hear that you're liking yours. Hopefully mine holds up well too!

 

Word. It might be tight, but we as men are use to fitting our stuff into tight places aren't we?

 

Mitchell – I’ve continued to surf year round. I am more selective about what I surf in the winter now – but I am also pushing 55 so it is more about days that I enjoy than just being in the water.

I don’t have any symptoms now, although even @ 95% blocked I had no infections or hearing problems – my problem was inability to clear the water out of the ear. I always have the Drs look in my ears to make sure they can see the ear drum, and I ask them to describe how the ear canal looks – the bones are slowly growing back - I wear hoods religiously now though so hopefully I won’t have to go through that again. I just look at it like a mid life overhaul of the ears – bore’em out and they are good for another 20-25 years.

Another thing my surgeon told me was to rinse the ears out with 4:1 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and white vinegar, helps dry out the water and the vinegar creates an acidic environment to deter bacterial growth.
Good luck

On the issue of wetsuits for the VB/OBX area I have been surfing this area since 85 and never used anything heavier than a 4/3 until a few years back when it got exceptionally cold one winter and I got a 5/3 - I pull that out about 1 or 2 times a year if that. A good hooded 4/3 is a good winter suit for this area - y'all up in NJ and farther north def need more. I rely on blubber though, that may explain some of it too
Jim

 

My ENT doc told me to make a mixture of vinegar and alcohol. Take an eyedropper and put a few drops in before and after a surf.

 

that's what i rock, got 3/2 & 5/4 Mutants, besides a spring suit and boardshorts, they get me thru the year...

and no complaints here with O'Neill (as long as your diligent about rinsing in fresh water after every sesh)

...the ability to switch up the hood or neck guard in seconds def makes it easy when it's GO time....