vented ear plugs and scuba divingmwschoolofdiving.com/media/com_acymailing/upload/... · vented...

Location: 5960 Highway 61N, suite 1

White Bear Lake, MN 55110

Phone: 651-653-1174

Ice Diving: March 5-6th Classroom on March 5th, Diving on

March 6th. Don’t let winter stop you from diving. Call shop for

more information.

February - 2016

www.MWSchoolofDiving.com

Adaptive Diving

Our participation in the Adaptive Diver Program with Cour-

age Kenny Rehabilitation Center is in full swing; Monday,

February 8th will be our 1st “Try Scuba” with 4 participants.

We will be increasing this program significantly with the certi-

fication of 7 additional instructors and adaptive dives bud-

dies in April. Any question or interested in helping give the

shop a call.

Local MidWest Trips for 2016

Shipwreck Diving:

Straits of Mackinac

June 4th and 5th

Or

September 19th and 20th

Limit is 6 divers each weekend—reservations will

be taken on a first call basis.

Bonaire

Plaza Resort – July 23rd – 30th 2016

7 nights hotel

All meals & unlimited bar

6 days unlimited shore diving (incl. tanks, wts, nitrox)

Tax & airport transfers

Standard laguna rooms

$1110/diver, double occupancy

$1614 / Single Diver rate Room

$1005/non-Diver double occupancy

$ 240 - 6 days 2-tank boat diving

Trucks for shore diving aren’t included, but we can add

trucks with basic insurance for $340/week, or $85/

person split 4 ways.

Bonaire Marine Park fee ($25pp) and departure tax

($35pp) are not included.

Deposit of $100 secures a room; deposit is due by May

1st

Your deposit is fully refundable until May 23rd, at which

time full payment is due.

Airfare is not included.

Call Mark at 651-653-1174 for more information!

Have you ever thought of the possibility of being a Scuba

Dive Master or Instructor; within Minnesota, U.S. or interna-

tionally? How great would it be to share your passion for

diving with others? All while getting PAID to do what you

find exciting to do in either a part-time or full-time basis.

We cordially invite you to join us for a very special GO

PROFESSIONAL Night!

Everyday Scuba Pros are living the dream thru their local

dive shops and even getting sand between their toes in ex-

otic destinations. Can you picture yourself as a Dive Profes-

sional? Let us show you how to make that dream a reali-

ty. Interested but not sure if now is the right time for you; no

problem come to the presentation find out the requirements

so that when the time is right you have at least started the

research on the requirements.

On Saturday the 30th of April at 4:30 pm we will be host-

ing a informational presentation. This is a great oppor-

tunity to hear from top dive industry professionals on what it

takes to become a scuba professional.

Whether you just completed your PADI Open Water Class

or Class with another Agency… or you’re an Experienced

Diver – We welcome all to attend!

Our Scuba GO PRO Night will be a fun filled evening that

will include:

Short Presentation on Becoming a Scuba Professional

Question and Answer

MidWest School of Diving Instructors

Appetizers and Refreshments

Raffle of some nice Scuba Products

For the 3rd Year straight we will not increase our prices;

we will continue to offer quality training at

reasonable prices.

Stay tuned for more information on our 2016 Trip to the

Philippine's in December.

Looking for something to do on Saturday, March 12th,

attend the Upper Midwest Scuba and Adventure Show at

the Ramada Inn Bloomington, near the Mall of America.

Mark will be one of the Main Speakers: Topic of traveling

outside the U.S. safely along with offering a Full Face

Mask Demonstration in the pool ($20 donation); pro-

ceeds from the Full Face Mask will be donated to the

Adaptive Diver Program at the Courage Kenny Rehabili-

tation Institute in Golden Valley.

SWAP Meet

MidWest School of Diving will once again host a Scuba Swap

Meet. This is an opportunity to socialize with others divers in

the area and either purchase or sell excess gear. The date for

the swap meet will be Saturday, May 7th at MidWest School

of Diving. There will be refreshments provided.

Manufacturers of vented ear plugs (e.g., Doc's Proplugs) assert that these devices ease equalization and

keep water out of the ears. The latter feature is said to reduce the frequency of otitis externa — more com-

monly referred to as swimmer’s ear, which is an infection of the external ear canal — and exostosis, or

surfer’s ear, which is an abnormal bone growth within the ear canal.

The claim of easing equalization is difficult to support as there is no reasonable mechanism of which I am

aware to explain howow this might occur. Doc's Proplugs' web site states, "Due to surface tension, the

vented plug also reduces abrupt pressure changes from reaching the sensitive eardrum which contributes to

easier equalization,” a line of reasoning that I am unable to follow.

To the extent that a vented ear plug lessened the flow of water into the external auditory canal, the expecta-

tion is that outer ear infections would be less likely. Decreased water flow also would be expected to re-

duce temperature-related abnormalities, such as caloric vertigo and surfer's ear.

Although anecdotes abound, only the most minimal acceptable medical research has been conducted on

these plugs to date, and all that has been demonstrated is reduced bony growth in the external ear canal

caused by exposure to cold, wet and windy conditions during various watersports.

Provided that the vent in the plug remains unobstructed, these devices appear to pose little danger to the

ear. However, if a vent should become clogged, especially upon descent, equalization could become im-

peded and the eardrum damaged.

As for using such plugs to protect a ruptured eardrum, remember that these devices still do admit a small

amount of water. Plus, the diver runs the risk of losing the plug altogether, thus allowing water to freely

enter the middle ear space and cause pain, disorienting vertigo, and possible middle-ear infection.

The bottom line is if you're experiencing external ear infections or worried about surfer's ear, properly used

vented plugs may be worth the small investment. However, divers with a history of middle-ear congestion

or infection are unlikely to benefit from these plugs, and they should refrain from diving until seen by an

ear, nose and throat specialist. For those with continuing difficulty in equalizing, experiment with various

clearing techniques before trying vented ear plugs.

Having trouble equalizing your ears? Learn some great tips and techniques for easy equalizing in

our Healthy Diver: Ear Clearing 101 article.

DocVikingo has been scuba certified for more than 35 years and has dived all over the world. He is a prac-

tising doctor in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., area and has held faculty positions at several major hos-

pitals, including Johns Hopkins. With an interest in diving medicine, he serves as administrator at Scuba

Clinic Online.

We now carry the

SUNNTO brand of

Dive Computers,

stop in and see

some models

Vented Ear Plugs and Scuba Diving

Cozumel

7 nights at Hotel Cozumel all-inclusive resort

Tuesday May 31 – Tuesday June 7, 2016

7 nights Hotel Cozumel

All meals and unlimited bar included!

5 days 2-tank morning boat diving’s

Welcome tank for shore diving

These prices DO NOT include airfare.

• $919/diver double occupancy

• $1129/diver single occupancy

• $544/non-diver double occupancy

• $754/non-diver single occupancy

• Deduct $35 for triple occupancy

• Unlimited shore diving for $8 per tank

• Afternoon boat dives for $16 each

• Available options: night dives, unlimited shore diving;

please inquire

• Not included: Cozumel’s $2.25 per dive day Marine

park fee AND transfers between the airport and hotel

which is about $9/person

• For the 5th day of diving, you may choose instead to

dive a Cenote; additional fee will apply

• Deposit of $100 secures a room is due March 15th

• Deposit is fully refundable until April 1, 2016, at which

time full payment is due

Call Mark at 651-653-1174 for more information!