Surfers ear is a common but preventable condition of the ear canal. In our colder UK waters it is six times more common than in the tropics and the more frequently you surf, the more likely you are to develop it. It can become apparent after as little as five years of regular surfing.

Symptoms of Surfers Ear include a persistent feeling of fullness, as if the ear is plugged, and a difficulty clearing water from the ears after surfing is another clear indication. The condition is more common in males than females with the typical presentation of the condition occurring in men in their mid to late thirties.

The problem is thought to have further increased since the development of materials used in modern wetsuits, boots, gloves and hoods, which now allows surfers and other water sports enthusiasts to stay in the water for much longer periods of time, especially during the colder months when the lower temperatures and prevailing winds creates a higher risk. Surfers ear is also common to other water sports such as kitesurfing, wakeboarding, white water kayaking, bodyboarding and windsurfing

The medical term for surfers ear is ’Exostosis’, which is a bony growth under the skin layer of the ear canal that occurs when the bone is irritated by cold over many years of exposure. Cold air blowing over wet skin lowers the temperature by evaporation and stimulates bony growth in an effort to close and protect the ear canal.

This can eventually cause partial or even complete blockage of the ear canal that traps water and debris causing painful ear infections which may become recurrent and difficult to treat. Visits to the Ear Nose and Throat department at a hospital may be required to have the ears cleaned out along with antibiotics.

In severe and advanced cases the narrowing can be enough to create deafness and the only treatment is by a surgical operation called a ‘Canaloplasty’ where the surgeon digs a hole in the bone behind the ear and drills out the bony lumps. Generally the operation is a last resort as it can be painful, carries the risk of complications and will put you out of the water for at least two months, and if you don't continue to protect the ear it will return. New methods of surgery are also emerging including ear canal ‘chipping’ techniques.

View surgery video here

Many surfers have mild exostosis which cause no trouble and keeping the ears warm and dry when surfing can prevent it getting any worse. The best way to do this is to wear custom earplugs such as Surfplugs™, and also wearing a hood in the winter months will provide additional protection.