Waterproof hearing aids

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sailerboy

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Hi, so as told by my name, I sail. I mostly sail dinghys such as CFJs and c420s, and since sailing is a sport that requires a ton of communication as well as being able to hear the start signals, I generally leave my hearing aids in. Unfortunately, these boats are highly unstable and capsize easily, and even if they don't capsize, pitch-poling (where the bow goes underwater) is common. Thus, there is the potential to get very wet.

Fortunately, when you capsize, it usually happens rather slowly, so getting your head wet is fairly rare. So far, I haven't gotten my hearing aids wet (Knock on wood), but the hearing aids are somewhat of a handicap, since I can't sail on skiffs and I can't be as aggressive in hiking or rolling.

I have a severe-profound hearing loss in my left ear and a profound hearing loss in my other, and I currently use the Phonak Savia 311 dSZ. Are there any hearing aids that have the same amount of power and are waterproof? If there are, this would be great as it would open up a new world of sailing for me (29ers, 49ers, Moths, etc...) that I ordinarily wouldn't be able to sail in due to hearing aids.
 
Ease the main sheet and throw in a reef! 10 years of sailing and I've never capsized- yet. Thankfully a mac25 is very forgiving and fairly idiot proof! Good luck with your search for waterproof aids. Capsizing, spray, and rogue waves would be tough to deal with.
 
Siemens is debuting a new one, Aquaris this summer, but I don't think it goes to profound, not sure.
 
you can always get the Phonak Naida but there's more..... you can also try the Aquaris from Siemens
@Bottesini you know what's funny? my mom's an Aquaris since her bday is in Febuary :D
 
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The Naidas are water-RESISTANT, not water-PROOF. If water-resistant isn't good enough, then waiting for the Siemen's Aquaris might be a better choice, if it is good enough to meet your hearing needs.
 
There's one that's water proof up to 30 feet though it's not technically a hearing aid since it has no microphone or speaker. It'll set you back about $30,000. Good for those with hearing loss in the moderate to severe range.
Invisible Hearing® with Esteem®
 
$30,000????? Yikes! Hope insurance covers that. Not too many people have an extra 30k lying around that they don't know what to do with.
 
Beach girl said:
$30,000????? Yikes! Hope insurance covers that. Not too many people have an extra 30k lying around that they don't know what to do with.
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Some insurance are starting to "chip in" on part of the cost according to this article which is a very interesting article to read.

Twin Cities Business Magazine

If people are buying $30,000 cars, I'm sure those people are in the income range that can afford the Esteem. Perhaps the price will gradually come down as more and more people get this implantable hearing aid. Funny thing is, Rush Limbaugh helped advertise the Envoy implantable hearing aid and sales just shot up. I think it'd be a hoot to have naturally amplified sound than a digital one. I think I'd be shocked at just how clear it would sound if I get one. Do you have $30,000 to spare? :lol:
 
Interesting article.

If I had an extra $30k, wonder if it would be smarter to buy one of these things or to invest in the company.... Hmmmm......
 
Sarfarigirl2011 said:
you can always get the Phonak Naida since it's waterproof
but there's more..... you can also try the Aquaris from Siemens
@Bottesini you know what's funny? my mom's an Aquaris since her bday is in Febuary :D
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that is interesting! I am pretty notice Aquaris is very have good!

I experience lots of Phonak Nadia! :lol:
 
Bottesini said:
Remember Naida is NOT waterproof. Don't swim in it!
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that is serious naida can't waterproof because reason prevent to hearing aid!

damage on destroy whole hearing aid lots of costs!
 
kokonut: I appreciate the link, but my hearing loss is severe-profound in my good ear. I need something with enough power for that. I'd also prefer to shy away from surgery.

iowaboy: Heh, I wish I could do so, but since I sail small dinghys in a competitive environment, doing so would slow me down and put me at a competitive disadvantage. Nice to see a fellow sailor around though.

I'd like to know more about the Aquarius, so any information anyone has would be amazing.
 
The Siemens Aquaris looks a brilliant product but I read that it is only suitable for mild to moderately severe hearing losses. Those of us who use super power HAs will unfortunately have to wait longer for a waterproof HA which is suitable for our needs. As always, the HA companies serve the majority market first.
 
djchur: :(

They have waterproof CIs, why not hearing aids? Why must we be at the mercy of the hearing aid manufacturer? They charge way too much, the innovation is much further behind than the latest technology. It feels that these people know that we are desperate and they take advantage of something uncontrollable to us.
 
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