Swimming without ear plugs

Former Member
Former Member
One of my earplugs popped out this morning. Couldn't see where. Never found it. I am still not used to water going in and out of my ear when I breathe. It was weird trying to breathe on my left side because I'd feel the cold water on my eardrum (I am guessing) and it would really distract me. I know that I probably need to try to get used to this...but I didn't want to struggle throughout my workout today...so I decided to only breathe on the right side and keep going. On occasion I tried the left side again but the feeling just wasn't conducive to focusing on the other 52 things I am trying to learn. Other than "just do it" can anyone offer any words of wisdom on how to get used to swimming without nose or ear plugs? It's not that water bothers me. I've done scuba and I am perfectly comfortable in water. Something weird happens when you rotate your head to breathe in freestyle and I can't quite put my finger on it. I opted for plugging everything up so that I can focus on learning at this stage. Thanks.
Parents
  • Former Member
    Former Member over 13 years ago
    For Ears... I think it is a body chemistry thing. I am fortunate (so far) that I've never had to fuss or be bothered with my ears. I must have the right earwax or something. But things can change. For Nose... It took me years to get modestly proficient at pushing off the wall face-up, and not get water up my nose... I'm still not always comfortable with it, but most of the time I get it right these days. (But I'm still learning, many years later.) Using a nose clip, and/or ear plugs sounds like a good idea if these areas are a bother. Better to focus on technique and conditioning first... the strength is a natural byproduct of those. And you can always put the accessories aside later. I believe one of the reasons I have few problems with these issues is that I have enough forward momentum, and good body position, that these things just naturally are not a problem... but it can take time to get there. :)
Reply
  • Former Member
    Former Member over 13 years ago
    For Ears... I think it is a body chemistry thing. I am fortunate (so far) that I've never had to fuss or be bothered with my ears. I must have the right earwax or something. But things can change. For Nose... It took me years to get modestly proficient at pushing off the wall face-up, and not get water up my nose... I'm still not always comfortable with it, but most of the time I get it right these days. (But I'm still learning, many years later.) Using a nose clip, and/or ear plugs sounds like a good idea if these areas are a bother. Better to focus on technique and conditioning first... the strength is a natural byproduct of those. And you can always put the accessories aside later. I believe one of the reasons I have few problems with these issues is that I have enough forward momentum, and good body position, that these things just naturally are not a problem... but it can take time to get there. :)
Children
No Data