Has anybody blown out their eardrum attempting a backroll? I was going to try one and then someone mentioned that it's an easy way to blow it out.

well i kinda lost hearing from trying them never blown them out no pain no gain

I blew my ear drum out a week and a half ago and I will tell you that it SUCKS. For me the pain is on and off and when its on it's nearly unbearable. B/c of the hole you also get drainage like nobody's business. I have taken a ton of hard falls and it took me landing directly on my ear, literally, to blow it out. Wearing a helmet with ear flaps would have taken care of my problem.

I've been there in the beginning of the season. It sucks! The pain during the day wasn't the main problem, during the nights it was! <BR>But it heals... <BR>I always wear a helmet when trying an invert (still a beginner), one time didn't and I couldn't board for weeks (b/c of the ear)! But for better protection of my ears I'm gonna look to upgrade my ProTec with ear flaps.

try ear wax for protecting those drums. i;m sure a helmet will do the trick too.

My cousin blew out his ear drum attempting a backroll this summer. But one of his buddies blew out his ear drum just catching an edge. I don't think any specific tricks are going to be more likely to cause damage. I picked up some wax after his buddy blew his, but I don't use it consistently, I probably should. Good luck. <BR> <BR>Jb

I don't think there are certain tricks that you're more likely to blow an eardrum on. I did a 180, sketched the landing, caught my edge, and that was all it took to blow mine. Really wasn't that painful at all for me. Lots of nasty drainage and I would get dizzy a lot, but it was annoying more than anything. I guess I kinda took my hearing for granted. I don't anymore.

i just learned backrolls a few weeks ago, never blew one out....but i did however blow out my eardrum early this year when the driver turned while i was in the air and washed out the other side of the wake.......hurt and the drainage lasted about two weeks <BR> <BR>

I also just blew my ear drum last weekend on a backroll attempt. I think I was lucky w/ not that much pain, but now I'm off the water for a couple weeks which really sucks. I went and picked up some "Proplugs" <a href="http://www.proplugs.com" target="_blank">www.proplugs.com</a> from a local SubaDive shop and I'll be using them from now on when I'm trying anything new or maybe all the time? I'd say go for it! but I think grabbing a set of these plugs would be an easy thing to protect your ears..... A helmet is another, but I've heard that there are many out there that blew their ears w/ a helmet on...even the Shapiro model w/ the ear pads..... <BR> <BR>Good luck! <BR> <BR>Levi