+1 I'm right there with you. Luckily I can still hear voices fairly well (although I do have selective hearing!), but I already have "serious" hearing loss per my Dr. and the 24/7 ringing.

Wind noise from bikes and fast boats (without wind protection) is fairly painful for me at this point. I generally carry foam ear plugs in my pocket just about wherever I go now, if things get even remotely painful or loud, I throw them in. I know a lot of the damage has already done, but I generally try to play it safe when it comes to adding to the hearing damage, even if I take a little ribbing from friends about wearing the ear protection from time to time.

I know nothing about hearing protection, but I can tell you costco is the best deal going for hearing aids. Mine cost just under 2k. Same type and quality other places is double that. Costco has good service and warranty too.

All kidding aside, and to be competely serious (I know, me serious...lol)

Protect your hearing!!!

let me say that again..

PROTECT YOUR HEARING!!!!!

Hearing aids help but at the same time the SUCK!!! They are bulk, cumbersome, uncomfortable but hear is the real kicker and why you will hate them.

You live with your hearing loss everyday. Diminished hearing is natural to the hearing impaired. Putting hearing aids in is like walking out of a dark theater into bright sunlight. Its overwhelming, it hurts, it overloads your brain. You never actually get used to them. you love them yet you hate them. Much to the disappointment of my family and friends, unless I am at work I take them out. There is nothing more relaxing than taking them out at after work and returning to the quiet peacefullness of my deaf ass world.

You do NOT want to wear these shoes.

It's too late for me....The damage is done and I can't hear for chit!!!

Intercoms are great, I had a PirateCom system in my TopGun and loved it. But....they do get to be a pain in the azz having to put them on and take them off, worry about breaking the connectors, etc...

I've suffered hearing loss too. Never used protection for shooting, loud concerts, dirt bikes. So while some damage has been done I'm trying to prevent further damage. I need to be able to offer protection for up to 4 people so it's either an affordable intercom system or maybe 4 full size "ear muffs". The in ear type wouldn't be sanitary to offer to passengers. Maybe I should start a new thread but does anyone know where to find an affordable intercom system? Some of them are over 2 grand. Eeek!

I have always wondered has someone tried the wireless motorcycle intercoms?

The Sampson Racing Blue Tooth intercoms are basically a Sensa motorcycle unit installed in a nice headset. I have been very pleased with ours and no wires and plugs!

Padraig

I'll look around a bit more for an affordable intercom but I can get four of these pretty cheap and the yellow matches my boat.

http://www.harborfreight.com/hearing...tor-97849.html

That's a nice looking set. $798 for two headsets. Could a second set be linked to it? How do the mics work while in a direct wind blast? I should start a new thread ...

http://www.sampsonracing.com/Wireles...-two-place.htm

I found a four piece set. It's $1,596.

http://www.sampsonracing.com/Wireles...four-place.htm

I have ringing 24/7, not sure what it's from but most likely a lifetime of loud stuff.

I work construction, I put my safety glasses on and foam ear plugs in before I leave the van. Pretty much wear them all day, doesn't bother me one bit. When I was running around in the PowerPlay I'd just plunk the ear plugs in and problem was solved. I cut them down a bit so I only looked like a partial dork but I don't care, made the boating much more enjoyable.

I've actually found there to be a slight difference in comfort and ease of insertion with the different foam brands. Some of them are a more dense foam that is harder to compress and push in properly. As far as your sanitation concerns you can by boxes of them and throw them away or stuff them in a beer can every time you remove them. No one likes to look at used earplugs but it beats going deaf. I've had some issues with the big over the ear muff types because the tension on some is a bit too tight and if the cushion is not breathable/ absorbent you can sweat in the summer from them where they make contact which isn't nice. Lots of intercom or noise cancelling headphones don't cancel enough sound to be considered hearing protection. I have a cool pair of over the ear hearing protectors that have flush mount mics and speakers with volume built-in so you can still hear conversation around you / radio / warning buzzers etc and actually amplify it if you want while wearing them but harmful noise is kept out. If you're really serious about it I'd check and see how many decibels you're actually exposed to so you can see which products provide the protection you need.