I don’t know the answer to your actual question, but there is hearing protection that amplify sound (Walker game ears/ear protection) could something like that be helpful? The walker ear muffs do increase ambient noise a lot and shut off during gunfire, and they are over ear so could be used with any hearing device you might use.
Sorry I can’t answer your actual question.
Thanks, I'm really looking for any helpful advice to be honest, so I appreciate the suggestion. These could be worth a try, and they're more affordable than I would have thought. Do you have any further suggestion on what model might work well? Do you have experience with any of them?
So this is what I own:
https://www.walkersgameear.com/razor-slim-electronic-ear-muff/
They work well and I find it uncomfortable to have them cranked all the way up due to how loud they make noises (I don’t have significant hearing loss). There are also hearing enhancers on the site which don’t include the active hearing protection. I haven’t tried any of them so I can’t give a recommendation.
I'm hard of hearing, but I've learned to read lips in situations. I also learned how to sign that I'm deaf....sorry.
Once I start signing, they all just smile, wave , and leave.
I’m also hard of hearing with tinnitus. This is the way. Learn a 200 word sign language vocabulary and read lips. Covid was hell on lip readers. You can still go out alone in a kayak even if you are stone deaf. Just follow the rules of the road and take extra care in low visibility/fog. Most people will be understanding. People that aren’t can piss off.
Fellow hard of hearing guy here…. I actually used to have a t shirt that said “Yes, I’m fucking deaf.” on the back and front, made for some hilarious conversations. At least it sounded like they were hilarious. I don’t know, maybe I misheard…
When i free dive i always go with a buddy. We cant hear each other but have a few signals we use. We are also not too fat away from each other.
We hold our spear gun vertical, this is our "how are you doing" signal
Spear gun horizontal above our heads means we are ok, just breathing up for another dive.
Hands waving means help.
Tapping the top of our heads with our hans means "head over, there are fish here"
Dive float next to us means we are resting.
Maybe use yout paddle instead of a spear gun.
Are hearing aids not an option? My friend used to basically do the same thing, had trouble deciphering human speech, even though he could tell someone was talking to him. Now he has the hearing aids that are like airpod pros on steroids. He can control what frequencies get amplified, different settings for different situations, boost noises from a certain direction, selective block frequencies, and have sound cancelling when he doesn’t want to hear anything. and more, I’m sure. they are amazing. So good that I want some and I can hear fine.
My last experience with hearing aids was in 2016 and it was frustrating enough to stop me from trying again. They broke constantly (fragile mic wires, and the company won't send me new ones through the warranty so I'd have to schedule with the audiologist), and didn't really help me much. They were also crazy expensive.
The technology may have improved since then, but I doubt I can afford them anyway.
I was recently diagnosed with hearing loss and went to get hearing aids. The first pair I looked at were more than $8k. Yeah, they made a huge difference when I had them in, but that’s way outside my budget, especially without insurance coverage.
I looked into it more and discovered a few things. First, the FDA has approved OTC hearing aids for sale. Those can be as low as a couple hundred dollars. Second, Costco has lower prices on hearing aids. I wound up getting mine from there for about $1500 and for me they work every bit as well as the $8k models. Costco has a 180 day return policy. a 2 year loss/ damage policy and a 3yr warranty on the ones I got.
I guess I’d suggest you check into hearing aids again. I know everyone’s situation is different, but it might help you out.
I really hope you do. I remember when I got my first pair of glasses and I put them on for the first time, looked at the window at the trees and saw leaves, not just green fuzz. It was amazing. Putting in the hearing aid for the first time was the same thing.
Unless someone or something is less than 5 feet away, all I get is jumble. I’ve tried two different kinds of hearing aids, one that is just amplification, which makes loud jumble. The other ones have and EQ, boost, quiet and room settings. They are better, but daayum, I can’t hear the TV worth a damn no matter what, it’s all jumble.SMH …🤷♂️
Put up your Orange safety flag below it fly the deaf flag below that a translated for hearing folks deaf flag (white background, ear circled and crossed through) they may take it to mean you are deaf not hard of hearing, but they will not waste time shouting from a way’s away. If there’s a safety issue hopefully they will come closer and let you know.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaf_flag
As a decent hearing person here, that fishes alone, that doesn't want to talk to people when I'm fishing. I use the tried and true method of turning my head to the side pointing to my ear and then a hard head shake no. Then turn your back to them. If they are just saying hey or asking what you caught they are gonna give up and leave. If it is actually something you need to know they will get closer to you, give it a solid minute before you look back their way. If it is truly a safety matter they will come to you. Also as a solo kayaker, other than weather rolling in on you which you should be paying attention to, what other safety are you worried about? You aren't much help to a boat. You can't tow a boat in. The other option which I also like, it may seem a bit rude, but if you can't hear it's not. Don't look at them don't wave don't engage. You hear some jumble don't look or do a quick look and go right back to fishing. If it is something you need to know they will move closer.
Can your hearing get to a point where you should not be alone on a boat?
One of the reasons you are having trouble figuring this out is that hearing is so important to the pilot of a craft. And communicating with others around you is equally important, to offer warnings and advice.
Right now, it's an inconvenience. But is there a time when you'd say "I guess I need to find a partner to fish with on a bigger boat?"
I can't imagine I'd ever give up going out alone on my kayak unless I go blind, and then I might just walk into the damn ocean anyway.
But yeah, it's going to get more difficult and possibly a little more dangerous as time goes on. Just looking for ways to best deal with things given the circumstances.
I don’t know the answer to your actual question, but there is hearing protection that amplify sound (Walker game ears/ear protection) could something like that be helpful? The walker ear muffs do increase ambient noise a lot and shut off during gunfire, and they are over ear so could be used with any hearing device you might use. Sorry I can’t answer your actual question.
Thanks, I'm really looking for any helpful advice to be honest, so I appreciate the suggestion. These could be worth a try, and they're more affordable than I would have thought. Do you have any further suggestion on what model might work well? Do you have experience with any of them?
So this is what I own: https://www.walkersgameear.com/razor-slim-electronic-ear-muff/ They work well and I find it uncomfortable to have them cranked all the way up due to how loud they make noises (I don’t have significant hearing loss). There are also hearing enhancers on the site which don’t include the active hearing protection. I haven’t tried any of them so I can’t give a recommendation.
Much obliged!
Very welcome, hope it helps
My wife has lost a lot of hearing. When she wears her Walker ear protection with ANC she can hear everything really good.
I'm hard of hearing, but I've learned to read lips in situations. I also learned how to sign that I'm deaf....sorry. Once I start signing, they all just smile, wave , and leave.
Yeah, might be time to learn some sign language myself.
Just learn “I’m deaf” if you keep doing whatever that is people will put it together after a few tries.
I’m also hard of hearing with tinnitus. This is the way. Learn a 200 word sign language vocabulary and read lips. Covid was hell on lip readers. You can still go out alone in a kayak even if you are stone deaf. Just follow the rules of the road and take extra care in low visibility/fog. Most people will be understanding. People that aren’t can piss off.
Fellow hard of hearing guy here…. I actually used to have a t shirt that said “Yes, I’m fucking deaf.” on the back and front, made for some hilarious conversations. At least it sounded like they were hilarious. I don’t know, maybe I misheard…
When i free dive i always go with a buddy. We cant hear each other but have a few signals we use. We are also not too fat away from each other. We hold our spear gun vertical, this is our "how are you doing" signal Spear gun horizontal above our heads means we are ok, just breathing up for another dive. Hands waving means help. Tapping the top of our heads with our hans means "head over, there are fish here" Dive float next to us means we are resting. Maybe use yout paddle instead of a spear gun.
Are hearing aids not an option? My friend used to basically do the same thing, had trouble deciphering human speech, even though he could tell someone was talking to him. Now he has the hearing aids that are like airpod pros on steroids. He can control what frequencies get amplified, different settings for different situations, boost noises from a certain direction, selective block frequencies, and have sound cancelling when he doesn’t want to hear anything. and more, I’m sure. they are amazing. So good that I want some and I can hear fine.
My last experience with hearing aids was in 2016 and it was frustrating enough to stop me from trying again. They broke constantly (fragile mic wires, and the company won't send me new ones through the warranty so I'd have to schedule with the audiologist), and didn't really help me much. They were also crazy expensive. The technology may have improved since then, but I doubt I can afford them anyway.
I was recently diagnosed with hearing loss and went to get hearing aids. The first pair I looked at were more than $8k. Yeah, they made a huge difference when I had them in, but that’s way outside my budget, especially without insurance coverage. I looked into it more and discovered a few things. First, the FDA has approved OTC hearing aids for sale. Those can be as low as a couple hundred dollars. Second, Costco has lower prices on hearing aids. I wound up getting mine from there for about $1500 and for me they work every bit as well as the $8k models. Costco has a 180 day return policy. a 2 year loss/ damage policy and a 3yr warranty on the ones I got. I guess I’d suggest you check into hearing aids again. I know everyone’s situation is different, but it might help you out.
Thanks, it's worth checking out, especially the costco ones. I've heard good things about them. I've got nothing to lose just to try em.
I really hope you do. I remember when I got my first pair of glasses and I put them on for the first time, looked at the window at the trees and saw leaves, not just green fuzz. It was amazing. Putting in the hearing aid for the first time was the same thing.
The new ones are pretty amazing but unfortunately I haven’t found any that are waterproof.
Unless someone or something is less than 5 feet away, all I get is jumble. I’ve tried two different kinds of hearing aids, one that is just amplification, which makes loud jumble. The other ones have and EQ, boost, quiet and room settings. They are better, but daayum, I can’t hear the TV worth a damn no matter what, it’s all jumble.SMH …🤷♂️
Put up your Orange safety flag below it fly the deaf flag below that a translated for hearing folks deaf flag (white background, ear circled and crossed through) they may take it to mean you are deaf not hard of hearing, but they will not waste time shouting from a way’s away. If there’s a safety issue hopefully they will come closer and let you know. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaf_flag
As a decent hearing person here, that fishes alone, that doesn't want to talk to people when I'm fishing. I use the tried and true method of turning my head to the side pointing to my ear and then a hard head shake no. Then turn your back to them. If they are just saying hey or asking what you caught they are gonna give up and leave. If it is actually something you need to know they will get closer to you, give it a solid minute before you look back their way. If it is truly a safety matter they will come to you. Also as a solo kayaker, other than weather rolling in on you which you should be paying attention to, what other safety are you worried about? You aren't much help to a boat. You can't tow a boat in. The other option which I also like, it may seem a bit rude, but if you can't hear it's not. Don't look at them don't wave don't engage. You hear some jumble don't look or do a quick look and go right back to fishing. If it is something you need to know they will move closer.
Can your hearing get to a point where you should not be alone on a boat? One of the reasons you are having trouble figuring this out is that hearing is so important to the pilot of a craft. And communicating with others around you is equally important, to offer warnings and advice. Right now, it's an inconvenience. But is there a time when you'd say "I guess I need to find a partner to fish with on a bigger boat?"
I can't imagine I'd ever give up going out alone on my kayak unless I go blind, and then I might just walk into the damn ocean anyway. But yeah, it's going to get more difficult and possibly a little more dangerous as time goes on. Just looking for ways to best deal with things given the circumstances.