Surfer's Ear: Why Your Ears Hurt After Months of Surfing

If you’ve been surfing for years and you’ve started getting frequent ear infections, muffled hearing, or a sensation that water never quite drains out of your ear after a session, you may have surfer’s ear. It’s not dramatic, but it’s progressive, and the only fix once it’s advanced is surgery. The good news: prevention is easy and effective.

What surfer’s ear actually is

The medical name is exostosis. Your ear canal responds to repeated exposure to cold water and wind by growing extra bone. Over years, these bony growths narrow the canal. Eventually, the canal is narrow enough that water and earwax can’t drain properly, and infections become frequent and harder to clear.

Sri Lanka’s water is warm, which makes Arugam Bay much less of a surfer’s ear hotspot than, say, the North Atlantic. But the wind cools the water against your skin as you ride, and over many years even warm-water surfers develop some exostosis.

Symptoms

The first sign is usually frequent outer ear infections (otitis externa), often called “swimmer’s ear.” You’ll get pain in the ear, sometimes discharge, and the canal feels itchy or full. As the condition progresses:

• Water seems to stay in your ear for hours after a session
• Hearing becomes muffled, especially after surfing
• Earwax builds up and is harder to clear
• Pain or pressure during temperature changes (flying, hot showers)

A doctor can see the bony growths with an otoscope. Mild cases need no treatment beyond infection management and prevention. Severe cases — when the canal is over 80% closed — usually need surgery.

Prevention

The single best thing you can do is wear ear plugs in the water. Modern surf ear plugs are designed to let you hear normally while keeping water and cold air out. They sit comfortably and don’t fall out in a wipeout if you choose a leashed pair. Wear them every session, not just in cold water — the wind chills the canal even in tropical conditions.

Other steps:

• Dry your ears thoroughly after every session — tilt your head, gently towel-dry, and let the canal air out
• Use a few drops of a drying solution (equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol) after sessions if you’re prone to infections, or come and ask us for a proper otic drying drop
• Don’t push cotton buds into the canal — they push wax deeper and irritate the skin
• Treat ear infections early before they become chronic

What to do if you have an infection

Outer ear infections are common and usually easy to treat. Symptoms include itching, pain (especially when you tug on the ear), discharge, and reduced hearing. Come in and we can:

• Clean the canal with gentle suction or irrigation
• Prescribe antibiotic-steroid ear drops
• Give pain relief
• Advise you on staying out of the water until it’s clear (usually a few days to a week)

Don’t try to dig a stuck plug of wax or debris out yourself. The ear canal skin is thin, and a small abrasion in a moist canal is a fast track to a worse infection.

This article is general health information and not a substitute for medical advice.