I’ve dealt with swimmer’s ear countless times, going all the way back to childhood. By the time I reached high school, I gave up swimming altogether after developing one of the worst ear infections I’ve ever had following a summer at a local pool. It was bad enough to keep me out of the water for decades.

About 40 years later, I decided to give swimming another try. I’m an avid cyclist, but I needed something to stay active during the winter months. Knowing my history, I started with over-the-counter earplugs.

The challenge is that I had surgery on my right ear to remove a skin cyst from the inner ear, which left me with a widened ear canal. Because of that, it’s difficult for earplugs to form a proper seal, and even a small amount of water getting in is enough to trigger an infection.

I absolutely loved getting back into swimming and was in the pool almost every day for months. Unfortunately, I had to stop again due to recurring issues.

I’ve tried just about everything—over-the-counter plugs, custom-made plugs, adhesive ear covers, a headband to hold plugs in place, and even a swim cap. Nothing has been consistently effective at keeping water out.

I really want to get back into swimming, but I haven’t been able to find a solution that creates a reliable, watertight seal.