Phonak Life aids for water sports enthusiasts ... NOT!

@1Bluejay As has been suggested by a couple of other people, I would strongly recommend (subject to your audi’s approval) that after use in a pool, or even more importantly in salt water, that you rinse the aids in fresh water.

After a lifetime in the boating industry I can tell you that salt covered items never seem to completely dry out even when they look dry. The salt on the item attracts the slightest bit of moisture from the air with inevitable corrosive results.

My slight hesitation is that the part actually in the air may be getting less moisture than the rest - hence the recommendation to discuss it with you audi

It refers to Colossal Cave Adventure, an interactive game from nearly 50 years ago. It’s a lot older than LSL and suitable for all ages. And yes, I am ancient.

WISE ADVICE here! Yes, I rinsed them under fresh water and also wiped them down after workouts with Audiowipes. I never abused them as per Phonak’s stated limitations regarding depth of water submersion.

Even tho Phonak continues to tout their Paradise Life and new Lumity aids as “waterproof”, they really aren’t - or maybe I got a defective pair?

@JordanK said:

The other thing is that there is a big difference between pool water and sea water (which contains salt, silt, minerals, etc). I’m wondering if pool water was ok but the salt water toasted them.

I think both chlorine and ocean water leave a residue, and I never even got to test these Life aids in the sea cuz they’d already DIED before I got to the FL Keys. Wierdly, after hours of only putting out static noise from the LEFT aid, it started working again.

Hubs & I just got in the car to go pick up a rental car and the minute he shut the car door, it was like the LEFT aid just shut down. I wasn’t sure if it was a pressure change or the noise of the door shutting? But from that moment on, any noise whatsoever now throws these aids into Noise Mangement OVERDRIVE. I can’t even wear them anymore cuz they drop the volume SO LOW I can’t hear one single thing - like it’s at 20% performance or something? I have no idea what’s going on, but am hoping that I can turn them in cuz I’m still under the 60-day trial period.

I think they are beyond hope for fixing, that’s for sure!

I guess my question was d bit vague as I was wondering if Phonak publishes an IP rating for the Life hearing aids.

Jim

@JBC said:

Phonak publishes an IP rating for the Life hearing aids.

Apparently the highest rating for IP is IP68 so can’t go above.

That’s what Phonak on Twitter said.

Have you tried this hack. It seems very reasonable to me?

Yep! That was my story! I took two 10-min showers with them on, and two half-hour swims in the pool. By the 2nd swim, the aids were going BONKERS, and my head was never more than half a foot under water (as I swim with snorkel mask on). The entire time of my 2nd swim, the aids were “locating” each other by producing a series of 5-notes, non-stop the entire swim. Really annoying. By the time I got out, sound was completely distorted, and after a long drying session in my ReDux dryer, the left aid put out loud STATIC for hours. If that’s “waterproof” then set me on fire, cuz I’m fire-retardant.

Now I hope to turn them in for ANOTHER pair of Life aids - these on Lumity platform. Can’t say I’d ever be bold enough to swim with them on tho.

Well, my audi got off the phone with her Phonak rep today - asking about Lumity Life. Looks like some folks at Phonak are finally 'fessing up to the fact that these “waterproof” aids are really NOT meant for swimming or water sports at all!

They only offer a good “water resistance” in case the person accidentally has them on in the shower for a minute or so, or maybe gets caught out in the rain without a brolly. By NO MEANS are these Life aids meant to ENJOY HEARING IN THE WATER. So be forewarned. If that’s your motivation for buying them, FORGET ABOUT IT.

If you have sweaty workouts, live in a humid climate, you may have more confidence in these aids - but even so: a good hearing aid dryer would be even better than just a pair of Life aids that are never wiped down or dried out.

At least the Lumity release is attempting to tackle our greatest Holy Grail of speech in LOUD places. That’s great. But they are NOT for water sport enthusiasts.

My audiologist bluntly said that the water proof claim is a joke, that there was no way to wear the swimming and even a hard downpour of a rain storm can kill them.

Someone needs a chill pill!
Or better yet read through the boundless offerings bluejay has shared with this group and understand how she has helped many here with her countless reports.

When marketing say waterproof then a person has the right to put the company to task to prove what it claims. And it is that company’s job to put it’s money where it’s mouth is.

@wyattwilliam891 said: (unavailable)

You took a pair of hearing aids and intentionally destroyed them.

OK! Woo. I am late to the game here, and my apologies for sounding overtly “destructive” in putting the Phonak Paradise Life aids to the test! Obliged to all here who see things from my point of view, too!

I think my post may have been a bit flippant with the cackling GLEE … but my intention was to PUT IT TO THE TEST. If Marketing says something has specific properties, then it better be the case, or the message needs to be changed.

I have long posted my GREAT desire for truly “waterproof” aids so I can enjoy water sports that I dearly love. So, after seeing Dr Cliff’s video where he says he tried for 500 hours to kill these aids, I FINALLY felt there may be a solution to my problem: hearing when in the water. There’s a safety factor here as well as an enjoyment/social side to being able to hear even if one’s head is soaking wet.

So, I - and my audi as well! - feel that I took that Marketing message to heart, tried wearing the aids in the shower as well as took a swim. I think Dr Cliff said he wore these in the pool, too, so that implied he swam with them on.

So don’t get me wrong. My intention was to hold Phonak Marketing to the standard they had set by implying these Life aids are waterproof.

YES I’m GLAD I was still under trial with the Paradise Platform Life aids when they died. But that is not to say I’m glad I killed a pair of expensive aids just 'cuz! That is not the kind of person I am.

I have also posted on a few threads that I’m older, wiser and more jaded now. And that I have NO intention of putting these new Lumity platform Life aids to the same test. In fact, I’ve even said I won’t wear them in the shower OR in the pool - EVER. Because now I know they are not truly waterproof.

My audi is actually grateful for my having pushed the envelope on the Life aids. She was able to share the outcome with her co-workers, Phonak sales rep and patients. It’s one thing to see a video, ad, brochure or web page that makes claims. But I’m the kind of person who wants to see for myself if it’s actually true, because I’m walkin’ the walk every day.

Hope that makes sense.

@wyattwilliam891 said: (unavailable)

Hearing aids have openings for the speakers. Anyone with common sense would know that water will go in them.

I said as much to my audi! I told her that if the Life aids had a “weakest link” it was probably going to be the tip of the speaker inside the ear. She said she thought Phonak had given even this part of the aid waterproof capability, but I think that is exactly where the water got in.

Just to be on the safe side, I plunked down a lot of money for a ReDux hearing aid dryer, and after every exercise session, the two quick showers I took, and the two swims done wearing these Paradise Life aids, they went right into the ReDux for a full cycle. I then shared the results of that on the board here, saying that the ReDux display showed a huge amount of water had been removed after the 2nd swim, which I found curious as they are supposedly “waterproof”.

I don’t think I willy-nilly tried to kill the aids by doing something foolish. But I now feel I’ve found the limit for a Marketing claim by putting it to the test.