Alphes ColdWall Plugs
The surf plug built to stay in every session: it seals the canal against cold water and wind, lets voices through, and can't be lost in a wipeout.
- Seals the canalA flanged silicone tip stops cold water and wind at the entrance, before they reach the bone
- Hear like nothing's inThe acoustic mesh core passes voices. Foam, wax and Blu Tack cut 20 to 30 dB
- Holds through hold-downsThe wing locks the seal into the ridge of your ear. 3 tip and 3 wing sizes
- Can't be lostBoth plugs on one leash, and the Surf Mate Pack replaces a lost one free
- Under A$1 a sessionAgainst around A$5,000 an ear to drill the bone out
- Regular price
- $69.95 AUD
- Sale price
- $69.95 AUD
- Regular price
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Three parts that keep the canal sealed without shutting out the line-up.
Surfer's ear has one cause: cold water and wind chilling the ear canal, again and again. Stop them reaching the canal and the bone has nothing to react to. That is the whole job of a ColdWall Plug, and every part is built for it.
- The seal tip. A flanged silicone tip closes the entrance of the canal. Water and wind stop at the door, before they reach the bone. Three sizes, so it seals on any ear.
- The acoustic mesh core. A waterproof membrane sits in the middle of the plug. Sound makes it vibrate and passes through. Water can't. That is why voices still reach you.
- The locking wing. The wing tucks into the ridge of your ear and holds the seal in place through duck dives and hold-downs. Three sizes.
- The leash. One cord joins both plugs behind your neck. A set that rips one out leaves it hanging, not sinking.
Most plugs keep water out by keeping sound out. This one doesn't.
In the speech range, the mesh core loses almost no volume. Foam plugs, wax and Blu Tack cut 20 to 30 decibels, about the gap between your phone at full volume and on its lowest setting.
That gap is why plugs end up in the glovebox. And it matters, because a 2021 study of 242 surfers' ears found the bone tracked the hours the ears were open, not the hours spent in plugs. A plug only protects you while it is in, so it has to be one you will actually wear.
Surfer's ear is measurable. And it only moves one way.
The bone never shrinks on its own. As it narrows the canal, water gets trapped behind it, and trapped sea water is where ear infections start: in coastal Queensland, 4 in 10 infected ears carry the same bacteria that lives in the surf.
Warm water doesn't switch it off. Wind on a wet ear chills the canal on its own, which is why the Gold Coast numbers look the way they do.
Less than A$1 a session, against A$5,000 an ear.
| ColdWall Surf Mate Pack | The op (drilling the bone out) | Custom moulded plugs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay | A$109.95 for 2 pairs | Around A$5,000 an ear, privately | Around A$300 a pair |
| Waiting | Order today | 12 to 18 months on the public list | A fitting and a mould |
| Time out of the water | None | 3 to 8 weeks | None |
| Stops the next layer | While they're in | A quarter of operated ears were badly blocked again about 10 years later | While they're in |
| You still hear the line-up | Acoustic mesh core | Yes, after recovery | Only vented models |
Surf twice a week for a year and one pair works out at about 53 cents a session. The Leak-Proof Promise covers that year: if they let water in within 12 months, we replace them.
Every other plug makes you pick: dry ears or your hearing.
| ColdWall Plugs | Blu Tack | Chemist foam plugs | Custom moulded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keeps water and wind out | ||||
| You still hear the line-up | ||||
| Stays with you in a wipeout | ||||
| Clean and reusable every session | ||||
| Under A$110 a pair |
The dash means partly: custom moulds can be vented or leashed as an extra, and surfers report paying around $300 a pair.
In and sealed before you wax the board.
- Pick your tip. Start with the medium. It should seal with a gentle push and stay put when you open your jaw. If it moves, go up a size. If it presses, go down.
- Push and twist. Push the tip into the entrance of the canal and give it a small twist back.
- Tuck the wing. Slide the wing into the ridge of your ear. That is what holds the seal in a duck dive.
- Clip the leash. Run the cord behind your neck and paddle out.
What's in the box.
- SealFlanged soft silicone tip, 3 sizes
- CoreWaterproof acoustic mesh that lets sound through
- WingLocks into the ridge of the ear, 3 sizes
- LeashOne cord holds both plugs behind the neck
- CaseVented silicone case with a carabiner
- UseSurfing, bodyboarding, swimming, SUP and kayaking
- CareRinse in fresh water and let them dry in the case
- In the box1 pair of plugs, the leash, 3 tip sizes, 3 wing sizes and the case
Lose one in the surf? We send a new pair.
Two pairs means one in your ears and one in the car, or one for the mate who keeps asking. Pick the Surf Mate Pack and the Lost-at-Sea Cover comes free: if the ocean takes a plug in the next 12 months, email us and a new pair ships free.
- What it coversA plug lost in the surf
- How long12 months from delivery
- How to claimEmail help@bealphes.com with your order number
- Who gets itEvery Surf Mate Pack order
The Hear-the-Lineup Guarantee.
Surf with them for 60 days. If you can't hear your mates out the back, or they're just not for you, email help@bealphes.com and every cent comes back. No return label. Keep the plugs.
Leak-Proof Promise: if they let water in within 12 months, we replace them free.
Before you paddle out.
My ears feel fine. Why would I need these?
I surf in warm water. Isn't surfer's ear a cold water thing?
Blu Tack and pool plugs already keep the water out. Why pay for these?
Will I really hear my mates in the water?
Will they stay in a wipeout?
Can a hold-down push them deep into my ear?
Will they fit my ears?
I already have some bone. Is it too late?
Why not just get the op when it gets bad?
A$109.95 for earplugs?
How long do they last?
How long will my order take?
What if they're not for me?
Are they under warranty?
Two plugs. Ten seconds.
No new bone.
Every cold, windy session either adds a layer or it doesn't, and the difference is what's in your ears when you paddle out. 60 days to prove it, every cent back if you can't hear your mates.
Surfers pay around A$5,000 an ear to have the bone drilled out, then 6 weeks out of the water. Two pairs that stop the next layer: A$109.95.
Every cold, windy surf without them adds another layer.
60 days to try them. Can’t hear your mates? Every cent back, keep the plugs.
