Why you should quit nose plugs

[@andrewhoekstra1959]

I was just two days ago flailing about trying to get my nose plug on going into a feature... definitely had that panicked feeling and wasn’t focused on paddling or finding a line. I’ve practiced without in flat water but this video finds me at the perfect time. I’m certainly going to ween myself off from using them. Great videos- keep up the excellent work!

[@SethAshworth]

Andrew Hoekstra it takes time. You will get there.

[@blakesommers77]

Bingo! Exactly why I learned to go without it. Found myself relying on it too much. However, as others have mentioned. I may throw it back on for playboating since I do that a fair bit and my sinus’s do pay a price the next day. Great video Seth

[@SethAshworth]

Blake Sommers you are ahead and you didn’t even know it.

[@keystonedaytrip238]

I suffer from at least one very bad sinus infection per year , even after nasal surgery . I think I’ll need this most times

[@SethAshworth]

Like I said it’s not for everyone but don’t let it become a crutch!

[@keystonedaytrip238]

@@SethAshworth Duly noted 👍🏼

[@JonathanRiddell]

I never had a need for a node plug until i started doing freestyle. The amount of time I'd spend upside down doing freestyle it feels like I have a horrible cold the next day. For anything it's else mostly a distraction but if your nose needs it then it's needed. I've never had a need or expectation to advise any beginners have one unless they get that full of cold feeling after paddling.

[@SethAshworth]

I think it is nice to shortcut learning to roll and all the distractions that come with that, but once you are pretty solid on the roll I think it is a good time to ditch it. or at least taper off

[@Kevin_B_Haynes]

I'm a beginner. I found this because I don't like wearing my nose plugs. But I also rolled without them when I was learning and it was not great. I do yoga, I've been trained to breath through my nose. mouth breathing is really distracting. I also get really dry mouth while mouth breathing. I have read people say they got bacterial meningitis and ended up in a comma for months and almost $200k in medical bills. So I think one caveat is water quality. My local urban river is definitely not clean. So now I kind of pin them up on my nose and put them on if I'm like "oh shit". But I'll probably ween myself off them as I progress. I'm in the south east US, so pretty creeky, usually not enough water to need them on those rivers anyways.

[@kylekiser8825]

Shared this with my crew of homies, super helpful, as helpful as "look where you want to go". On my 1st month of freestyle'n without my nose plug and definitely is a game changer. Thanks Seth! Btw it made my day to hear I made your day on other video comments 😁🤙🏻✌🏻

[@SethAshworth]

Kyle Kiser 🙌🙌 appreciate your support

[@unclephil065]

Good point Seth. Indeed I find nose plugs are good "cruches" to get confidence intially, but they tend to get in the way after a while. I've never liked them, hard to put on properly and ends up hurting also. I know how silly this is going to sound, but it works for me: do the Duck face! Not everyone has "facial elasticity", but I manage to somewhat "block my noze holes" when I do it. Try it, you might find it actually blocks circulation a little. Then do bubbles and you're fine!

[@unclephil065]

s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/6e/d1/f2/6ed1f2740adaeb2af0faeaba0e9dec83.jpg

[@SethAshworth]

@@unclephil065 This picture made my day

[@ethanfrangenberg7733]

Fosho. I agree. I never used nose plugs when learning. But, in more polluted rivers or rivers with stuff in them I do wear them playboating.

[@SethAshworth]

Ethan Kayak I get it, it’s not the same thing for everyone.

[@ethanfrangenberg7733]

Seth Ashworth fr this video is super helpful though. I agree that it can be a huge crutch if you use them from the beginning.

[@Patrick_kyak]

Another nice video :) Point of discussion speaking as a freestyler, I learned roll and spent time on whitewater without nose plugs and then started using them as I improved. I found that even with my mouth shut and trying not to 'inhale' water I was swallowing too much of it (going up my nose) which was making me ill a lot and certainly having an awful cold pretty much permanently.

[@SethAshworth]

Bummer, like i said it isn't for everyone but I think alot of people would benefit from ditching them.

[@jayweibel6702]

I have a sinus infection all year because of kayaking! I think nose plugs are great for when I playboat. I disagree on nose plug bandwidth. I hate nose plugs. But I like sleeping at night. Because of kayaking my hearing and sinus are shit! But kayaking is my church.

[@SethAshworth]

Jay Weibel like I said it’s not one size fits all

[@padraicwaters3694]

I hate the distraction of clogged sinuses. The thought that they are going to be as bad or worse after "flailing about" is so much worse than getting into the routine of clipping it on. It's attached to my helmet so can't be lost. I want to enjoy the learning experience.

[@SethAshworth]

Like i say in the video it is a good learning tool but don't let it become a crutch. Personally I say once you have a solid roll ditch it.

[@traviscook8682]

I also think that breathing in through your nose and exhaling out of your mouth is calming thereby reducing heart rate. I also believe we i crease oxygen in our blood flow by breathing such way. Runners and cyclists are taught to breath this way, so should kayakers.

[@SethAshworth]

admittedly that continuous/intermitent blasting of water into the nose/mouth does disrupt pattern breathing employed by runners/cyclists etc.

[@cliffmelhuish]

I have been kayaking for ten years now, I would love to not wear a nose clip. I don't wear mine for the majority of the paddling that I do, but if I am challenging myself, or surfing or playing, when I know there is a good possibility of needing to roll, it always goes on. I have tried no end of techniques but without fail, I can't keep the water out. It is very painful and has me coughing and spluttering for a fair while. No idea why. Maybe some of us are just put together differently?

[@SethAshworth]

I wish I had a one line solution for you!

[@aaronfisher7837]

Hi Seth. Good video yet again. Personally I use a nose plug because I have a tendency to get ill on poor water quality rivers, such as the chelmer and the Thames. I have seen an amazing improvement in my ability to not get ill due to river water. I use them for freestyle and I don’t use it for river running.

[@SethAshworth]

Like I said I get that some people will have significant improvements in not being sick. But i do think too many people are too dependant on them. IMO

[@simonwyndham]

To reiterate what others have said, I always find myself with a blocked up nose for a week if I don't use one. But that's not my reason for wearing one. Generally, as someone who came to WW kayaking from not even being able to swim and being s**t scared of even going in the water, I'm a bit rubbish at techniques for actually being underwater. It's not the sensation of water up my nose that is the issue (though that isn't pleasant), it's that if I don't roll up quickly, or I fail a roll and spend more time under the water ends up going down my throat as well! I've tried all the humming and gentle breathing out techniques, but they only work for me if my head is orientate upright. As soon as my head goes physically upside down for a time, the water just gushes in! Panic sets in and I end up out of the boat in a situation where I can't focus on swimming to the bank because I can't physically get a breathe from all the coughing and spluttering! That said, I did have a situation where I ended up as hole bait on the Conwy this winter and I didn't even make the realisation that I hadn't put my nose plug on until I'd emptied my boat, so it can be done. I hate wearing a nose plug. It looks bloody stupid in photos, and my non kayaking friends get a laugh out of it, but I haven't yet managed to ween myself off one. I've set up a pool in the back garden now, so I might take the opportunity to see if I can put some serious effort in to practice without though. It's not all bad though, people like Lowri use plugs when doing freestyle.

[@powskier]

In some places, nose plugs (as well as ear plugs) are a must. Inhaling a naglaria ameba is nearly 100% fatal.

[@SethAshworth]

Yea like I said there are time’s where a nose plug makes sense but this video is aimed at those people who are dependant on it! Thanks for checking it out.

[@kayasper6081]

I paddle both on white water as on the sea, and experience a huge different sensation when it comes to get your nose filled with water. While it is quite unpleasant to get white water in, there is no discomfort with sea water. Do you reconize that difference?

[@SethAshworth]

Honestly I rarely paddle in the ocean so I am not the best person to talk to about it.

[@erihor86]

I wear contacts so at the top of every rapid I'm fumbling with my noseplugs and trying to prevent a lense from falling out or going blurry. It certainly is distracting.

[@SethAshworth]

Start the process now, future you will thank you! Thanks for watching.

[@arijabunkis6350]

I just like the way they look and feel.

[@SethAshworth]

arija bunkis for some pEople that looks is everything

[@michaeldurig4682]

I never used nose plugs. Not even for learning to roll. I thought it was sissy. Only after developing a chronic sinusitis did I start using them. And boy did my condition improve! Nowadays I always wear them, though I still don't like it. Sometime when I feel bold I paddle with out them and it feels great... until I roll, then I regret it for days to come with my nose clogged up again.

[@thepolec4049]

I have a kayaking assessment coming up and I really need it because I suck and water up the nose isn’t fun

[@SethAshworth]

I’m not saying never wear one, just consider carefully when you are wearing it and don’t be dependent on It.

[@thepolec4049]

@@SethAshworth my goal is to finish the assessment and then hopefully never have to go in white water again.

[@ronanlanam1127]

Cool video! I haven't been wearing one for awhile, but it's cool hearing some reasons behind it.

[@SethAshworth]

You are already getting ahead!!

[@AnonymousOtters]

What about nasal infections from bad water? Here in the Southwest, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, etc. there is a lot of turbid, silty, muddy water that is less than desireable to have in your sinus. I totally get where you are coming from on the confidence thing. I don't feel like my performance is negatively impacted personally, however can be painful and I regret it after rolling back up

[@SethAshworth]

Yea for sure there are exceptions, I am really just trying to nudge those people who have developed an addiction/reliance on it.

[@tag5504]

I took the challenge! And I couldn't believe the anxiety I felt tipping over without them the first time, lol. That right there just kind of pissed me off, that they had that much control over me. Anyhow I did about 8 rolls trying to figure it out. It actually wasn't too, too bad. And the feeling of not wearing them right side up I must say was pretty liberating and felt great. My question, do you feel like it got easier and tolerable the more you did it? AND do you ever wear them, eg playboating etc? Not sure if you mentioned that in video...

[@SethAshworth]

Dianne DeMille yea it gets way easier. I still sometimes will pop one on for freestyle, but only really for hole boating at certain spots. I never rule out grabbing one out of my gear bag. Like I was saying I’m not anti nose plug just trying to get people not to depend on them!! Thanks for giving it a shot.

[@tag5504]

@@SethAshworth thank you! This has been on my mind for awhile so I was stoked to see you do a video on it. And I must say that there has been many times that some water still got up my nose even with nose plugs on. Talk about frustrating~ Keep the videos coming! They're awesome and super helpful.

[@gabrieldeschenes607]

When I go on the Ottawa, I always wear a nose plug but when I paddle other shallower rivers I don’t because I don’t want to go upside down and hit my head on rocks anymore then getting water up my nose so I just don’t. It really doesn’t bother me at all to put it on and I’ve been upside down without it I know what it feels. I just personally don’t like it.

[@shanecoleman]

I get the point that he's trying to make, pretty sure he's overthinking it a bit.. but I've been kayaking pretty much All My life, and I've always said one of the quickest ways to drown is to not wear nose plugs.. How about we just don't think about the plugs.. just put them on and go! I believe they're one of the reasons, sense I learned to roll I haven't ejected once.. Keep up The good work My kayaking brother! Everyone has things they prefer.

[@mcgainz9436]

I don't really understand the point in not using nose plugs if you prefer it, I don't really feel anything up my nose when I'm underwater, but I sure feel something in my sinuses the next day if it was river water.

[@usernumber313]

Yeee to be honest I should of weened myself off of mine by now but it's just sooo horrible when I'm upside down... It's like for some reason all of the water in river goes up my nose and then once I'm up I have to sneeze a squillion times...not practical when coming up mid rapid! However, maybe it's time.

[@SethAshworth]

Joe Davey one day at a time!!

[@fudgebrownie3]

Learning without a nose plug has led me to blow out of my nose slightly and thus reduce the total time I can be underwater/attempt rolls. Still prefer noseplugless tho!

[@SethAshworth]

Yea like I said there is plenty of times where nose plugs are the choice but this video is aimed at those people who are dependent on them.

[@Louiechikayak]

When it comes to freestyle especially hole boating do you think the same thing applies?

[@SethAshworth]

Louie Chi can be nice to learn some tricks if you are eating it a lot but generally I think i stand by what I said. Obviously there isn’t a one size fits all solution for everyone

[@jamesshort6856]

I used to wear one, but i never liked it. I always get very bunged up in the nose department when i go in the water, and i had to keep taking it off to blow my nose or sneeze. Now i dont bother and it feels so much better.

[@SethAshworth]

beast!

[@AngusRobins]

I’m a nose plug wearer, simply because fresh water actually kinda hurts my sinuses, I’m fine with salt water and I learnt that it was all to do with osmosis. If it wasn’t so darned uncomfortable I would ditch it tomorrow. Having said that I certainly don’t depend on it, it just makes being upside down (which happens a lot when practicing freestyle)

[@SethAshworth]

Small steps, taper off.

[@AngusRobins]

@@SethAshworth just got back from a flatwater paddle (in my new MixMaster 7.0) and tried it without a nose clip, it was fine for a while and then I got a reminder of why I always wear one, I fell upside down off a stern squirt and when I rolled up I had an excruciating pain inside my right ear and the upper part of my eustachian tube; in fact, my right ear still feels a bit sore!...it's been a long time since I experienced this (probably because it has been years since I kayaked without a nose clip), I learned to paddle without a clip and then for a good few years without one. but somewhere around the late '90's I was paddling at Mile End Mill and I rolled up, in pain, no sense of balance and everything swimming about in front of my eyes and I had to struggle to an eddy and wait for the pain to subside. Funnily enough it's also happened while simply ducking under the ropes in a swimming pool...it has never happened when I've been wearing a nose clip. I can see what your talking about; not depending on the nose clip for performance, but...it's really painful and sometimes disabling.

[@SethAshworth]

@@AngusRobins Like I said it won't work for every person but it is something to consider to free up bandwidth for other thoughts.

[@AngusRobins]

Seth Ashworth I’d always thought it was about my ears and doctors had told me there was nothing wrong, hearing people said I had exteoses (but that shouldn’t cause pain) and I hadn’t thought that the nose clip would be the answer, but now I’m on a mission to see if I can get it sorted...all thanks to your wee prompt 😉 Go Well (as they say on Tailenders)

[@AngusRobins]

Just has it confirmed ETD (Eustachian Tube Disorder) can try nasal sprays and suchlike, but very little chance it’ll have any effect; so, that’s me a proud nose clip wearer 😉

[@kevinhill.8]

Solid conversation, and I'm mostly in agreement. Wish you would have gone a bit deeper on when it might makes sense for even non-beginners to use (play boating, dirty water), and definitely more about how to work your way off plugs. One quick comment about blowing bubbles and learning to accept water in sinuses seems incomplete. Comments were helpful, and I've seen other stuff in past, such as some techniques that can be practiced in shower. All that said, I would love to ditch plugs. I'm not particularly concerned about "mental bandwidth" issue. I feel it’s valid, but not that significant. However, I find dealing with and wearing plugs annoying (they don’t stay on well for me so I have to use large/ugly ones and clean them, and my nose, with isopropyl every run). And I hate breathing through my mouth!! Feels like it robs my power, and also dries out my mouth. 😤 Others have commented about plugs getting ripped off immediately in nasty stuff anyway. I know this can be true, but on flip side, my wife suffered a nasty recirc that she thought was going to kill her, and she believes her plugs (which did not come off) may well have saved her life.🤔

[@SethAshworth]

Kevin Hill hard to be sure without knowing I guess. I know I am making a point that not everyone will vibe with

[@killh295]

I only use a nose plug for my practice rolls but I'll fully stop using them👌

[@SethAshworth]

kill h taper off slow

[@killh295]

@@SethAshworth yeah ive started now. I usually do about 10-15 rolls a session and the last five or so now are without nose plugs

[@SethAshworth]

kill h perfect!!!!

[@Nick-vs5wl]

I use a noseplug not because it makes any difference whatsoever to rolling but simply because I regularly paddle in dirty water and used to spend days after paddling with a stuffy blocked nose and inflamed sinuses. EDIT: just got to the bit of the video where you adressed that. For me personally its still not a big deal. When I'm on a river with clean water I often dont bother and certainly dont spend any time thinking about it but unfortunately my time paddling is spent mostly on urban whitewater courses with nasty water

[@SethAshworth]

Respect. Urban environments can be gnar city

[@jehu-kayak]

Thanks! Definitely an eye opener!

[@SethAshworth]

Small action, big reaction.

[@wjennin1]

I definitely notice anxiety about my nose plugs falling off or not being on, but only during the summer when the water levels are lower. The brain eating amoeba is freaky. I couldn't really care less about water in my nose during the winter.

[@SethAshworth]

Kayaking is 90% mental 20% physical and 30% math skills. Thanks for watching!

[@derekdellinger9589]

If it is of any comfort at all, it's important to remember the following: Naegleria fowleri is typically found in warm groundwater, specificlly within the sediment at the bottom of groundwater sources. And even with exposure to it, infection is usually rare. It is even rarer with adults, though it is uncertain whether that is because of where/how much time is spent by adults in groundwater sources vs them having a more developed blood brain barrier. In 2016, Naegleria fowleri became the talk of the paddling community here in Charlotte, NC when someone died after visiting the USNWC. However, it is unclear where they came into contact with it. All that is certain is that dead specimens of Naegleria fowleri were found in the channels, and live specimens were found in the Catawba River, where the flatwater activities take place. The specimens in the channel were potentially carried from the flatwater section to the channels on the bottom of someone's shoe if they kicked around in the mud of the Catawba River. The young lady may have also been exposed to it in the Catawba River. Both the Catawba River near Charlotte/Gastonia, NC and the whitewater channels of the USNWC are extremely warm water. Like bath water. Almost uncomfortably warm even. To me the channels feel warmer than a Lazy River you would find at a beach resort. While not wholey impossible, a whitewater kayaker would be unlikely to come in to contact with Naegleria fowleri because the water we paddle is usually colder than the suitable environment for the species. I can only think of a few rivers where it might even be a possible concern in my mind, and even then their most commonly found in the sediment at the bottom of the river. So unless the river is at high water/floodstage, I think it would be unlikely to be a problem. Obviously, wearing a Nose Plug is a great preventative measure you can take, but of all the aspects of whitewater that are likely going to be an issue, I think Naegleria fowleri would be near the bottom of most of our lists. And if, for instance, wearing a nose plug did actually affect your river running skills, for whatever reason, that is a bigger liability than this amoeba. Hopefully if you read this it will help put your mind at ease because that was my intention. Also, if you paddle at the USNWC, it is now chlorinated which kills said amoeba.

[@yvindbakksj821]

I agree that it becomes a distraction, but there's an additional point I'm surprised you didn't make: As you progress, you no longer flip as much, but you're still likely to get downtime in features like recircs. And when you're upside down in one of those, the power of the water will easily pull your clip off of your nose anyway - so all that carefulness in putting it on has no value. That will give you an unexpected and unpleasant feeling you're not used to, easily freaking you out, preventing you from keeping a cool head and rolling up. I have definitely had swims due to this, which is the main reason I now want to taper off, as you say. Might still put it on during surfs, but for river running I should be able to deal with the occasional nose cleanse.

[@SethAshworth]

Øyvind Bakksjø great point, I haven’t even considered that!

[@reevolutn]

I've never used nose plugs but I am considering buying a pair. Every time i go paddling i get blocked sinuses for a couple of days after. I don't think there is any other way to prevent this.

[@SethAshworth]

I think they have a place but don’t let them become a crutch.

[@leightonpitman5193]

I agree with you, but for some reason I've been getting bad congestion lately if I get a lot of water in my nose, so I've been wearing them

[@SethAshworth]

Taper off slow

[@kevinhill.8]

Thanks in part to this video (which I linked in my description and gave a shout out to), I recently ditched nose plugs. I made a video discussing that, and interviewing people for their thoughts and experiences w nose plugs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnS9d6iHr8yprdE

[@SethAshworth]

Solid video. Way to put in the time and give 'er a go

[@kalevwade4532]

Yeah i ditched mine after i knew i could hit a fast roll, has been so much nicer and i always wonder when i see my friends put theirs on before a rapid: "Thats odd"

[@SethAshworth]

Thanks for watching! Pass it on to your friends, maybe they can get themselves ahead

[@jonbean1916]

Personally I think it’s better to wear a nose plug. Most rivers are not clean. Preventing dirty water from entering my body is a huge plus. Not having to blow a little bit of air out of my nose while under water let’s me focus 100% on completing my roll the first time. For me a nose clip is something I put on and forget. Then I can just have fun and focus on my lines.

[@SethAshworth]

I am stoked that is working out for you, but I think for the majority of people they become more of a distraction or as I mentioned din the video, a crutch. From what I have observed at least. Thanks for watching!!!

[@chris_paulo]

Or, start doing the backdeck and you'll never get water up your nose when rolling.

[@SethAshworth]

Christopher Paulo it’s not necessarily one or the other but that helps too!

[@eddycurrant1380]

Seth , nose picking, how do i stop that

[@SethAshworth]

Discipline???

[@eddycurrant1380]

@@SethAshworth darn its gonna be harder than I thought, but thanks for giving it to me straight, its what I needed to hear

[@trevorschroeder6745]

Wouldn’t even risk it

[@SethAshworth]

rRemember I am not saying never wear it just don't let it become a crutch

[@kentex82]

I paddled class 5 for over a decade I never saw a need for nose plugs. Water never bothered me getting in my nose.

[@crimsonraen]

This is literally the dumbest piece of kayaking advice I've heard. I've been kayaking for about 10 years now, and have flipped upside-down many, many times without my noseplug, or had days without it, or even just taken a good few waves directly up the nostrils.. Not once has this ever thrown me off. Not once have I been like "Oh dang, I need to be careful because I don't have my noseplugs on!" I think you should focus more on that weird fear/ dependence than the noseplugs themselves. I personally hate the feeling of water in the sinus cavity, and am not a fan of sinus infections. Do I have issues when they're not on though? Aside from it hurting, no. It takes up zero mental capacity. Some people just don't want to deal with the obnoxious feeling of it. -_-

[@SethAshworth]

Thanks for watching. Sorry this wasn’t helpful for you specifically!