custom masks.....

[Rat]

no not another "customisation thread"

just wondering about altering my current mask or wether its viable to get a mask specially made to cater for my hearing aid?

below is a copy of an email i sent to mask makers worldwide so any help/suggestions on resolving the problem welcome as its becoming a nuisance.

Dear sir/madam
I am a 20 year old paintballer in the UK, I wear a Bone Anchored Hearing aid (BAHA) which is sited above and behind my right ear. It measures approximately 2 cm x 1 cm and protrudes approximately 2 cm from the side of my head. It is due to the protrusion of the hearing aid I find it difficult to wear conventional paintball masks. The ear protectors sit too close to the hearing aid causing friction/ interference and often knock the hearing aid out, this subsequently makes it difficult to find when its on the ground. What would you suggest as a means of adapting a mask so it wouldn't conflict with the BAHA?, or without reducing the protection the mask provides?

Any help, suggestions or advise greatly received.

yours gratefully

Alex (Rat) Heath

 

[Rabies]

Tricky, and without seeing any pictures it'd be hard to recommend anything too specific, but is there some way of arranging thick foam pads (I'm thinking the fairly hard foam) in the goggles to contact your head on either side of the hearing aid? You'd need to start with the roomiest goggs you could find, and it'd still end up sticking out a bit far, but if it's kept out of contact with the hearing aid it might work?

 

[Jedi 57]

have you tried using masks with softears like e-vents?

 

[sumo89]

you could use a headband to keep it on or rugby tape or something?

 

[Jonny 03]

You can buy large custom soft ears that aren't JT official however will suite what I'm going to suggest much better. www.softearmods.com provide such items which will work with the JT proflex system. I'd suggest (and this is strictly theory, I mean so much so I'm just thinking out loud here) cutting several slots into the soft ear to accomordate the hearing aid, then finding a larger screw of the same thread and running a second soft ear over the original so its still providing the complete protection while also allowing a tighter fit and putting less pressure on the aid.

Probably wont work. Probably stupid. As I say, I'm just thinking out loud. Its very late and I'm up in 4 hrs to catch a train, just giving you fuel for thought...

Either way, Good luck!

 

[Rat]

thanks folks some ideas there. will have a play around and see what works

 

[Dusty]

only a thought, and as ElementGunfighter above says I am thinking out loud here.

JT masks usually come with little sticky backed foam rectangles, how about sticking them, or something similar, to the inside of your masks ear protection so the foam or plastic sits out further from your ear? it is a fairly dense foam, but still soft. not as soft as a bath sponge, not as firm as rubber.

hopefully i have explained that in a way which actually makes sense.

you want the foam to push the ear protection away from your head, and because you aren't cutting the ears or cutting holes in them, it should still be tourney legal.............

any marshall who wouldn't let you on the field because of your predicament would be a hard hearted barsteward anyway........

hope this helps.

 

[Rat]

thanks dusty have a spare set of goggles here i'm trying all things on from adding extra padding etc.

was trying to avoid cutting the mask but needs must, will try the "sidecar" idea of cutting a section out and building it up so it sits away from the "aid"

 

[Rat]

now run out of cutting space on this mask, time for a wtd ad.

have posted a couple of pics of the hearing aid with and without mask, just aslong as people dont laugh at my ugly mug

pics as promised.

without the mask.

http://usera.imagecave.com/rat/sale/SP_A0053.jpg

with mask.

 

[Rat]

pics now added, if folks want to ask more about this kind of hearing aid or my disabilities or what not please feel free to PM me or add me to msn.