Hearing protection for toddlers

[cameraman]

I have a 1.5 year old who will be going to the AMA Superbike, ALMS & GA races and he will need some kind of hearing protection.

Anyone here have any experience with kids that age at races and any suggestions as to type and/or brand that will work and a toddler will wear?

[TRANSAM]

http://store.yahoo.com/earplugstore/ejuearmu.html

[G.]

I've cut the foam ones in half and used them on some of the g's. Cut them cross-wise, not length-wise, so they don't get knocked out.

That said, it REALLY depends on your little one's tolerance to wear muffs, vs., plugs.

Good luck wit dat.

[emjaya]

I'd use both the ear plugs and the ear muffs together,just to be safe.
But then i've got the ringing in the ears thingo and am a bit of a fanatic about loud noise now...


Just ask my teenage daughter. :D

[RichK]

We took our daughter to my races and the LBGP when she was under 12 months.

We did like G.: cut regular earplugs into smaller pieces. We also used medical tape to tape them over her ears. You have to make the tape piece big enough to go behind the ear. You can use other tapes (like racing tape), but pick up some lint from your t-shirt with it so that it doesn't stick as well.

Have fun!

[racer2c]

Trust me, leave the kids with grandma when they're that young. You'll enjoy it more.

been there, done that, wouldn't recommend it.

[Sean O'Gorman]

I wouldn't take a kid to a race that young. I have three siblings, and the ones that went to races at 1-2 years old hated the noise and thus ended up never getting into racing. He waited about 4 years with me and my next oldest brother and we are both fans. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a correlation.

[cameraman]

the ones that went to races at 1-2 years old hated the noise There is a very good chance that he will hate the noise.
We will go to the first day practice of the AMA bikes and see how he does. If he doesn't like it we sure are not going to make him stay.

[Sean O'Gorman]

He should be able to handle motorcycles, those are so quiet you can have conversations during the races.

[RichK]

Be careful walking through the paddock - it's not only dangerous with racecars coming off the track, but when a car starts up 5 feet away from you, it's really loud at toddler/stroller level.

I had a Panoz start up right next to me a couple years ago at Sears Point (my daughter wasn't there), and that car sounds like it's exploding when it starts. Scared me to death! :laugh: