There’s nothing better than a backyard pool party or barbecue in the summer. Roasting burgers, lounging by the pool and laughing with your friends while your favorite music plays on a speaker nearby is a quintessential summer scene. It’s worth noting, however, that this environment can pose challenges to hearing well, even for those who don’t have hearing loss. Here are some tips to make your next backyard party a success.
Why Outdoor Gatherings Can Be So Hard to Hear In
There are several factors to backyard gatherings that make hearing difficult. The biggest factor is echoing, especially if there’s a pool nearby. Because water is denser than air, sound travels faster and farther over water, and, if the water is calm, the flat surface may reflect sound waves, amplifying them slightly and creating an echo.
Because of this, conversations by the pool might sound boomy or distorted. But sound can echo off any solid object, and at a backyard gathering, these items aren’t usually clustered. Patio furniture in one area and a barbecue in another, for instance, can cause inconsistent echoing.
Another factor is background noise. Wind noise (a significant factor for people with hearing aids), the sound of the grill or the music playing in the background can obstruct conversation. Add in the echoing mentioned above, and the sound waves can really start to jumble together.
How to Make the Environment Easier for Hearing
The easiest way to reduce echoes and background noise is to turn the music down if you’re playing it. This will prevent the music from drowning out conversations and contributing to echoes. Additionally, mind the placement of the speakers; don’t put them close to the pool or near a wall so the sound waves don’t bounce off extra surfaces.
Wind noise can be hard to mitigate. There’s nothing you can do to control the wind. However, installing solid windbreaks in strategic locations may help reduce wind. This may also help with other environmental background noise, such as traffic noise.
If you’re setting up seating, keep the chairs facing each other so everyone can see the whole group and use important context clues from body language and facial expressions. Also, try to make the groups of chairs smaller to encourage smaller group conversations, rather than everyone in one big conversation speaking over each other.
Positioning Yourself for Better Conversations in Noisy Spaces
The next strategy is to position your body to facilitate conversation. Keep eye contact and face the person you’re speaking with directly. This channels the sound waves between the two of you, and it’s also just good communication practice.
If you’re having a serious or private conversation, don’t have it right next to the pool. Instead, seek out a quieter corner of the yard and keep in mind any nearby walls or other barriers.
Hearing Aid Tips for Pool Parties and Backyard Barbecues
If you’re hosting or attending a backyard shindig and you’re also a hearing aid user, there are some additional strategies you can use to reduce the nuisance of echoes and background noise. Check your hearing aid settings for background noise suppression, sensitivity and speech amplification.
Additionally, talk to your audiologist about digital hearing aids and their ability to suppress wind noise. As always, if you have any questions, contact Decibel Hearing Services today.