no long term affects other than a little loss of hearing, but it helps with the other half, not really a bad thing,lol... I guess I am just not in my right mind but being in the water is somehow just natural... and drowning wasn' t so bad.. friends and family said I should have sued the company but I wouldn't...**** happens and It was an unforeseeable accident in my book... made hundreds of dives like it before and hundreds after.. back on the horse kinda thing..