At the moment I have my family set up as an exception: I call it Family. I give them a unique ring tone so I can identify them and boost up their volume to Medium when my BB is in the holster. I don't want to miss them, right?

So far so good.

Now, when I'm outside (shopping mall, crowded street) I put my BB profile to Loud -- with everything boosted up to Maximum so I can hear. So I don't miss anybody. Which I don't. Except: my family. This weekend, my wife gave me an earful when I answered her when she used a friend's phone, because I wasn't picking up her call from her phone. That's because the "family" exception is doing what it is supposed to do and rang her call in at Medium which of course I didn't hear.

My puzzle: To be able to hear my family when I'm using the Loud profile, I can deselect the exception when I activate Loud, but then I lose the unique ringtone. Plus it's no longer a one-click change. And switching back is cumbersome, too.

Is there a more elegant way to do this?

I have the 8830. Stop using the exceptions. (Clear them out).
Instead, attach custom ring tones to your family members in your address book. They will automatically go up and down in volume depending on the profile you choose. Does this help?

The problem is, if I understand correctly, is that assigning custom ringtones to family contacts WILL create a Profile Exception.

Unless you meant, uncheck the profile exception even though one is created.

The custom ringtone option is buried in the menus, but I did find it. And assigned my family members a custom ringtone.

This does create a profile exception (interestingly enough) as Klotar notes above. However, with the with this exception checked, the rings work the way I want: a custom ringtone at the volume level set by the profile...

So, problem solved.