Why do people spit their regulator out as soon as they surface?

[JonnieB]

Thanks but if after 56 years of diving I loose my mask I think I would still have a pretty good track record.

No doubt...it's just that I deal with lots of newbs and they're constantly buying the shop new masks

 

[MacDuyver]

Usually it;s bc the first thing we do at the surface is talk about some cool fish we saw.

For me personally, reg out, I fin on my back to the boat. No sense in burning compressed air when I'm in the free air and someone still has plenty of opportunity to drop a fin.

 

[Sascha314]

Well have not read everything, sonprobaböy I am gonna repeat a lot of things being already said.

I pretty much depends on the type ofndive I think.
If there are no waves or calm waters, once everybody surfaced and is buoyont, I rwmove the reg. However I take care that the hose is within my arm, so I could reach for it.

If its an ocean dive I have a foldable snorkel in my pocket, but thats only for emergency. Here depending on the waves and type of exit I keep it in or not. I also wait until its me to exit. One exception / example that has been mentioned is an exit where you have to first put off your equipment. Then I wait until the very last if there are waves and assist the others. Then there will be a time when you do not have a reg but there are waves. Well I know that and can handle it. So in such cases not the least experienced diver should be the last to exit...

Mask i usually keep on until I am out of the water. I also can see better with it (correction lenses...).

I do not think you waste a lot of air on the surface. You are not moving, no big stress, water usually warm and ambient pressure. That should be around 1 bar per minute on a 12l tank.

So I basically do the same for the entry. If its a jump or similar I put the reg in of course. Otherwise depending on the situation. Is finw for me to wait with it in my hands of the waves are ok or not.
Sometimes there is also an entry when you have to put on the equipment in the water. Then you have no choice. Well you could use a snorkel in that case if you like.

 

[boqurant]

With a primary donate setup finding a reg is a non-issue: my secondary is always available on a bungee necklace, and if my primary's not in my mouth then it's clipped off to my right shoulder d-ring. For those and many other reasons it's an immensely better setup than conventional - surely it'll take over eventually.

FWIW at the surface in tropical waters I'll take primary out & clip it off, mask around neck, fire a couple of snot rockets (esp the first dive of the day, oh my), and chat with my dive buddy / group. Obviously if it's large swell or choppy the mask goes back on and the reg probably goes back in too. Never bother with a snorkel - it's too easy to misjudge the height of the swell and it turns into a big single-use straw.

 

[Edward3c]

With a primary donate setup finding a reg is a non-issue: my secondary is always available on a bungee necklace, and if my primary's not in my mouth then it's clipped off to my right shoulder d-ring. For those and many other reasons it's an immensely better setup than conventional - surely it'll take over eventually.

FWIW at the surface in tropical waters I'll take primary out & clip it off, mask around neck, fire a couple of snot rockets (esp the first dive of the day, oh my), and chat with my dive buddy / group. Obviously if it's large swell or choppy the mask goes back on and the reg probably goes back in too. Never bother with a snorkel - it's too easy to misjudge the height of the swell and it turns into a big single-use straw.

Those lost by their boat without a snorkel have a harder time than those with one. Will your tank last, say, 10 hours until you’re found?

 

[SouthernSharktoothDiver]

@Edward3c have you considered, idk, not floating face down for 10 hours? Like, if I’m lost by my boat, I got bigger problems than not having a snorkel

 

[boqurant]

Those lost by their boat without a snorkel have a harder time than those with one. Will your tank last, say, 10 hours until you’re found?

If by some happenstance I'm floating around for 10 hours on the surface, and I'm so delirious that I'm face down, there's no way I'm in a fit state to use a snorkel safely

If I'm face up (and why would I not be) then I'm perfectly capable of closing my mouth to avoid inhaling seawater, and taking breaths as normal between waves. I know where my mouth is, but not where the open end of a seawater-collecting head-straw is.

IMO a snorkel is an oldschool useless piece of kit that solves no problems, except possibly if I need to swim somewhere quickly using front crawl - for example escaping a great white after I've failed to kill him with my oldschool BFK!

 

[BoltSnap]

If by some happenstance I'm floating around for 10 hours on the surface, and I'm so delirious that I'm face down, there's no way I'm in a fit state to use a snorkel safely

If I'm face up (and why would I not be) then I'm perfectly capable of closing my mouth to avoid inhaling seawater, and taking breaths as normal between waves. A snorkel solves almost no problems except possibly if I need to swim somewhere quickly using front crawl...

Yeah, right. You most likely took a quickie course and didn't learn how to use your snorkeling equipment properly so you undervalue the snorkel's benefits in the mentioned scenario.

 

[boqurant]

... the everyday scenario of being lost at sea for 10 hours, face down in the water, and managing to retain a snorkel in my mouth, with a seal, and be aware of where the open end is, and have the wherewithal to clear it regularly? Yeah... happens all the time!

Thanks for the personal comment too - classy

 

[chrisch]

... the everyday scenario of being lost at sea for 10 hours, face down in the water, ..

You wouldn't be able to see the rescue boat coming face down.....