Rental Regs

[RonMurray]

Very simple to replace a mouthpiece. I wouldn't bother with the "custom fit" mouthpiece unless you just wanted one anyway. I would put my $5 mouthpiece on the reg as I was gearing up and put the old back on during the ride back in.

I can't imagine any operator giving you static about using our own mouthpiece.

 

[HatchetJoe]

LaztWarg,
Call ahead and find out what regs the shop is renting you in Belize and ensure whatever mouthpiece you bring fits that reg.

 

[NudeDiver]

I hope you don't need to share air with anyone

 

[Thalassamania]

Keep in mind: fish and whales pee and poop in that water. You know what rolls downhill (and winds up in the ocean). Seriously, a regulator mouthpiece is not an issue unless you've a dash of OCD, therapy can help, however. I know ... I'm a rather mild counter.

 

[ClayJar]

Call ahead and find out what regs the shop is renting you in Belize and ensure whatever mouthpiece you bring fits that reg.

If you've just got a "standard" mouthpiece, it'll fit any reg, as it's nice and stretchy. If you're using one of those custom mouthpieces... um... bring the reg you've attached it to. (Would anyone actually use a SeaCure on a rental reg?)

Actually, come to think of it, I've had at least one or two students who had special mouthpieces. If I didn't have them at the shop (where I have piping hot water available to assist me), they would likely not make it on the regs. I'd certainly recommend talking it through ahead of time so you can have the right size and so they know they've got something to do.

Some shops actually have their students buy their own mouthpiece to use on the regulator during classes. They don't zip-tie the regs in place in the pool but I think I would want it secured for regular diving.

Our shop requires the students to have their own mouthpieces, and we absolutely zip-tie them on in the pool. It would seem like a very bad example to say, "This is important for your safety, but we're not going to bother in the pool." (Not to mention, people seem to learn better when you have everyone check that their mouthpiece is secured versus when you pretend. We don't pretend we're clearing our masks, do we? :biggrin: Don't answer that, e.) I can understand that you could go through a lot of zip ties this way, but considering the stories I've read about people losing their mouthpieces mid-dive, I consider it a cost of proper education.

When I'm working with classes, I also use the zip-tied mouthpieces to my advantage. After class on Sunday, I gladly clip off the zip ties... but only as I load each student's BC/reg, on the correctly numbered hanger, into the van. If they don't have the right gear or hanger, or if something's wrong, I let them correct the issue before I take it and give them their mouthpiece. (It's amazing how even something as small as a mouthpiece is incentive for the less inclined students. )

By the way, having seen more than one person bite through a mouthpiece (for the record, that's biting *way* too hard ), requiring everyone to have their own mouthpiece is a convenient way of avoiding mouthpiece wear and damage.

 

[ScubaJoy65]

I can't explain it...the mysteries of the mind

Hey, everyone has desired things in life. My dad is a clean freak and uses purell on everything. For him, it's called OCD. Research shows that everyone has some percentage of OCD in them. Just remember to breathe and you'll be good to go.

:scubadive:

 

[spectrum]

Oh another thought... (sorry if I missed it in another's post) Not all regulators take the same size mouthpiece. I believe Sherwood (a very common rental) is slightly different than most others.

Pete

 

[cuddlefish]

Scarier than what's on the mouthpiece is what is inside the second stage. I hate to bring this up...but I have been witness to some frightening fragments being removed from there. Replacing the mouthpiece only takes care of 50% of the gross problem! It's like putting a seat cover on one side of the toilet seat and not the other!

 

[clint@uniquescuba.com]

Don't forget Puke!

I'm kinda a germ-a-phoebe myself. The first Dive Trip I went on Back in 94 I rented my regulator from the dive shop we dove through. Like you, I supplied my very own mouthpieces as a sort of peace of mind thing. Not quite enough.

On the first day of diving I witnessed another student PUKE through their Rental Regulator! It was a seasick thing and they felt better after puking. That student was proud of how they handled the situation by keeping their composure and puking through the regulator.

That wasn't the grossest thing though. When we got back to the dock, that student gave the rental regulator a quick rinse in the tank with the other regulators and straight back to the rental department.

This got my mind wondering a little bit so I asked one of the dive masters if this happened a lot. He said it happened quite a bit to new divers and tourists. He said the motion of the ocean can sometimes make people sick, but they all should know to leave the regulator in their mouths when throwing up.

I immediately bought a brand new regulator from the dive shop

 

[anzac65]

I think you'll find changing mouthpieces is no problem. I was standing in line behind a couple at a well regarded op in Cayman a couple of weeks ago. They were checking out their rental gear and asked the dive op chap if he minded them changing mouthpieces as they happened to have their own with them. The answer was a "no problem, just re-fit ours when you're done".

I think your idea is quite normal. Happy diving.