Advice please: Regulator irritating my lips

[KiiY]

Hi everyone. I'm new to scuba diving and new to Scubaboard.com. I hope someone can advise me on how to prevent an unpleasant side effect of diving that I've experienced twice now.

After just two dives my lower lip had lots of small cuts which then developed into sores the next day. I've been dreaming about doing a liveaboard with multiple days of diving, but I'm afraid that might be impossible if my lip gets irritated again since the sores would make putting a regulator in my mouth too painful.

This happened on two separate dive day trips in separate locations with different rental equipment. I didn't think to note what kind of regulator or mouthpiece I was using, but I guess that it was just normal rubber or latex.

On the other hand, I can go for hours with my snorkel and not get cuts on my lips. I do know that my snorkel has a silicone mouthpiece and I figure that it doesn't put up any resistance as I turn my head since it is clipped to the mask and moves along with my head. But maybe the regulator, with its hose attached to the tank on my back, stresses my lips a bit each time I turn my head to look at something?

Some possibilities I've thought of are:

1. Buy my own silicone mouthpiece and ask the dive shop to let me replace the mouthpiece on their regulator with my own.

2. Buy my own regulator set up... which is expensive and something I don't think I'm ready to do just yet.

3. Try not to turn my head while I'm diving... but that'd be no fun!

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks for your help!

 

[DiveMaven]

Buy your own mouthpiece and have the dive shop swap it out when you rent. This will be especially easy on a liveaboard where you'll use the same equipment for a week.

Since you have mouthpiece issues, make buying a reg the first piece of equipment you get when you're ready.

 

[The Kraken]

KiiY,
You've pretty much resolved your problem.

One thing you may consider is buying a stand-alone second stage regulator and having the LDS attach it to the first stage before the dive. This too has its drawbacks. It would be very easy to forget to have the LDS detach the reg after the dive, have it mixed up in the equipment fray after the dive, etc.

Good recreational regulator setups can be purchased for less than $250.

A custom mouth piece may not work because no one mouth piece will fit all regulators, and, needless to say, not all LDS's use the same rental gear.

Even though you say you may not be ready to buy your own regulator set, it would be in the best interest of your health and diving welfare to do so. The comfort and security in knowing that the regulator you are breathing is properly cared for and serviced is worth something.

the K

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

You might look at hydration as well, when I'm low on H20 my lips show it by chapping and cracking at inopportune spots. May not be all the regulator. Carmex before the dive helps with the sting.

 

[Chad Carney]

Kiiy,

Welcome to SB. I've got to agree with "the K", your regulator rental problems will only get worse with time.

Most regulator manufacturers have decent lower end models, which can easily be fitted with any rental gauge console, octo and BC QD hose.

With Zeagle it's our Envoy & Envoy Deluxe, or the soon to be out, and lowest priced ReZort. See www.scubadiving.com for performance reviews.

BTW, fill out your profile so we'll know where you're from, etc.

Chad
Zeagle rep.

 

[FOUNDATIONER]

Yeah, get yourself a Zeagle Envoy Deluxe! Excellent regulator!
Comes already equipped with a VERY comfy mouthpiece!
Call Larry at Scubatoys on the phone and you will be pleasantly
surprised at the deal he can get you on one.

 

[KiiY]

Hi everyone, and thank you for the helpful replies.

I think I might only have a chance to dive about once a year or maybe twice at the most, so buying and maintaining my own regulator seemed like too much expense and trouble. But I guess it's something I should look at more seriously.

My diving experiences so far have been where I get picked up at the hotel and taken to the boat where the rental equipment is waiting for me. If I bring my own first stage and second stage, would it be possible to fit the gauge console, octopus, and BCD inflator hose when I'm on the boat ride out to the dive site? Or is that not a good idea?

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

If I bring my own first stage and second stage, would it be possible to fit the gauge console, octopus, and BCD inflator hose when I'm on the boat ride out to the dive site? Or is that not a good idea?

If you bring the whole reg (I'm assuming you'd have second stages, spg, 'puter etc) you should set it up yourself. (Under supervision of the DM if you're not diving regularly, be sure and ask that they look it over for your own confidence level).

If you're only bringing a second stage, or a computer on a hose, etc, ask the DM to make the change for you. It is their first stage and screwing your stuff in too tight could damage it (Could damage your stuff too, much better to push that liability onto someone else.)

Basically if you're wanting to connect hoses and kit pieces to a first stage, ask the DM to assist you. Its not hard and their are physical differences that prevent an lp hose from being connected to an HP outlet, but hey man its vacation why should you do the work. Observe someone else doing it, but then make sure you CHECK that nothing leaks before donning your gear. Once you've seen it done a time or two you can do it yourself. Most divers gather together the requisite tools into a sav-a-dive kit and make those changes as needed, others rely on certified techs. If I'm just changing hoses around I feel comfortable DIY'ing it though.

 

[Poseidon8118]

Buy a clear silicone mouthpiece and drink plenty of water between dives. Also use some type of lip balm before every dive…Carmex, Vaseline, Chap Stick, or anything like this sold in Japan. This should help.

 

[Web Monkey]

Go buy a Sea-Cure mouthpiece.

You warm it in hot water then form it to your mouth.

Although there are a couple of different sizes, one of the sizes ("A", I beleive), fits most of the popular regulators.

For that matter you could pick up one of each and be ready for almost anything.

Just bring them with you and use them with the rental regs.

Terry

Hi everyone. I'm new to scuba diving and new to Scubaboard.com. I hope someone can advise me on how to prevent an unpleasant side effect of diving that I've experienced twice now.

After just two dives my lower lip had lots of small cuts which then developed into sores the next day. I've been dreaming about doing a liveaboard with multiple days of diving, but I'm afraid that might be impossible if my lip gets irritated again since the sores would make putting a regulator in my mouth too painful.

This happened on two separate dive day trips in separate locations with different rental equipment. I didn't think to note what kind of regulator or mouthpiece I was using, but I guess that it was just normal rubber or latex.

On the other hand, I can go for hours with my snorkel and not get cuts on my lips. I do know that my snorkel has a silicone mouthpiece and I figure that it doesn't put up any resistance as I turn my head since it is clipped to the mask and moves along with my head. But maybe the regulator, with its hose attached to the tank on my back, stresses my lips a bit each time I turn my head to look at something?

Some possibilities I've thought of are:

1. Buy my own silicone mouthpiece and ask the dive shop to let me replace the mouthpiece on their regulator with my own.

2. Buy my own regulator set up... which is expensive and something I don't think I'm ready to do just yet.

3. Try not to turn my head while I'm diving... but that'd be no fun!

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks for your help!