Advice please: Regulator irritating my lips

[scubajcf]

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

You may want to try a reg with a swivel hose on it (like the Atomic B2). Nice comfortable addition. Not sure you will find many swivel hose rentals.

 

[Babydamulag]

I have heard of this before. The best thing to do is first consult an ENT doctor. There are several conditions that cause the tearing, swelling, irritation that you mention. The doctor can tell you if you are pre-disposed to the conditions (which only get worse without treatment-sorry). You will find that mouthpieces of different materials will help reduce the severity of the condition. We did use a trick for a client and it worked well.....good ole olive oil on a silicon mouthpiece and he did not have any cuts after the dive. See the DOC first. Always keep 50 bar.

 

[itemize]

The mouthpiece is fairly easy to change although there are two common sizes. Get a supply of zip ties and a small wire cutter and you can quickly swap the mouthpieces at the beginning and end of your dive trip. As for replacement mouthpieces, I'm in the Sea Cure camp as well.

 

[Chad Carney]

Changing LP and HP hoses on a regulator with a stainless steel scuba tool is not a big deal. You can't put them on the wrong ports anymore and all it takes is snugging the hose just beyond hand tight.

 

[leftybrian]

I used to have a similar problem. Some recomendations.

I switched to an Atomic B2 with swivel and have been very happy with it.

Also, the initial sores may be aggravated by your toothpaste. There is a compound in 99% of all toothpastes--Sodium Laurel Sulfate, typically--that is a foaming agent. SLS is often abrasive for many people. When I switched to BIOTENE toothpaste, or Rembrandt "Canker Sore Formula", I never had another problem. Even with my old crappy regulator.

 

[Dstone20]

Both my brother and I developed sores after using rental regulators on 3 different occasions. Once we both purchased our own regulators the problem went away. I don't think the problem has to do with the mouthpiece itself. In our cases, whatever the rental shop was using to disinfect their regulators was irritating our lips/mouths.

If you buy your own mouthpiece and swap it before you dive, it should help if in fact you are experiencing the same problem. Another option is to use Listerine to clean the moutpiece before you use it. That has proven to be effective for me as well.

 

[halocline]

This is a really interesting thread; I'd be a little suspicious that the material in the mouthpiece itself is responsible, but it is possible I guess. I like the idea that the rental companies are using a disinfectant that could be the cause of the irritation, it just makes sense to me. Certainly, I could be dead wrong and maybe you do have an allergy to the material that typical regulator mouthpieces are made of. Maybe you can find out exactly what that material is...I bet it's not pure rubber or latex. Would Scott Zeagle have an answer for that? Until you find this answer, it doesn't make sense to me to invest in a regulator set, as you may have the same problem.

Regarding the sea cure, it is a very comfortable mouthpiece, but it's not 100% silicone. It's actually a fairly stiff plastic. You'll want to find out what it's made of; probably the same sort of material that athletic mouthguards are made of. A dentist might have some info about this, especially one who deals with athletes.

Then, there is the question of why your lips get irritated and not your gums or any other part of your mouth that the mouthpiece is in contact with. This is correct, right? If so, it seems to support the idea that dehydration may play a role in it. One difference between breathing off a reg and a snorkle is that the air from a reg is MUCH dryer. This could be a factor as much as the mouthpiece material, I suppose.

Anyhow, when you get it figured out, then you can consider a reg purchase. There are really good ones for around $200; zeagle envoy, SP MK2/R190, aqualung entry level (whatever it is) any of these would work fine for recreational diving. There's also nothing wrong with buying a used reg, and some of the older metal case 2nd stages are terrific for relieving drymouth. The only thing is you need to bring the reg to get it overhauled before you dive with it, and this adds to the cost, plus it's important to find a good service tech.

Good luck, and please post on here when/if you find some answers.

 

[KiiY]

Thanks everyone for the additional information and advice.

My next opportunity to dive may be the end of February 2006, so I have a bit more time to think about this.

For now I'll probably try a combination of these things and see if my lips are okay after two dives:

- Bringing my own mouthpieces, zip ties and a wirecutter so that I can swap mouthpieces on the boat.
- Using some lip balm before getting in the water.
- Drinking more water before diving.

Buying my own regulator isn't as expensive as I thought it would be, but I've only done 11 dives so far and perhaps I should wait until I get a bit more experience before making such an important equipment purchase. Right now I have no idea what the difference is between an entry level regulator and a top of the line piece.

Thanks!