Bubble noise

[srdavenport]

Hello from the dive capital of the world, Yukon, Oklahoma
Does anyone know how to reduce the bubble noise and get it away from my face and ears? Is anyone annoyed but me?

 

[gangrel441]

Welcome aboard!

Swimming horizontally in the water rather than vertically or diagonally will be the best way to fix this. Also, some regs have vents that push the exhaust further down and back on from your mouth. If you are exploring equipment solutions, there are some new (not vintage) double-hose regs out there...these push the exhaust behind your head and should reslove your issue...plus you will look like you just came out of an episode of Sea Hunt.

Depending on how hard core you are, you could always go rebreather, too....

Hello from the dive capital of the world, Yukon, Oklahoma
Does anyone know how to reduce the bubble noise and get it away from my face and ears? Is anyone annoyed but me?

 

[Cave Diver]

Does anyone know how to reduce the bubble noise and get it away from my face and ears? Is anyone annoyed but me?

 

[USCScubaboy]

You could always try a double hose regulator

 

[srdavenport]

THANKS GUYS. I've started hearing of a "Stealth Air" system being developed that simply replaces your exhaust tee with a modified tee that's part of small system that "diverts" the exhaust air to a tank mounted device (via a small tube) that quiets the bubbles, makes them small like an aquarium, and lowers the pressure of exhale in most attitudes. Say's it will not free flow, and none of the original characteristics of your reg are changed. Does that sound reasonable. Sounds like a pretty easy. I heard it was basically a "snap-on" to your existing reg.
????????

 

[herman]

We need Luis on this one but that sounds like snake oil to me. Moving the exhaust to the back will def change the breathing charistics of the reg. I also question the "snap on" idea, sure most exhaust Tees snap on but few are designed close enough to each other that the same 1 or 2 different models would work on them all. If you really want to get the bubbles out of your face, go with a vintage double hose reg or to be totally quite (and expensive) the rebreather is the choice. The newer AL double hose reg is expensive even used and in the opinion of those who dive both old and the new one, it is a poor performer....besides it not as cool as a classic reg.

 

[Surface Interval]

I can't believe there are only 2 responses that say rebreather....

 

[conserveair]

Srdavenport, can you tell me a little more about the "stealth air" information you found? I know of a company that is doing something similar, but not with hoses or behind the head. I want to see if they are the same or not. Thanks!

 

[srdavenport]

Srdavenport, can you tell me a little more about the "stealth air" information you found? I know of a company that is doing something similar, but not with hoses or behind the head. I want to see if they are the same or not. Thanks!

Conserveair,
Hi there. Well, I don't know much about the company. My local dive shop had some information, but not where to buy one, or like that. They said that the patent had been submitted. They gave me a "promo" card they had and this is what it had:
BENEFITS:
VIRTUALLY ELIMINATES BUBBLES AT THE DIVERS FACE AND EARS IN NORMAL DIVING ATTITUDES
GREATLY REDUCES BUBBLE NOISE FOR THE DIVER AND WILDLIFE
DOES NOT CHANGE THE OPERATION OR ATTRIBUTES OF YOUR REGULATOR
WORKS AT ANY DEPTH AND WILL NOT CREAT FREE-FLOW
ALLOWS PHOTOGRAPHY WITH NO BUBBLE INTERFERENCE
REDUCES EXHALATION EFFORT IN MOST SITUATIONS
WORKS WITH THE MAJORITY OF ALL REGULATORS
ALLOWS PURGING AS NORMAL
ALLOWS DIVER TO GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE
THE REDUCTION OF BUBBLES AND NOISE IMPROVES SAFETY

FEATURES:
FAIL SAFE WITH ONE MOVING PART
LIGHTWEIGHT AND LOW PROFILE
EASILY CLEANED AND MAINTAINED
SIMPLE INSTALLATION OR REMOVAL

Can you tell me anything about the company that you know about?
Thanks.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

srdavenport, no, you're not the only one. Bubbles in my face don't bother me, but the noise of them going past my ears seems very loud to me and a bit unpleasant. At first I wondered if it was just my reg (Zeagle Flathead VI), but looking at how other (single hose) reg's bubbles exit the second stage, I am guessing they all do that. Plus, I have read pretty much nothing but good reviews of the Zeagle.

On the "some regs have vents that push the bubbles further back," does that mean that you can buy different vents for some regs? Or that certain regs just do that in their stock form better than others? If it's the latter, I would love to know which ones they are - I did not see that mentioned in any comments when I was reg researching.

I hadn't appreciated that the DH reg's bubbles did not do that. Hmmmm....