Dive boat exit???

[serrada]

This might be an incidental situation, but I got yelled at by the first mate/DM on a dive boat the other day for taking my primary regulator out of my mouth before climbing up the boat ladder. I recall this might have been common practice in my OW course but don’t remember. Since it has never come up. Anyway, I really am not concerned about this b/c I have a backup regulator necklaced and air in my BC. It was kind of embarrassing b/c the boat was full of divers. Was I doing something sooo wrong? I just kept my mouth shut and didn’t say a word, though.

 

[HappyFunBoater]

You should leave the regulator in your mouth, but I admit I spit it out sometimes. After several dives my jaw just hurts too much and I want the dang thing out of there! Plus, I've got this weird thing where I gag on the surface, but never at depth.

However the guy that yelled at you was an a-hole. I hope you didn't tip him, and I hope you made it clear why.

 

[rottielover]

Apparently it's common practice to yell at divers on the ladder of a dive boat ?

I got yelled at for grabbing the ladder because "the diver in front of you has not cleared the area!"... ? you mean that guy over there sitting on the bench taking his bc off?

Not sure, I just kinda shrugged it off

 

[fishoutawater]

Sounds like you ran into a retard that doesn't seem to understand that a regulator isn't normally needed above the surface. I've never heard of anything like that. I've lived pretty much my whole entire 48 years above water without the need for a reg in my mouth. I don't put my reg in until after I jump in, I hold it my hand and I usually spit it out just before I surface, because that last couple of feet is just an exhale anyway. And I've climbed a lot of ladders and don't remember ever having to breathe through a reg to do it.

 

[matts1w]

Sorry you were yelled at.

Many people beleive it best to keep the reg in one's mouth in case one were to fall back into the water. If that were to happen no big deal as your reg would be in. I am sure you would have been fine if you slipped, but DMing is about trying to eliminate problems before they happen. Falling in could be bad, falling w/o a reg could be worse, falling in with no reg and no mask on face could be even more worse, etc.. etc...

Still, being berated, especially in front of others, is not too cool.

 

[victor]

I guess the DM was having a bad day.
I hope he had a bad tip as a result.

 

[jbd]

The thinking is that if you should fall back into the water you will still be able to breathe and will not therefore become paniced which will prevent you from being able to get yourself back on the boat.

For the guy that got to the ladder alledgedly before the other one was off the ladder and in the boat they don't want to risk the diver on the ladder falling on you.

Now I'm not condoning the DM's method, but I do understand where it comes from-which is most likley frustration.

 

[sharkattack]

In flat calm water I'll spit it out with my BC inflated and climb out. In rough choppy water I deflate my BC completely swim over to the ladder and climb out with my reg in my mouth. As a DM myself, I would never yell at anyone. Any DM yell at me, will reflect in my tip at the end of the dive day.

 

[Charlie99]

This might be an incidental situation, but I got yelled at by the first mate/DM on a dive boat the other day for taking my primary regulator out of my mouth before climbing up the boat ladder. ..... I really am not concerned about this b/c I have a backup regulator necklaced and air in my BC. It was kind of embarrassing b/c the boat was full of divers.

It's unprofessional, as well as just plain bad manners to yell at you like that. As others have noted, it is in general a good practice to keep the reg in your mouth until back on the boat.

If you have a bungeed backup reg, then your primary is probably on a long hose. YMMV, but I find the easiest way to keep a reg from getting drug or banged up is to simply keep it in my mouth. If it is the beginning of the dive and I don't want to use the tank air while waiting on the surface for my buddy, then I just grin a bit to open the sides of my mouth and breathe around the reg while still holding it in my mouth with my teeth.

---------------

The same sort of thing goes for my mask too. It was comfortable wearing it for the last hour or so of the dive, so I'm not in any great hurry to rip it off my face when I surface. No reason to go through contortions such as turning it around backwards on my head, or putting it around my neck, or holding it in my hand when it is just fine where it has been for the last hour.

 

[Doc]

Yes, not nice to yell at guests, especially when they are in a "stress situation" where they are even more inclined to fall victim due to task loading.

Straight answer: Keep the reg in your mouth until you are seated.

That is a commercial protocol. And I ask you, why not? There is nothing you have to say or eat that trumps the need for breathing on an uninterupted basis.

Leaving it in your pie hole results in one less issue if and when you fall back overboard. And just imagine the three ring circus that caused that to occur!