Mouthpiece swap on rental regulators?

[underachiever]

How many do this? and are the replacements universal? Are the zip ties the reusable ones or do I need to get a handful if I plan on doing this? Until I can get around to purchasing my own reg. I would like to take off the mouthpiece on the rented reg. and put on my own and then put the origional back on after the dive or dives.

Does anyone do this? Just being cautious.

 

[dlndavid]

Don't see why you can't do this. Get a supply of zip ties and go for it. And that is one reason I own my own gear. But sometime or another somebody during an emergency or just practice will breath off your reg, and you theirs, we're divers, we swap spit.

 

[MSilvia]

The mouthpieces are pretty much universal, and disposable zip ties are usually used. I've never seen a reusable zip tie used for attaching a reg mouthpiece, and in my experience swapping the mouthpiece on rentals is very unusual. I've never seen anyone do it unless the mouthpiece was defective.

Still, there's no reason you can't if it makes you feel better. I recommend checking out a sea-cure mouthpiece. That way you can get the double benefit of being more sanitary and more comfortable, and having two good reasons will give you the additional third benefit of looking less like a kook.

 

[radinator]

The mouthpieces are pretty much universal, and disposable zip ties are usually used. I've never seen a reusable zip tie used for attaching a reg mouthpiece, and in my experience swapping the mouthpiece on rentals is very unusual. I've never seen anyone do it unless the mouthpiece was defective.

The Aqualung Legend LX has reusuable zip-ties.

It was useful to me recently, when one of my regs ended up with a LOT of tension on the mouthpiece and it separated. (Don't ask how, but I'm really glad it DID separate.) So at depth I just put it all back together. Made me a bit fan of reusuable zip-ties - I didn't know they existed until then.

 

[trigfunctions]

I've done it. If the mouthpiece you want to use doesn't fit the regulator the shop gives you, just ask to try another one. You should bring a few zip ties - one to attach your mouthpiece and another to reattach the rental mouthpiece.

 

[JodiBB]

I do it every time I rent gear (don't have my own yet)...I like the mouthpiece I bought that fits my mouth better than the rentals + all the germ/sanitary issues. I purchased a pack of zip ties from the LDS.

Just remember to swap them back upon returning the gear!!!

 

[Scottri]

When I learned to dive they supplied 2 mouth pieces with our books and other material. Everyone used their own personal mouth pieces during the class and for the open water weekend. I always thought it was a good idea. If I still rented gear I would probably replace the rental mouth pieces myself.

 

[milkathecow]

Scubapro also has a reusable tie, with some kind of "clip" over it.

I read the comments on this thread with attention, but am a little surprised by the fact of having your own mouthpiece... germs would still be found in the "shell" of the 2nd Stage if not disinfected properly etc. basically some problems too.

otoh when you do "buddy breathing" or "alternate air source" exercises, you'll be using the octopus of the other one... will you put your mouthpiece on their reg ? (making sure you'll be with that person & that he won't share his octopus with anyone else during that dive ???).

I'm a little bit of the devil's advocate here, but except if you use one of those soft or mouth moulded mouthpiece, i really can't relate to the true purpose of this...

 

[Damselfish]

Just replacing the mouthpiece you may make yourself feel better, but you're probably kidding yourself that you're making it much more sanitary. Who knows what's living inside, ever looked in there? The mouthpiece is actually easier to keep clean. I suspect you'd accomplish more by dunking the thing in Listerine.

 

[trigfunctions]

I had a dental problem and rigged up a cheap mouth piece with a portion cut out so it wouldn't press against a tooth. I put that on a rental regulator.