New to Scuba - Four Concerns

[Cave Diver]

2) In a big body of freshwater, you can, probably take drink if you want. Or swish a little water around and spit it out.

Just be sure to stay upstream from your buddy.

 

[Guba]

Welcome to the board!

The advice you've gotten is spot on, and the good news is that as you gain experience and heed that advice, you'll find that your concerns just melt away.

As for the dry mouth, I even know a couple of divers who carry small bottles of water with "push-pull" tops, and they use them at depth. I can't recommend this for new divers, since it requires a few seconds of 'breath-holding' as the user squirts the water into their mouth, drinks and swallows. However, if one is careful to be stationary in the water column, I can see it working.

By far, the most dangerous critters in the quarries are the ones you cannot see (microbes). The fish are generally harmless (though those bluegill can, indeed, nip the tops of one's ears pretty good), and the snakes and turtles tend to turn tail and run (they see you as great big predators). In short, there should be very little for you to be concerned with.

Have a great time and get out there and get all the experience you can!

 

[Paladin]

What area of the country are you in? The quarries I've been to in Ohio are loaded with fish. At Twin Quarries in Circleville, OH, the fish are so friendly they're obnoxious. You practically have to shove them out of the way to get anywhere!!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

We have one place where we feed the catfish hotdogs. Tip- Don't dive nekkid!

 

[fnfalman]

Hi, im new to scuba, i completed my inpool part and this weekend I will be doing the open water portion in a quarry

I have a few concerns that maybe others can advise on.

1. I don't get it often but I did have it happen once when I was in the pool where flem built up in my throat I have no idea why, and I was trying to swallow but it just stuck there making it harder to breath, I find the only way to clear it is to go to the surface and cough it out, which is fine in a pool but in an open water when your 30ft down it might make the instructor think i have a problem if i start swimming up. Does anyone else run into this flem issue at times?

As others have said, 2nd stages are designed to be vomited and coughed through, so cough yourself away through the 2nd stage instead of removing it from your mouth. When you cough or vomit, you may spasm and involuntarily swallow water. You'd be pretty screwed if you swallow/breath in a lungful of water.

2. I find after being under water for a while the AIR im breathing in makes my mouth and throat really dry, and i feel the urge to want to go up, i dont want to ruin it for others but I do find it irratating and makes me being down there less enjoyable, anyone else get that happen and why does it give you dry throat, its like there is no moisture in it.

Happens to everybody. You can mitigate the issue by making sure that you are well hydrated before and after the dives. If it gets so bad, just let some water go into your 2nd stage. I do it all the time and haven't died of any disease yet. Besides, when you dive, you'll get that local water in your mouth anyway.

3. Do Quarries carry aquatic life that I need to be careful of? Im a bit leery when it comes to going under water - period! but I have pushed through my mild fears so far and I wont let them get the better of me. I think its the whole idea of being down there and not knowing what is coming at you

Don't really know, but generally speaking, one should keep one's hands to one's self and resist petting the cute animals. A certain someone thought that the Pacific torpedo ray is so cute so he gave it a little touch and got the bejesus shocked out of him...

4. After being down I feel really tired for almost a day

Even when you're used to it, scuba diving is a very exhausting activity.

 

[vondo]

As others have said, 2nd stages are designed to be vomited and coughed through, so cough yourself away through the 2nd stage instead of removing it from your mouth. When you cough or vomit, you may spasm and involuntarily swallow water. You'd be pretty screwed if you swallow/breath in a lungful of water.

I should clarify that when I said I take my reg out occasionally it's to wipe off the mucus that accumulates on my lips, teeth, and mouthpiece. I would never try to cough with my reg out as you are correct, the natural reflex right after that is to try to suck in a big breath.

 

[Diver0001]

Hi, im new to scuba, i completed my inpool part and this weekend I will be doing the open water portion in a quarry

I have a few concerns that maybe others can advise on.

1. I don't get it often but I did have it happen once when I was in the pool where flem built up in my throat I have no idea why, and I was trying to swallow but it just stuck there making it harder to breath, I find the only way to clear it is to go to the surface and cough it out, which is fine in a pool but in an open water when your 30ft down it might make the instructor think i have a problem if i start swimming up. Does anyone else run into this flem issue at times?

Long term you're going to need a different approach to that.

My advice would be to just spit it or cough it out straight into the regulator. Just be careful not to cough the reg right out of your mouth. The regs can take a lot of gunk going through them. I spit into mine all the time and I've even seen someone toss their entire lunch through one.

2. I find after being under water for a while the AIR im breathing in makes my mouth and throat really dry, and i feel the urge to want to go up, i dont want to ruin it for others but I do find it irratating and makes me being down there less enjoyable, anyone else get that happen and why does it give you dry throat, its like there is no moisture in it.

You'll need a new strategy for that one too. Why don't you just take the reg out of your mouth and take a bit of water in your mouth and swish it around and then spit it back out?

3. Do Quarries carry aquatic life that I need to be careful of? Im a bit leery when it comes to going under water - period! but I have pushed through my mild fears so far and I wont let them get the better of me. I think its the whole idea of being down there and not knowing what is coming at you

Can't help you there. i don't know the location where you'll be diving.

4. After being down I feel really tired for almost a day

That will pass. The gear is heavy and you're probably just more active than you're used to being.

R..

 

[k ellis]

Well the dry mouth I usually just drum up some spit then swallow it occasionaly to keep my mouth and throat from drying out. This also kind of helps me with the flem feeling in my throat as I wash it down as well. In a quarry its like any other body of water there is always a slight chance a critter can make its way into the water but for the most part this is very rare in highly utilized dive locations.

last but not least this is one of the biggest debates on scuba board and in the dive population in general but I use nitrox which DOES help me not feel so exhausted at the end of the dive. Now this will forever be argued as to if it helps post dives or not. The fact is though most dedicated nitrox divers will swear this to be true but on the other hand alot of divers see nitrox as just a marginal if at all helpful tool to help gain valuable bottom time and shorter surface intervals. But give nitrox a try when you get the chance and see for yourself if it helps post dive. I know it does for me

 

[StevenN]

We have one place where we feed the catfish hotdogs. Tip- Don't dive nekkid!

That is some solid advice!

 

[k ellis]

We have one place where we feed the catfish hotdogs. Tip- Don't dive nekkid!

Youch they arent garr are they????