New to Scuba - Four Concerns

[W8less]

On long dives I take a hydration pack with a bite valve. When your air gets to the point, (excuse me gas) where you feel like you are chewing it, I just take a good pull. Be careful though and practice in the shallows it can be weird taking your reg out sucking water through a hose, swallowing and then clearing/breathing. Have even been buddy drinkin on a dive. Haven't decided on a 5 or 7' hose for that feat yet.

Try and avoid dairy products the night before a dive cuz for most people it is a mucous stimulator.

 

[TSandM]

As people have mentioned, you can cough through a reg, and you can drink lots of water to cope with the dry mouth. But what really concerns me is your statement that, for each of these issues, what you want to do is to go to the surface. That is NOT a good impulse in a diver, and if these minor stresses are making you want to surface, I'm worried about what would happen if your mask flooded or you were otherwise made truly uncomfortable.

How do you feel about being underwater? Are you enjoying it? Was diving something you wanted to do, or are you doing it for someone else? Do you feel as though you have had enough time in your class to get comfortable with your gear, and with being submerged? These are really important questions.

 

[scubeydoo]

Hey all, thanks for the responses. Wow I never thought I would get so much feedback. Great advise, especially the one on dairy.

I will definitely try the coughing it through and drinking lots of water.

 

[scubeydoo]

As people have mentioned, you can cough through a reg, and you can drink lots of water to cope with the dry mouth. But what really concerns me is your statement that, for each of these issues, what you want to do is to go to the surface. That is NOT a good impulse in a diver, and if these minor stresses are making you want to surface, I'm worried about what would happen if your mask flooded or you were otherwise made truly uncomfortable.

How do you feel about being underwater? Are you enjoying it? Was diving something you wanted to do, or are you doing it for someone else? Do you feel as though you have had enough time in your class to get comfortable with your gear, and with being submerged? These are really important questions.

Well I tack it down to being Its New and well as humans we aren't familiar with breathing underwater, we feel naturally more comfortable above it Though I think its like anything over time it would improve..

Like i dont feel like dashing to the surface, and Yes I have had water fill my mask and I am able to blow that out with no problems as well as swim with no mask on underwater.

 

[vladimir]

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

If we could just lure this guy to your quarry.

 

[Web Monkey]

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,

Dry mouth is one thing. Difficulty breathing and swallowing is quite another. You might want to get that checked out by a doctor.

Terry

 

[rollerboi]

I guess it would be really, really mean to suggest the possibility of candiru in the water..

Oh, on a more serious note - I know some divers who have taken Capri Sun juice packets on a dive to refresh themselves at depth or while doing deco stops.. just be sure to bring the empties back out.

 

[Straegen]

1. Not only flem, but if you need to throw up... just let it rip while keeping the reg in your mouth. I am sure it isn't pleasant, but it is the safe course.

3. Virtually all the freshwater concerns are man made or self driven. I would probably worry most about fishing line but that is a distant concern.

4. I didn't see it posted, but feeling tired I believe is also caused by your body having to retain heat underwater in addition to the reasons mentioned above. Water is constantly conducting heat away from your body and your body often works very hard to keep up. This can lead to fatigue. Using EAN can also help with the fatigue in some divers.

 

[sabbath999]

One thing to add when coughing or barfing into your reg (I get seasick a lot, have done it multiple times when coming onto boats)... GRAB THE REG while you cough. Don't trust your bite tabs to hold it in. Also, grab your secondary reg/octo/air2 "just in case".

Spasms can be pretty severe once you get going on a good coughing or barfing jag, so keep that reg firmly in place with your hand, and if you barf, between spasms you can just pop the purge button.

One interesting fact is that fish love barf, so they will probably be swarming around you as you are hurling... so when you are done you will get a good view of the sealife...