Regulator and removing it from mouth..

[bwg]

Hiya,

Just started PADI OWD course, and I rather embarrasingly spent the first confined dive session practising breathing through mouth and re-inserting regulator into mouth.

My issues were that I was at first inhaling through nose and mouth, which meant the mask was leaking a little, which let water in, which compounded the problem.
Think I've sorted that though.

My biggest issue was how to put the regulator back in mouth without getting a mouthful of water and nearly choking. Blowing a small stream of bubbles with the regulator out, fine, but what I wasn't sure about was that when I was trying to put regulator back in, I just exhaled, but it didn't really seem to help. Only near the end of the dive did I figure going 'ahhhh' seemed to stop a lot of the water entering - is this the recommended method? The PADI book mentions it for controlled emergency ascents, but it seems to be rather quiet on how to put regulator back in...

Any other advice would be great, re-doing the first (and hopefully starting second) confined dive on Tuesday...

 

[johnny_bravo]

Exhaling a little upon re-insertion of reg in mouth usually does the trick...regs also have a purge button that you can press to clear water as well.

Although i wonder if the reg is leaking water...

Cheers.

 

[Willie]

Welcome to diving and to scubaboard. I just give a short sharp exhale when I do it, sort of like blowing out one candle on a cake. Works for me. Sometimes I will use the purge valve if for some reason I dont have much air in my lungs.

Willie

 

[Jim Lapenta]

When you put the reg back in simply exhaling is not enough. You need to blast clear it. Either by forcefully exhaling, think of clearing a snorkel, or blocking the opening with your mouth and hit the purge button. In either case you will still get a little water until you've practiced it over and over. When you put the reg back in you need to open your mouth wide, this will sometimes allow water into the mask because of the way your face reacts. It's really not a big deal unless you have a poorly fitting mask to begin with and it gets too much water in. In either case you just put the reg in, clear it and then clear the mask. You can also create a water dam by using your tongue when inserting the reg. put your tongue to the top of your mouth to create a splash guard and put the reg in and clear. Also make sure you have enough air in your lungs to exhale and don't swallow! If you do get a little water in and need to cough, hold the reg in your mouth and cough thru it.

 

[bwg]

I get that, but my problem seems to be water entering from outside whilst I am trying to re-insert the regulator, rather than water from the regulator itself, but I could be wrong, I didn't really notice much apart from a mouthful of water.

I end up having to open mouth wide and that seems to let water in. Is the solution just to exhale whilst mouth is open, or should I really be opening it that wide?

 

[Green_Manelishi]

I get that, but my problem seems to be water entering from outside whilst I am trying to re-insert the regulator, rather than water from the regulator itself, but I could be wrong, I didn't really notice much apart from a mouthful of water.

I end up having to open mouth wide and that seems to let water in. Is the solution just to exhale whilst mouth is open, or should I really be opening it that wide?

You will not be able to open your mouth without water entering; it's simple physics. Just spit out the water through the one-way valve or push the purge button. BUT if you push the purge, make certain you "block" the back of your thoat or the blast of air pushing the water around might cause you to cough.

 

[Cacia]

create an exhale AS you insert the mouthpeice. (If air is exiting, water flowing in will be minimized).

It is a simililiar issue to people complaining about water entering their nose. If you are sending a tiny bit out, this will keep water from entering. ...(as much, and if it does, it gets sent back out by your air pushing it back)

 

[DandyDon]

Can you simply get in the pool without equipment, practice opening your mouth underwater then spit it out...?

Have you practiced with a snorkel...?

You will not be able to open your mouth without water entering; it's simple physics. Just spit out the water through the one-way valve or push the purge button. BUT if you push the purge, make certain you "block" the back of your thoat or the blast of air pushing the water around might cause you to cough.

Yep, good call.

 

[Daner]

It doesn't really matter if water gets in your mouth. You just exhale or purge once the reg is in your mouth and you're good to go!

 

[Charlie99]

Just playing around in a pool, even without scuba gear, should help you.

Try to get comfortable dropping down into the water with your mouth open but facing downward. You might get a little bit of water in your mouth, but this shouldn't make you choke and gasp when you come back up. Once you get comfortable doing this, try to learn how to descend in a pool with both your mouth and your airway open, just keeping water out by a little bit of pressure from your lungs. You don't have to force air out --- just don't let anything come back in. At first you might find it easier to exhale just a tiny, tiny bit.

By keeping airway open, I mean that you don't close off the throat at the back of you mouth. (Cough a few times and pay attention to how you close the epiglottis at the back of the throat when coughing. Don't close the airway like this when on scuba).

Once you can descend in a pool with airway and mouth open, then it should be easier doing that when doing the scuba skill. After putting the reg back in your mouth, do a sharp, forceful, but short exhale into the reg to clear it.

Do take the first breath very slowly because there will be a little bit of water left in the reg.