Why do people spit their regulator out as soon as they surface?

[Allen-1]

A lot of people find the regulator to be a bit uncomfortable on the surface, or they want to talk to their buddy. I usually keep mine in on the surface if there is any swell or I have to surface swim. I was told by my instructor not to board the ladder with the regulator in the mouth because if you get bumped by the swim stair or ladder, you are going to lose some teeth. Might be a California thing given the swell. I never heard of that happening.

I was told to keep my regulator in my mouth while climbing the ladder in case I fell back into the water.

 

[boulderjohn]

I was told by my instructor not to board the ladder with the regulator in the mouth because if you get bumped by the swim stair or ladder, you are going to lose some teeth. M

I have been diving around the world for more than a quarter century, and I have never heard of this. As an instructor, I told my students to keep the regulator in their mouth while climbing the ladder because they might fall off.

 

[TMHeimer]

I was told to keep my regulator in my mouth while climbing the ladder in case I fell back into the water.

You mean if you fell back and started to sink?

 

[Allen-1]

You mean if you fell back and started to sink?

If I fell from the ladder, it wouldn't be a deliberate act. I'm already going to be dealing with being way too close to a moving boat. I don't need the distraction of potentially taking in a mouthful of water to add to my problem(s).

If I've got my mask on and my regulator in, about all I'm going to have to deal with is that my fins are probably/possibly in my hand, (depending upon the ladder type)

 

[TOMWIEDEMAN]

I'm glad to see this explored. It has always been an area of concern for me. This also brings to mind the need to actually take two breaths from regulator and octo while observing SPG while on the boat or before entering the water as part of your BWRAF. Then with regulator in your mouth and hand over mask and regulator take the plunge (giant steep, back roll, etc.). On surfacing maintaining regulator in mouth or hand and definitely in mouth while going up the ladder until steady on the boat. I have witnessed numerous incidences: Entry with tank valve closed, BCD inflator hose disconnected, weight bag not secured or weight belt to loose to stay on, mask being dislodged, near drowning on surface in heavy waves, not having a snorkel when needed, and falling off the ladder unexpectantly submerging and loosing control (no fins) or hitting another diver that is too close to the ladder.
The basic rules we learn in OW are for good reason based on years of experience and should be followed for individual as well as safety of your buddy and the group. On group dives, especially in warm water "popular" locations these rules are often overlooked or not enforced. I feel it should be part of every dive briefing. That's my rant.

 

[tridacna]

You mean if you fell back and started to sink?

Actually the boat crew advised me that it was to stop me from talking to them. Apparently they had enough of me on the trip out to the site.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I think the main point here is that there is no hard-and-fast rule. Conditions dictate what you do. Lots of chop argues for reg in. Diving from a small boat (as pointed out earlier) requires de-kitting in the water. A lot of the research diving I've done has been from a small boat. Gear comes off before you get on the boat. And a lot of times I'm communicating with the boat tender about one thing or another as items are handed aboard. I've also done tropical guided dives where the SOP was kit in the water, hop in, kit on, dive, kit off, climb in boat.

I tend to err on the side of "whatever the DM guiding the dives says is right." They know their boat better than I do. If I'm paying them, they know the dive site and water conditions better than I do.

I do think people underestimate the risk of shore entries. I've seen more folks in trouble because they trip on a rock or fall trying to get fins on or off. The constants in all these cases are an uninflated BCD, no mask on the face, or if they do have mask on then neither snorkel or regulator in place.

I tell my OW students to inflate the BCD BEFORE walking down to the water. I let them go ankle deep so that they can rinse the "natural defogging agent" out of their mask before putting it on. Once the mask is on, they can only go deeper if they keep it on and have a snorkel (preferably) or reg in place. (Snorkel preferred to conserve air. They're diving LP 85's, and at least part of the group will be air hogs.) Fins go on in water somewhere between waste and chest deep. The reverse happens when exiting.

Even with that instruction I see (and subsequently "advise") students who decide to put fins off or on while sitting in water 1.5 to 2 feet deep. Puget Sound is placid generally, but if a ferry went buy a mile away, it's wake can sneak up on you and roll you if you're sitting down. I've seen it happen to other divers, so make sure it doesn't happen to my students.

 

[tridacna]

I think the main point here is that there is no hard-and-fast rule. Conditions dictate what you do. Lots of chop argues for reg in. Diving from a small boat (as pointed out earlier) requires de-kitting in the water. A lot of the research diving I've done has been from a small boat. Gear comes off before you get on the boat. And a lot of times I'm communicating with the boat tender about one thing or another as items are handed aboard. I've also done tropical guided dives where the SOP was kit in the water, hop in, kit on, dive, kit off, climb in boat.

I tend to err on the side of "whatever the DM guiding the dives says is right." They know their boat better than I do. If I'm paying them, they know the dive site and water conditions better than I do.

I do think people underestimate the risk of shore entries. I've seen more folks in trouble because they trip on a rock or fall trying to get fins on or off. The constants in all these cases are an uninflated BCD, no mask on the face, or if they do have mask on then neither snorkel or regulator in place.

I tell my OW students to inflate the BCD BEFORE walking down to the water. I let them go ankle deep so that they can rinse the "natural defogging agent" out of their mask before putting it on. Once the mask is on, they can only go deeper if they keep it on and have a snorkel (preferably) or reg in place. (Snorkel preferred to conserve air. They're diving LP 85's, and at least part of the group will be air hogs.) Fins go on in water somewhere between waste and chest deep. The reverse happens when exiting.

Even with that instruction I see (and subsequently "advise") students who decide to put fins off or on while sitting in water 1.5 to 2 feet deep. Puget Sound is placid generally, but if a ferry went buy a mile away, it's wake can sneak up on you and roll you if you're sitting down. I've seen it happen to other divers, so make sure it doesn't happen to my students.

A few years ago, I started using a fiberglass hiking pole for shore entries/exits. Getting old I suppose…

 

[SouthernSharktoothDiver]

So, to weigh in, for the diving I do (high current, low vis, relatively shallow river diving from my own boat), I always take my reg out pretty much immediately when I surface for two reasons.

First, I've been breathing on that thing for a while. Like, a short dive is 45 minutes. A long one is an hour twenty. I get tired of chomping on that mouthpiece eventually. It's not intolerable, but it isn't amazing either. Might need to look for a better one at some point, but I always forget until I go to put my reg in.

The second reason is a bit more practical. I plan my dives so the current's carrying me toward the boat, but ultimately I'm always gonna be a little bit offside and the current has eddies that'll push you toward the center of the river (my boat's near the shore) until you get past them. Thus, I have a lot of kicking to do and a short time to do it. So, I'm lying on my back, huffing and puffing like crazy, no reason to risk draining my tank and maybe letting water get into my gear by using the regset.

 

[lowwall]

The second reason is a bit more practical. I plan my dives so the current's carrying me toward the boat, but ultimately I'm always gonna be a little bit offside and the current has eddies that'll push you toward the center of the river (my boat's near the shore) until you get past them. Thus, I have a lot of kicking to do and a short time to do it. So, I'm lying on my back, huffing and puffing like crazy, no reason to risk draining my tank and maybe letting water get into my gear by using the regset.

If your tank is nearly empty, then you don't have a choice. But if you've got some air left, you will find it a lot easier to cut through the current if you go a couple of feet under so you can get completely horizontal without your fins breaking the surface.