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

[LI-er]

Is there something wrong with me

Gonna go out on a limb here and suggest you're not the first person who has ever asked this question.

 

[Still Kicking]

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

Because we have spent our entire lives prior to scuba breathing uncompressed air and it is what we are conditioned to?

Personally, I freedive a fair bit and 2+ minutes without air is NBD.

 

[34109411]

Maybe you should rephrase your question to why do "some people" etc. It depends on the surface conditions and if communications is necessary. Of course, it's always best to keep it in your mouth.

yes most accident happen at the beginning or the end of the dive. I always find it funny when i see people holding the reg in the air, i rather have it in my mouth!

 

[34109411]

Believe it or not, from what I have heard, some people do not breathe from the regulator at the surface at the end of the dive because they want to make sure they are back on the boat with 500 PSI (or reasonably close to it).

As I said, I got the information from Thalassamania, who I believe was involved with NAUI standards at one point.

I remember when i was diving in the riviera maya dm where always saying make sure you finish the dive with a least 500 psi.

 

[34109411]

I never understood the fuss about this. I feel like this whole thing is a non-issue for people that (a) are comfortable in the water and (b) have a necklaced backup. I almost always take the reg out of my mouth after establishing positive buoyancy on the surface, usually to talk with my buddies and hang out while waiting to get picked up by the boat. If the conditions were really bad on the surface, I might consider keeping it in a while longer. If I fell off the ladder, I'm confident I could get the necklace in my mouth and surface without problems, even if I didn't have a mask on. The only reason I keep the mask on my face until I'm on the boat, is so that I don't lose it, and I almost forget it's on my face after a dive. But if the weather is really nice and I want some sun on my face, I'll take it off.

If you are experience diver it's ok, your most likely one cause you use a necklace. The guy that does one trip a year in cozumel might be better than if he keep it.


Cheers

 

[DanBMW]

I remember when i was diving in the riviera maya dm where always saying make sure you finish the dive with a least 500 psi.

500 psi was/is a target so that the bottle is not empty requiring a VIP. No one should get reprimanded if it is a few 100 pounds less.

 

[GreggS]

When boat diving, I usually will leave my regulator in while on the surface. If I need to talk to someone either in the water or on the boat, I'll remove it temporarily. But when I start to climb the ladder, I'll put it back in my mouth. As others have said, if something happens that I fall back into the water, I'm already breathing from it. But another reason is not for falling backward into the water but falling forward onto the boat. There are all kinds of hard surfaces on a boat...the ladder, the deck, rails, gunwales, raised motor covers...and if you slip or are suddenly pitched forward, that regulator with a rubber mouthpiece is going to be a lot more forgiving than any of the aforementioned boat features. And even in relatively calm water, it's easy to be thrown off balance.

 

[DXHI]

As others have said it depends on surface conditions. Once surfaced and BC inflated if calm I like to get the fresh air and talk to my buddy(s) about the dive . But it goes back in while I’m climbing the ladder.

If seas are rough it stays in pending boat pick up (usually live boating)

 

[JonnieB]

I disagree with that philosophy of "from the time you go into the water to the time you are up the ladder." That's true up here in the northeast where the sea is always rough, but on nice warm tropical dives I like to wait on the surface on snorkel until the rest of the dive group is descending so as to save air. Either that or wait on the boat to be the last one in.

On that calm tropical water, there is plenty of inexaustable air if you inflate your BCD

 

[JonnieB]

Never understood the snorkel thing...I'm diving not snorkeling. Nobody I know dives with a snorkel. If surface conditions are rough reg in, if not, reg out