Coroners report:throwing up while scuba diving

[AggieDiver]

My experience with it was in Belize about 80' down. What I found easiest to do was grab my buddy's arm with one hand to let her stabilize my buoyancy. Then I turned away from her, grabbed my reg and waited for the heave. I have heard different instructions from different folks, but here is what I did and why. When I felt myself starting to vomit, I pulled the reg partially out of my mouth and kind of hung it at one corner of my mouth while I spewed. As soon as I felt each heave finishing, I would push the purge button, stick the reg back in my mouth, and inhale while releasing the purge. The point of all of that was to prevent plugging my regulator with chunks that would then potentially be aspirated back into my airway or lungs. Your first urge at the end of the heave is to take a huge inhale. So make sure the reg is ready and has been purged of water before you stick it back in your mouth and inhale. All of that assumes you are coherent enough and settled enough to be able to react calmly. If not, or if the urge comes on too suddenly, go ahead and puke through the regulator and have your octopus ready to swap out with in between hurls if needed.

 

[sphyrnidus]

After an incredible strenous night call, I am an MD, I travelled to Thailand via Singapore and Bangkok the next morning (from the Netherlands) Then we had to sail for 6 hours. The first dive, the following morning, was the check out dive. It so happened that there was an enormous current and waves... We did a negatieve entry and had to grab a line and swim to the bottom. As I jumped, probably because I was bone tired, my mask filled up and I missed the line. I felt nausseous and before I knew what happened breakfast came out, while I was clearing my mask and trying to fight the current and get to the bottom. Finally I arrived down, found buddy and continued the dive. As the barf came out with considerabel force, it was all out immediately. After I returned to the ship I vommited again. Other than that it was a good trip

 

[Wookie]

I had to do this once after a huge breakfast in Akumal. I was pretty deep so no way to come up "in time". Thank god my husband was there to hold my arm because it was the scariest thing that ever happened to me underwater. A very experienced diver -- it was something like my 600th dive -- but every reaction wanted me to take that regulator OUT of my mouth. Afterwards I felt immediatly better and was able to complete the dive. Also thank my husband to rinse out a quart of huevos rancheros from my reg afterwards! It was really really gross.

Is this the Huevos Rancheros breakfast at the Super Chomak in Akumal? Yup, been there, barfed that...

 

[chavala]

Is this the Huevos Rancheros breakfast at the Super Chomak in Akumal? Yup, been there, barfed that...

You mean the place in "town" with the barstools out front? No -- that place was awesome! The place that made me sick was some frou-frou patio restaurant near the main hotel. I forgot the name. The cheap tequilla I had the night before probably didn't help either. ; )

 

[farkurnell]

The good thing is that the fish come swarming after you have a spew....

I had one coming out of the water the other day.. was pretty rough and the horizon was coming and going at will Remove Reg, spew, reg back in and go again...


So I bought some Kwell seasick tablets to try next time its rough...

 

[Akimbo]

Yup, vomited a couple times now. Keep the reg in until done. Remove and swish it out, back on the boat and drink lots of water.[emoji15]......

That works fine, until you aspirate chunks and your airway is blocked like this poor guy.

 

[Phil_C]

Ok sensible answers done -

Signal out of air, borrow your rent a buddies alternate - throw up, return and give OK signal

Get a new buddy !

P

 

[farkurnell]

Can I ask why people say to keep the reg in and spew through it?? I'd have been worried about chunks getting stuck in it, and the after taste....

 

[uncfnp]

This is exactly my personal nightmare senario. Don't honestly know how I would react and don't want to find out!

 

[sphyrnidus]

@farkur: the exhaust is quite large. If you chew your food normally it will pass easily. And there is a no return valve.
if you keep the reg in your mouth you can keep on breathing.
Don't worry so much about this uncfnp, you barf and live on.