Sucking in water together with air

[Angelo Farina]

Keep in mind that while switching to your back-up is an option to get a dry reg, most would consider this a "non-fixable problem" and one that will demand an immediate return to the surface. the consequence of this way is that you do not have a regulator to donate to your buddy in case of emergency.
So, in my opinion, the good solution here is to switch regs, so you have a good reg that doesn't breathe wet and then communicate a "thumb" to your dive buddy, and if at all possible regarding stresslevels, communicate that your "other reg is broken". That way your buddy knows you are fine, but that you (the team) does not have gas-sharing possibilities for half the team.
Complete your safetystop (or go calmly straight to the surface if you feel that is prudent), but don't extend your dive after you switch regs.

When it happened to me I did NOT thumb the dive, I continued with the working reg.
This comes back to my training: I was taught to try solving problems underwater, surfacing is the very last option, to be adopted only when everything else fails, in true life threatening cases.
Furthernore, before purchasing my second regulator (mounted on the second independent valve of my tank, and identical to the first one) I had years of diving using only one reg. The training (and the practice, in a couple of cases) was buddy breathing from a single reg, if needed.
I never liked a crap octopus connected to the first stage of the primary reg.

 

[boulderjohn]

ut seems like you are can't detect any potential issues when you are on dry land unless you take apart the regulator (something the dive centres definitely won't allow, at least not around my region).

They do not want you messing with their regs, but they don't have to know about it.

Different regs have different levels of difficulty opening them. I had one set of regs (still do) where the only way I could do it was to drill two holes in the edge of the cover and use a pin wrench on them. If you have a rental reg like that, there is nothing you can do.

On the other hand, some covers are so easy to remove that you can do it in seconds with no tools at all. With the right regulator in the situation you describe, you could switch to the alternate, open the primary, fix the diaphragm, put the cover back on, and switch back to the primary in a minute or two while you were diving.

 

[Imla]

When it happened to me I did NOT thumb the dive, I continued with the working reg.
This comes back to my training: I was taught to try solving problems underwater, surfacing is the very last option, to be adopted only when everything else fails, in true life threatening cases.
Furthernore, before purchasing my second regulator (mounted on the second independent valve of my tank, and identical to the first one) I had years of diving using only one reg. The training (and the practice, in a couple of cases) was buddy breathing from a single reg, if needed.
I never liked a crap octopus connected to the first stage of the primary reg.

Yes. But I assume that you, as an experienced diver also know the consequence of continuing to dive with only the one usable regulator. Does your buddy accept the risk you are taking on their behalf?
People are usually taught buddy diving within ISO-standard recreational diving. Standards include one primary and one backup reg. Normally, the backup reg is intended for your buddy in case of air supply malfunctions (equipment or out of air). This is the expectation from your buddy. So, if you chose to use that second regulator, you have made a choice that excludes an emergency option for your buddy. The prudent thing, is then to inform your buddy, and thumb the dive. A thumb does not equal bolting to the surface. A thumb just means that the dive is over. The ascent/exit can be as calm as you'd like, and this is actually what I am saying in my post. But to CONTINUE the dive with only one working regulator is irresponsible.

On a side note, you learned to dive a very long time ago. You are extremely experienced. However, you continually keep giving advice that does not corrolate with current practice. What you chose to do for your self is completely fine. But advising someone to continue a dive with only one regulator when the current practice on a buddy dive is for the buddy to share air if a problem arises is not responsible mentoring.
Please think about what you are communicating. Diving is taught differently now, than in 18bowandarrow. People are not taught that sharing one reg back and forth is smart. People are now taught risk management, and the proper risk assessment here is to conclude the dive if you are down to one working regulator.

 

[John Bantin]

I always check a regulator before a dive by sucking on its second-stage when it's on a tank and the tank is NOT turned on. It should lock solid and not allow you to get any air. If it does, you've got a leak. (Proviso: If you have an Atomic alternate second stage, because of its design, it will allow air to pass when it is not pressurized so this test is not valid - however, I check my wife's Atomic by replacing one second-stage with a blanking plug before she goes on a dive trip, replacing the alternate second-stage after testing.)

 

[Angelo Farina]

On a side note, you learned to dive a very long time ago. You are extremely experienced. However, you continually keep giving advice that does not corrolate with current practice. What you chose to do for your self is completely fine. But advising someone to continue a dive with only one regulator when the current practice on a buddy dive is for the buddy to share air if a problem arises is not responsible mentoring.
Please think about what you are communicating. Diving is taught differently now, than in 18bowandarrow. People are not taught that sharing one reg back and forth is smart. People are now taught risk management, and the proper risk assessment here is to conclude the dive if you are down to one working regulator.

That's true, of course. Everyone should conform to his training and to what he is confortable doing in safety. If one does perceive to not be "safe enough", aborting the dive is the proper choice.
Please note that I also had a twin tank with reserve, and a small air tank for emergency inflation of my Fenzy (which you see in my avatar).
And that the buddy was my wife, a diver even better and more experienced than me, who definitely did not rely on my secondary reg in case of failure of her systems. (and she was also using a twin tank with reserve, two complete independent regs on two valves and a small air tank for her BCD).
Had I been equipped with a single tank with single valve, and a crap octopus attached to a single first stage, instead of a complete and high performance second regulator, I had also probably aborted the dive.
Those low-performance second stages are really hard to breath, and switching to such a crap device was probably not very appealing also for the OP, who preferred keeping the primary in his mouth and ascend. Fully understandable, given the equipment he had available.
Which indeed is one of the reason for which I continue talking against the octopus, which is simply "not safe enough" for me.
I want two complete, fully independent and high performances regs on my dual-valve tank. For me, not just for the buddy...

 

[boulderjohn]

If you dive with only one regulator, the odds are astronomically small that it will be a problem. I have never had to donate air in anything other than a practice session in my life.

However...

It can happen. About a dozen years ago, A woman diving in Florida rented a regulator with only a primary. On that dive, another diver was hunting for lobster, and he was intentionally overweighted for that purpose. He had a new BCD, and he apparently did not understand how the weight release system worked. (I don't know the specifics, but from what I read, I guessed he had a Zeagle and either did not understand how to use the rip cord or he put the weights in the zippered pockets rather than the weight release pockets.)

The man ran out of air, and he was so overweighted he struggled to get to the surface. The woman with the rental regulator tried to help him by buddy breathing. They both drowned.

 

[ColinT3]

Did you try your second regulator? It happened to me a couple of times that the exhauist valve was bent, sealing imperfectly, causing the reg to "breath wet".
Switching to the alternate one fixed the problem, allowing me to continue the dive..
You have two regs exactly for cases like this one.

This...
I've had the exhaust diaphragm curl over on an Aqualung before and give a wet breathing experience. Did the same, onto secondary, then got my pinky finger down the exhaust valve on the primary to sort it out once we were back out of the water.

 

[The Chairman]

So, so many wet breathing regs are caused by a folded purge valve or something caught in it. Often a quick swishing back and forth will allow it to reseat. I've even had to unscrew the diaphragm cap to reach down to clean duckweed out of mine.

 

[johndiver999]

This is one of the most basic and easily solvable potential problems a scuba diver could have.

While I find the advice of underwater disassembly, troubleshooting and resolution somewhat aspirational for a new diver, (especially one who doesn't think to go to the octopus) and instead shoots for the surface in a self-described, panic response; I am surprised that nobody offered the option of an instant (temporary) resolution which can normally be attained by simply pressing the purge button. This is far more comfortable than continuing to suck on a leaky regulator. In my opinion, that is a very important thing to learn.

Also, the OP seems to be looking for a resolution that will prevent this from ever happening again. Instead, it might be beneficial to understand that it will probably happen again sometime and that the response should be practiced with enough frequency to ensure that the problem will no longer be likely to instill panic.

 

[The Chairman]

I am surprised that nobody offered the option of an instant (temporary) resolution which can normally be attained by simply pressing the purge button.

The swish method is usually more effective in my experience.

New divers are overwhelmed, especially on their first dives. Giving them options that are beyond their current experience level serves to give them inspiration and even confidence that these problems are more than surmountable.