To Puke in a Regulator or not to puke in a regulator....That is the question

[RDRINK25]

When did you dive? We were in the keys for thxgiving and the water was 7-8 ft swells. This must be a rough time of the year?

 

[Akimbo]

... When I make this signal, my buddy swims over and promptly offers me a regulator to puke through. Do the deed, and politely rinse the regulator before returning it.

I like the idea of blowing chunks through somebody else’s regulator.

 

[Atom]

I've been sick pretty many times underwater, mostly from vertigo on ascent and it is not fun and is dangerous. If you chewed your food well, the material should not clog the exhaust valve and cause the reg to malfunction.

Can't emphasize this enough! Chew your food well before you go diving!

Also if you elect to puke through the regulator hold on to it hard, the flow can eject it from your mouth.

I'm unfortunately prone to sea sickness, enough that I can now puke underwater in trim while maintaining buoyancy

 

[SeaHorse81]

Yet another kind of funny, yet entirely useful, discussion on SB. Having weighed the pros and cons herein, I think I'll go with keeping a firm grip on the regulator in mouth if the need ever arises -- or if anything else ever arises. And I'll remain highly aware of my octo in case the primary gets clogged.

 

[BradyMcd]

Take primary reg out, puke through your octopus.

Take your primary reg out, puke through your buddies octopus, unless he dives a long hose.

 

[Nitro91]

id like to see a video of someone puking in their reg, would be a funny sight im sure.

 

[The Chairman]

Sorry I missed you Tracy! Yeah, the seas have kept me on land for the last month or so! It's supposed to be clearing up through the weekend (hope, hope, hope) and I hope to launch my boat on calmer seas! BTW, that's not my shop! I dive out of it a lot since mselenaous works there (Key Largo Dive Center) so I can understand the confusion.

Timing is everything if you're going to follow Tracy's method. The reaction is to try and breathe right after you puke, which is contraindicated when the reg is not in your mouth. SUPPRESS the breathe reflex after you puke and everything will be all right. There is a thread somewhere on here about me diving contaminated air. I just thought it was the flu and since there were a ridiculous number of jellies everywhere, I swam back to the boat on the bottom (only 20 ft deep). Breathe, puke, repeat. It was horrible to actually dry heave under water! To be sure, I used the technique Tracy described. Once on the boat, I felt TONS better.

For anyone passing through, feel free to let me know! Perhaps we can meet for drinks?

 

[Rescue Diver68]

Just make sure you don't eat celery before diving. A reg won't like it if you must be sick.

Tomato's have also been a problem.

BTW, I puke through my regulator.

 

[American Dive Center]

Just chew your food well on dive day. Just a precautionary measure.

 

[SolarStorm]

So I just got a full face mask and this thread got me thinking. This lend a whole new meaning to clearing the mask...

So I guess the ONLY option with the full face would be to remove the mask. I am going to get some instruction later this month and will definitely ask the question.