Question about saliva build up

[Skittl1321]

Okay this is kind of a dumb question... I have an excess amount of spit build up in my mouth when I'm diving, thick mucus-y spit. (Gross, sorry). In general, my dives have been short, and it isn't the kind that goes down with a normal swallow, so I've mostly just held it in my mouth until the dive was over... Yesterday when we did normal dives, I tried to swallow, and it didn't seem to work. I tried spitting into my regulator, but that also didn't really seem to help...but I wasn't pushing the spit into it really hard, so maybe I just didn't do enough...

However, I feel like spitting into my regulator and letting the exhale purge it is the right thing to do... If I forcefully spit into my regulator, should the regulator clear it? Is this the best way to get rid of excess saliva build up if I can't swallow it?

(Rhetorical: And how can I have so much spit in my mouth and STILL get dry mouth? I have a throat ache today from an hour diving yesterday, which just seems ridiculous.)

 

[jwelburn]

I would say pull the reg, swish a mouthful of water, spit, replace reg, purge. I personally get a jaw cramp every once in a while, so I'll do something similar but I work my jaw around for 30 seconds or so to relax it. You're going to get water in your mouth at some point anyway, so a little more won't hurt.

 

[Bratface]

Ugh, gag.. I agree, remove your reg, spit, wipe your mouth and put your reg back in. I, on the other hand, seem to have problems with my nose. Sometimes it gets so bubbly inside my mask, I've got to take it off and clear it out. I then blow (yeah, gross but easy to do) and put the mask back on. It's all part of the sport. Either you're a snotter or a spitter.

 

[Skittl1321]

So I have to take the reg out to spit? Ehhh, I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet, guess I'll just deal with the puddle of spit.

I am still practicing my reg drills, but I like the air in my mouth...

 

[Jim-SAR]

You can spit through your reg without worries. Just give a hard exhale to clear it out afterwards.

FYI: You can also throw up through your reg if needed. Sometimes diving in a surge area on a reef can lead to seasickness. The benefit though is that lots of reef fish will come to see you afterwards. LOL


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[jwelburn]

In response to you're not feeling comfortable taking the reg out of your mouth, I can certainly understand your hesitancy. However... for the very reason that it makes you uncomfortable, if nothing else, I would suggest that you do it. One reason that you had to do a no-mask swim in your open water class it to show you that you can do just fine without it in the event that something happens and it floods or comes off. Regulators get kicked or knocked out of people's mouths with some regularity. Having it ingrained that this is not truly an emergency, but a temporary inconvenience keeps panic at bay and turns an otherwise traumatic experience into a non-event. And lucky you, with your salivary needs, get to practice often .

 

[toddthecat]

FYI: You can also throw up through your reg if needed. Sometimes diving in a surge area on a reef can lead to seasickness. The benefit though is that lots of reef fish will come to see you afterwards. LOL

This is true. Just remember to hold on to the reg. Hard. And when you've thrown up, resist that force to make a huge forceful inhalation until you can hit the purge button to clear everything out. Just sayin...