Coroners report:throwing up while scuba diving

[brnt999]

Scuba diver Stephen Salisbury's underwater death 'was an accident' | Essex Chronicle

I read this a few weeks ago and it has stuck with me. What's the best way to deal with getting sick while scuba diving?

 

[Wookie]

I threw up in my regulator my first hundred dives. Keep breathing, never hold your breath (except when you take the regulator out of your mouth, purge and rinse it out).

 

[dreamdive]

oh wow, how terrible!

So far, I never had to deal with it and I hope I never have to.

For us CCR divers, the recommendation is not to throw up in your loop but to switch to bail-out, do what Wookie recommends and once it's over, go back on the loop.

 

[Wingy]

As Wookie said..the key is not to hold your breath or try and stop vomiting. I am a chronic migraine sufferer and usually get time to abort a dive but have had one hit violently when I was in thailand at about 25m...I just had to spew through reg, purge, (hold breath while reg is out of mouth obviously), swap to octo, vomit, purge, swap back to primary, vomit, purge. Not nice and I hope not to ever have it happen again but keeping calm and keeping breathing is the only option.

 

[chavala]

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.

 

[tursiops]

Yeah, I spent most of a dive (until I got empty) on Pickles Reef heaving, and then dry-heaving. Got to keep the reg in your mouth, and between bouts try and purge/rinse/shake it out. Probably a good idea to use your alternate for the actual events, save your primary for the good moments. I was in shallow water (that was the problem, lots of surge), so knew I had the surface nearby if needed. If I'd been deeper, I would have come up near the surface. I never felt in danger, but surely felt uncomfortable. i was trying to get some underwater surveying done, otherwise I might not have continued.

 

[Akimbo]

This post discusses barfing underwater and the possibility of blocking your airway:
Diving and Seamanship - Sea Sickness

 

[ddmattos]

I was told as a new diver that if you choke on some water, cough through you reg. If you get sick, throw up though your reg. So basically hold that reg in you mouth and do what you need to do while be mindful of you depth. Purge as needed.

 

[decompression]

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]


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[vincent54]

And that's why you don't borrow someones regulator.