Reg breathing on surface

[phlyfisher]

Just got certified last month. (Did the first part of the course at home and the OW dives in Cancun). The most frightening thing for me was waiting for the boat after each of the 4 dives. The water was quite rough so the dive master told me to keep the regulator in my mouth. I felt like I couldn't breathe while trying to keep my head out of the water and breathe through the regulator. (The gauge was at 500 psi when we headed for the surface.) For the subsequent 3 OW dives I floated on the surface, next to the divemaster, with my face in the water and felt much better. Is this common? Do different regulators make a difference?

 

[raxafarian]

I would guess that you were just a little anxious. Your reg won't breath worse on the surface... it will breath the same, or better.

Just kick back on your back and relax.

 

[Big Bubbles]

Fill up your BC and float on your back if the water is rough use a snorkel that does not allow water in the top. With more dives you well get used to this problem.

 

[Arnaud]

phlyfisher, I experienced the same near-panic feeling when I started diving. In my case (and maybe yours, you'll have to tell us), it was a combination of choppy water, agoraphobia, overweighting and a jacket-style BC too tight on my chest when fully inflated.

As you did, I first tried to breathe with my reg at the surface, keeping my head uw. It worked, somewhat. But I knew the problem was still there.

The day I removed 3 or 4# off my waist was the first time I really felt comfortable at the surface (never had any problem uw). It allowed me to inflate my BC less to achieve positive buoyancy, without crushing my chest. Later, I changed to a different BC and it definitely took care of the problem.

Now, I'll only use my reg if the water is really rough, though most of the time, a snorkel will do. If the ocean is calm, I just breathe through my mouth without any apparatus.

The more you dive, the better you'll feel in the water. The rest is a matter of adjusting your gear to your own needs.

 

[DeputyDan]

I have a routine when waiting on the surface at the beginning of a dive. Here is why.

During the Classes, we decended and I had no air!! What's up, I checked everything like a good student. NO AIR.....

It seems that there is an adjustment knob on the reg. that was turned way down. I didn't know it was there.

From then on, I always have reg. in mouth in water and make sure all is A-OK pre decending. Then I do the back thing as referred to above.

Develop good habits - you will do good things....

 

[scubaredneck]

I'd have to agree with most of what folks have said so far. It's mainly just a matter of learning to relax more. This comes with experience as you get more dives under your weight-belt and get more comfortable in the water and with the gear.

 

[PaulB]

When I did my first boat dive, I had a hard time breathing through my reg on the surface as well. I just learned to calm down and breath normally. Like others have said...it helps to just kick back and float.

 

[Doppler]

phlyfisher once bubbled...
Just got certified last month. (Did the first part of the course at home and the OW dives in Cancun). The most frightening thing for me was waiting for the boat after each of the 4 dives. The water was quite rough so the dive master told me to keep the regulator in my mouth. I felt like I couldn't breathe while trying to keep my head out of the water and breathe through the regulator. (The gauge was at 500 psi when we headed for the surface.) For the subsequent 3 OW dives I floated on the surface, next to the divemaster, with my face in the water and felt much better. Is this common? Do different regulators make a difference?

Hey there: you'll find that experience will help... try to relax and enjoy the waves... people pay good money to go to a wave pool after all.

However, it's likely that a contributing factors were a combination of too much lead (and therefore lots of air in your BC restricting your breathing) and unbalanced first stages -- which draw harder as the feed pressure drops. By the way, many SPG's are alarmingly inaccurate when tank pressure drops below 500 psi.

Another thing... From what you wrote -- about better draw with face-in -- the cracking pressure on your reg's first stages may have been set a little high. This is often done in an attempt to manage the risk of overbreathing in rental regs.

Main thing is that breathing the reg on the surface is the way to do it especially in rough seas.

Good luck with your future dives matey... and welcome to a truly wonderful world.

DD =-)

 

[pcscuba]

I agree with just about everybody here. It just takes some getting used to and just being more comfortable in the water. The more you do it the easier it will get.

 

[Amanda]

I agree it IS a bit strange to be breathing on a reg while you are in surface. What I do is:

-If I have to SWIM (to the shore, the boat, the DM, anything at all), then I keep the reg in the air (I'm swimming on my back, it's much easier with all the gear on)

-If I DON'T have to swim (i. e. I'm just waiting fot the boat) I just put my head in the water and find it much more cool

Of course, NEVER let your reg go out of your mouth...


But I agree that it's not a nice sensation to be breathing from a reg while on the surface...