Regulator Kicked Out of Mouth by New Diver

[Rickk]

When my son was taking his advanced course in Lake of the Woods Canada he kicked my mask off. Didn't touch the reg, just hit my mask with the fin.

We had gotten too close to look into a hole, I managed to grab the mask before it floated away, replaced it cleared it and he never knew that he had hit me until after the dive. He thought he brushed the rock with his fin tip.

 

[Kimela]

It just happens occasionally, no big deal.

Exactly! In the amount of time it takes to look down to see if anyone is below you (no) and then grab a strap to tighten it, the current may take someone in the water column directly below you and bam, you're on top of them! Can't say it's their fault - can't really say it's YOUR fault. It just happens. I've had my mask kicked off, but not my reg yet. Been kicked in the head and banged with a tank. It happens.

 

[Mark IV]

........ One of my students kicked the regulator out of the mouthpiece. Since I was teaching, I was focused on the students, and I found out when I tried to inhale and sucked a mouthful of seawater. It's one thing to have the reg kicked out and you feel it. It's completely different to still have the mouthpiece in your mouth and not realize it got kicked out because you were task loaded... No issue, I just took the mouthpiece out, put it back on the second stage, and kept going, but it was a bit of a shock nonetheless

LOL, I had the same thing happen to me once (in fact, it's what I first thought this thread was about).
On a routine working dive in Cozumel about 20 or so years ago, I took in a big mouthful of water, but didn;t actually inhale it, fortunately. I exhaled to clear the reg, and the same thing happened again, maybe even twice more, I forget.
At this point I'm getting a little concerned, and when I reach up to grab my 2nd stage......there's nothing there !! Now THAT was real freaky, especially since I could still feel the damn thing in my mouth !
I finally realized what had happened, and like you, just jammed the mouthpiece back on the reg and finished the dive (hell, I might not have bothered to zip-tie it for another month,LOL!)
But after that day, I made that incident a permanent part of my Open Water classes.

 

[TMHeimer]

I'm late to the party so haven't read all posts. Will thrown in this--
--I bungee my primary in my mouth with the bungee cord around the top/back of my hood. I do this because I usually dive solo, just in case for any reason I go unconscious. But I would think it would prevent having it kicked out of my mouth as well.
--Don't forget that if you do lose your primary you always have your octo to breathe off if you can't retrieve the primary right away. I only heard this mentioned by instructors a time or two to OW classes.

 

[James79]

Yep. Certainly answered any questions I had. Up until that point, I was seriously wondering how she would handle herself in an emergency. Then I knew. At the surface, we talked about it. It was mostly a non-event to her, which was great to hear.

I am mind boggled by the resiliency of kids... During one of his checkout dives, my 10 y.o. son lost one of his baby teeth (at 30 ft.). He handed it off to the instructor, who gave it to me for safe keeping, and finished the compass work. Shortly after that, he thumbed the dive... we surface and he complains of his mouth getting full of blood from the lost tooth. So we told him he can blow it out through the reg, just like water and he smiled and gave us the thumbs down to get back to it! I swear the kid is a fish, lol.
Respectfully,
James

 

[motorref]

I had this happen to me as well, while diving on the Duane (alongside the bridge, maybe 110 ft?) knocked my mask and reg loose; guy was doing his AOW and swam right over the top of me as if I wasn't even there. Idiot didn't even realize what he had done until we got back on the boat and I fussed at him.
Lesson learned on this one - always expect the unexpected and plan for people to do the worst/stupidest thing they can - same method I used to teach my daughters to drive.

KL

I had just returned from recreational diving at Tioman Island, Malaysia about 2 weeks back. I would like to share an unexpected incident that happened during one of my boat dives.


Lessons learnt :-

1. Do not go near a new Diver or even think that they are not near to you when you see them.
2. If you see a bunch of new Divers at depth, observe them and do not focus on something else as they may suddenly end up very near you.
3. Remain calm if anything unexpected happens, as the basic equipment set up is there to support you.
4. Always dive near your buddy, if your equipment fails, your dive buddy will be there to save you.
5. Do not crowd up underwater, unexpected things can happen. If possible, do not dive at all if there are too many divers diving.
6. Distance and depth is an illusion underwater, it is hard to measure through the naked eye.

Hope that this sharing will create awareness of possible dangers that can happen unexpectedly.

en to me as well, by a guy doing his AOW - swam

 

[KLY]

I had this happen to me as well, while diving on the Duane (alongside the bridge, maybe 110 ft?) knocked my mask and reg loose; guy was doing his AOW and swam right over the top of me as if I wasn't even there. Idiot didn't even realize what he had done until we got back on the boat and I fussed at him.
Lesson learned on this one - always expect the unexpected and plan for people to do the worst/stupidest thing they can - same method I used to teach my daughters to drive.

KL


en to me as well, by a guy doing his AOW - swam

Haha... u knew exactly how I had felt. Glad u were ok, we shared the same experience. Definitely a shock the first time this happened. Hope this wont happen again, but all kinds of **** can happen.. just have to be prepared to handle them.

 

[Stoo]

In many parts of the world, new drivers have to display a sign with a big "L" (for Learner) on the back of the car. Maybe diving should consider the same....

u

 

[drakcheslav]

Here, new drivers after passing their driving exam need to have a beginner sign for 2 years.

 

[Stoo]

Here, new drivers after passing their driving exam need to have a beginner sign for 2 years.

LOL. Even better.