Chumming the water

[farsidefan1]

ALWAYS KEEP THE REG IN YOUR MOUTH. You will automatically have a gasp reflex after a hurl. Do not ever think you can control this reflex and spare the chunks in your mouthpiece. Never never never! Is that loud and clear enough? This told to me by a doctor on at a resort who was discussing seasickness with another diver. Now the guy might not have conclusive data to back this up but ... well see my tagline. Don't think I want to bet the farm on his being wrong. He was an extremely experienced and competent diver from what I observed during the week.

 

[DevonDiver]

Here is what I learned. If getting towed by a wave runner, put your regulator in and keep your mouth shut. Swallowing even a little bit of sea water can totally ruin your day!

Yep, regulator or snorkel in the mouth for any sort of rough conditions (including being towed).

The bigger danger (than swallowing water) is inhaling it. Even a small amount of inhaled spray can lead to life-threatening medical complications.

It is called Salt Water Aspiration Syndrome (SWAS).

A “salt water aspiration syndrome” has been described in scuba divers. It is characterised by early cough, a latent period of one to 15 hours, followed by a productive cough, retrosternal chest pain, dyspnoea, shivering, nausea, vomiting and constitutional symptoms such as malaise and fever. It could be a mild form of near drowning, a reaction to the inhalation of irritants or micro-organisms, or due to occult nebulisation of salt water. SPUMS

References:

SALTWATER ASPIRATION SYNDROME

SPUMS (PDF Medical Article)

I also realize that by using my own octopus I was in rendering it unavailable for my buddy, not a good move. I should have shared air with my buddy while I cleaned out my regulator.

There is no harm in utilizing your AAS for personal emergencies. Any malfunction or inability to use your primary regulator could count as a diving emergency. This is especially true for limited time periods (such as to clear vomit out of your reg) or whilst attempting to recover your reg.

There would be a good arguement that providing a 'self-rescue' or 'self-sufficiency' by using your own AAS, will provide less stress for your buddy, less overall complication and less chance of a small incident spiralling into a major one.

If your primary reg is not functional, then you only have your AAS...so if your buddy became OOA, then your only option is to buddy-breath. That would be the same whether you were, at that point, using your own AAS or breathing from your buddies' AAS. I hope that makes sense?

 

[DiverRider]

I had an incident off the coast of Key Largo while diving the Spiegel Grove. While making our way to the descent line I used my snokel to to conserve air. That was a big mistake, I took on a mouth full of water and didn't take the time to notify my buddy that this occurred. I know all to well even a little bit of seawater will make me sick. At first I was okay but approximately 45 feet down I left breakfast fly, yes through my reg as I was taught. I had my octo in hand just in case. This happened several times and nothing got stuck in the reg. All was well after this till I got back to the boat and had my equipment off, then I got rid of the rest.

The training provided to me kicked in, it was automatic what I was to do. When in a stiuation like that there is no time to go grab your buddy and decide what to do. It is self rescue in my eye and handling it the way you did was in my opinion, the correct thing to do.

The fish ate good that day!!!

 

[carrielsal]

Many years ago I was on a boat in Lake Michigan for a wreck dive. The waves were rough and I was feeling queasy. I was descending when I started to hurl. I left my reg in my mouth, and it wasn't a problem. I just cleaned it really well when I got back in the boat.
Carrie

 

[Seaduced]

This was by no means an emergency situation, but I would like to know if anyone else has had a sudden onset of nausea at depth and how they handled it.

You did a good job calmly handling the situation. It's kind of hard to coordinate two people underwater in an unusual situation like that, because you can't talk about it. You taking care of the problem, with your buddy there to back you up is a simple and safe solution.

After a 45 minute boat ride in rough water that left me a little queasy. I decided to go ahead with the dive. At about 15 fsw, I knew I was going to 'up chuck.' :yuck: I grabbed my reg to ensure I didn't spit it out and neutralized my buoyancy. After my stomach settled, I swished a little seawater around in my mouth (not sure which tasted better at that point), switched to my safety second, then swished the primary around until it looked clear. I took a deep breath from the second, switched back to the primary and blew a long slow breath through it to clear any 'debris.' The next few breaths were cautious, in case anything was still lodged in the reg.

Even though I told my buddy I might get sick, he was wide-eyed during the whole process. My OW cert instructor told us always keep your reg in when coughing, sneezing, hiccuping or... up-chucking, because you might involuntarily inhale.