Comfybite and DIR?

[Doc Intrepid]

The palate strap on the Comfobites could hinder or prevent getting a seal on an unconscious/distressed diver. The Scubapro mouthpieces, which I find similar in comfort, do not have that feature, so you would be able to pry apart the flaps and press the reg direct onto the victim's mouth.

Same situation if bringing up a diver in convulsions from Ox-Tox...

 

[mweitz]

Thanks guys. I knew it had to do with Ox Tox and convulsing divers, just couldn't remember exactly the reason why. Is it because they are biting down?

Mark

 

[Jason B]

Please explain how the comfo prevents you from getting a seal? This I got to hear.

Jason

 

[jonnythan]

Please explain how the comfo prevents you from getting a seal? This I got to hear.

Jason

Take a comfobite mouthpiece and a standard mouthpiece.

Close your mouth and clench your teeth. Now press both mouthpieces up against your lips.

Which one seals well enough to get air in? Which one doesn't?

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Please explain how the comfo prevents you from getting a seal? This I got to hear.

Jason,

I'm not an authority on the subject, I've never rescued a toxing diver, and I'm not a physician (nor do I play one on TV). But the information presented indicated that convulsions resulting from oxygen toxicity are not continuous. They are periodic, and can last from 1-3 minutes. During the convulsions you want to arrest ascent so expanding gas doesn't cause various barotraumas. As the convulsions subside, you can resume ascent. It is possible that the stricken diver may gasp or inhale during the process (when not convulsing). So, you want to hold the regulator against their mouth (flaps spread wide) with your right hand (running your right arm beneath theirs from a position behind them) while you control bouyancy with your left. You can see where non-standard mouthpieces may take a bad situation and make it worse.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Jason,

I'm not an authority on the subject, I've never rescued a toxing diver, and I'm not a physician (nor do I play one on TV). But the information presented indicated that convulsions resulting from oxygen toxicity are not continuous. They are periodic, and can last from 1-3 minutes. During the convulsions you want to arrest ascent so expanding gas doesn't cause various barotraumas. As the convulsions subside, you can resume ascent. It is possible that the stricken diver may gasp or inhale during the process (when not convulsing). So, you want to hold the regulator against their mouth (flaps spread wide) with your right hand (running your right arm beneath theirs from a position behind them) while you control bouyancy with your left. You can see where non-standard mouthpieces may take a bad situation and make it worse.

That makes a lot of sense to me ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[akscubainst]

OK,

Here's one:

Would you rather I handed you a seacure mouthpiece or a regular mouthpiece with the bite tabs chewed off? I've had the same Seacure for about 4 years but I average about 6 dives on a regular mouthpiece before it's destroyed. I get bored and chew them subconsciously (I guess).

Anyway, I haven't seen it written anywhere one way of the other as to the DIRness of a custom mouthpiece. If I had to guess, I would imagine that the general concensious would be not just because it's "a convolution".

Dave

 

[StSomewhere]

The thing about the comfo-bite mouthpiece is that it stays put without any real effort. I would think an unconscious diver would benefit from a mouthpiece that doesn't have a tendency to fall out if you don't bite down on it. :06:

 

[detroit diver]

The thing about the comfo-bite mouthpiece is that it stays put without any real effort. I would think an unconscious diver would benefit from a mouthpiece that doesn't have a tendency to fall out if you don't bite down on it. :06:

If his/her teeth are clenched during a tox incident, it won't matter HOW comfortable the mouthpiece is to them. They need a constant flow of air until the seizures subside, and the best way to provide that is to spread the mouthpiece over their clenched teeth/mouth. Once they relax, they can take the mouthpiece "normally".

 

[Scuba_Steve]

The Comfo-Bite mouthpieces are a different situation. They do not extend back to where they'd create a gag reflex. And they are not customized to a specific bite. Therefore they won't present the problems during an OOA exchange that you'd get with the SeaCure. The "flap" you refer to simply helps hold the mouthpiece in without the need to chomp down on it. I use them on all of my regs, and went through DIR-F with them on my reg. Neither my DIR-F instructor, nor anyone I know associated with GUE seems to think they're a problem. Nor have they ever presented a problem with OOA exchanges, which I practice regularly with an assortment of divers.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Well Bob, now you do.

www.ontariodiving.com/showthread.php?t=886&page=2&pp=10

Post # 15 IIRC

It was a real sweat thread as a whole, of how dumb $hit can get with this stuff. Simply rediculous IMO.


I think we can say WELL OVERANALYZED now.

One of the very few points of contention I have found however within GUE community.