Sea sick on an RB or double-hose rig?

[O2BBubbleFree]

Hi all,

Fortunatly I have only been sea-sick once on OC, and did the standard chum-through-the-reg exercise. Actually, I was floating on the surface, face-down, so could of easily brought my head out of the water, but I wanted to use the opportunity to test the 'procedure'.

Anyway, I'm curious what RB divers or other double-hose divers would do, should you become sea-sick while at depth. I suppose you could switch to OC bailout if you have it and have enough warning, but are their other options?

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Well you sure don't want to hurl in the loop. That would kinda be bad. I would say that switching to OC would be best; of course that brings up the topic of if it's a no-warning hurl. I suppose you could take the loop mouthpiece out of your mouth and puke with no reg in, but then you have to be wary of gasping water in.

Hmm. Good question. Maybe some of the experienced RB divers will have some input....

 

[Tom Winters]

A long time ago, I dived with a guy who served on submarines and got chronically seasick. He is the ONLY person I have ever seen ralphing at 50', and I still remember being amazed at the sight of the mushrooming cloud slowly encircling him. This was AFTER he had already barfed a couple of times on the way out to the dive site, so I was a little curious as to what could be left inside of him.
Plus on the ride back in, he more or less retched continuously the whole way in and collapsed on the beach after we landed our inflatable.
The amazing thing was that he was back out there the following week as well.
Man, oh man - that was the last guy I'd want to see on a rebreather. It would be a rebarfer in short order.

 

[RebreatherDave]

no warning hurl

?

So, there IS different levels of up-chuckage:

1. The chunky hurl
2. The projectile hurl
3. The two-toner hurl
4. The multi-viscosity hurl
5. The too many margarita hurl
6. The McDonalds hurl, aka, the combination hurl/diarrheal jettage

And for the chronically lactose intolerant:

7. I knew I shouldn't have had so much mothers milk straight from the source-hurl

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Lovely. But you forgot one. The Scubaboard Special Hurl! :sick:

There's a nice animated version around here somewhere but I can't find it...

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

A long time ago, I dived with a guy who served on submarines and got chronically seasick.

I know what you mean. I used to work with a guy who regularly chummed while diving.

It would be a rebarfer in short order.

Ick.

Common, SB, with all the RB and vintage divers out there, surely this has 'come up.' What did you do? Or, for those of you who don't want to confess, what did your 'buddy' do?

 

[divemonster]

Follow training! If you had a good instructor you should know the answer. If you didn't ,here it is... go to bailout... Easy.... done. This is a simple solution for a difficult problem but the best and probably the only solution for most. Think it thru now before it happens underwater.

 

[Pawel]

Anyway, I'm curious what RB divers or other double-hose divers would do, should you become sea-sick while at depth. I suppose you could switch to OC bailout if you have it and have enough warning, but are their other options?

When I was doing my LAR V course some five years ago I asked exactly the same question to the trainer. The answer was something like this:

1. If you have a warning, switch over to OC
2. If it happens quickly, try to take a breath in beforehand while closing the mouthpiece. Either take the closed mouthpiece out from your mouth or hurl through the mouthpiece in closed position into water. While you are hurling into water (and exhale), press the dil bypass if you do not have ADV to refill the loop. After the hurl try to take a breath from the loop or grab OC. Essentially try to synchronise the exhaling with hurling while inhaling from the loop (or OC) during the breaks. If you think this could be a problem you should practice the procedure (without hurling, of course) beforehand. And, have OC handy at all times.

BTW, To some extent you can hold breath on rebreather longer than you can on OC because you use very rich mix and you do not gasp for breath as quickly.

Happy diving anyway ;-)

Cheers,

Pawel

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Follow training! If you had a good instructor you should know the answer. If you didn't ,here it is... go to bailout... Easy.... done. This is a simple solution for a difficult problem but the best and probably the only solution for most. Think it thru now before it happens underwater.

Thanks...


RTFQ

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

When I was doing my LAR V course some five years ago I asked exactly the same question to the trainer. The answer was something like this:

1. If you have a warning, switch over to OC
2. If it happens quickly, try to take a breath in beforehand while closing the mouthpiece. Either take the closed mouthpiece out from your mouth or hurl through the mouthpiece in closed position into water. While you are hurling into water (and exhale), press the dil bypass if you do not have ADV to refill the loop. After the hurl try to take a breath from the loop or grab OC. Essentially try to synchronise the exhaling with hurling while inhaling from the loop (or OC) during the breaks. If you think this could be a problem you should practice the procedure (without hurling, of course) beforehand. And, have OC handy at all times.

BTW, To some extent you can hold breath on rebreather longer than you can on OC because you use very rich mix and you do not gasp for breath as quickly.

Happy diving anyway ;-)

Cheers,

Pawel

Thanks, Pawel! Great info.

BTW, when you say, "hurl through the mouthpiece in closed position into water" I guess that would require a mouthpiece with integrated OC reg? I think I can see a second stage just underwater in your avitar pic.

I guess if you have a DSV without second stage OC the only option is going OC as quickly as possible.