38 replies to this topic

[Laura]

Hi all,
:anna2:
Forgive me for being gross, but I've gotta ask this - has anyone ever thrown up while underwater? I've heard that if you have to get sick underwater, you should just throw up in your regulator, keeping it in your mouth as not to inhale water and start choking. Not only does this sound really nasty, but I've always feared that I would inhale what I just expelled and choke on that! Or else clog the regulator and not be able to get air. (but I guess that's what octopus regs and pony bottles are for, eh?)

Luckily, I've only been seasick once, but it was a doozy. During the dive, we got caught in some heavy surge, and I thought for sure I was going to get sick underwater. The thought terrified me! I managed to hold off til we got back on board, then I was sick as a dog the rest of the day.

So, has anyone done it? any thoughts and/or advise?

Laura

[chinacat46]

While never having the pleasure myself I was on a liveaboard(Taka II) in Australia when a girl who was seasick went diving. She thought she would be okay in the water. Well it didn't work and she threw up in her reg. She switched to her backup ascended and promptly went to bed. Her boyfriend got the pleasure of washing out her reg. Feel sorry for the guy who had to service it. Never saw her again till we got to port. She didn't even come out for meals.

Edited by chinacat46, 17 June 2004 - 03:10 PM.

[Bubble2Bubble]

Laura
It hasnt happened to me but I heard you can throw-up thru your reg I believe that was taught in my diving class. I can hear the instructor still in my head saying NEVER TAKE THE REG OUT OF YOUR MOUTH NEVER! NEVER!

B2B

Edited by Bubble2Bubble, 17 June 2004 - 03:33 PM.

[sea nmf]

My dive instructor told me one of his students threw up with the reg in her mouth - repeatedly. He was diving with her at the time. She was fine. No word on the yuckyness of later.

[nextariel]

Laura,

Yes, you can throw up in your regulator. You may also want to purge before your next breathe. Be sure to clean it throughly afterward. Don't want stuff growing in it. You can also throw up while taking the reg out of your mouth. I've learned not to eat bacon and sausage for breakfast anymore.

[rhondajc18]

Laura,
Yes, I've puked underwater. It was on the second dive of my life at about 40 feet. Not the most fun I've ever had but somehow, I had the presence of mind to hit the purge button and then just be still and concentrate on breathing. Came up with the WORST case of cottonmouth imaginable but, by God, I finished that dive, 45 minutes later.
Just keep the reg in your mouth, hit the purge button and you'll be fine.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone but hey, sometimes, stuff happens, ya know?

Rhonda

[CuriousMe]

Hmmmm....I think if I felt that I might get sick ( you can generally tell it's coming soon).....I might switch to my octo before hand.....then switch back to my primary once my stomach was happy again.

But that's just a guess....never had to prove the theory.

Peace,
Cathie

[kevininpo]

l've only yaked once, after my ascent...as soon as my head was out of the water

[RICHinNC]

Cathie....
Great idea actually....... From my limited experience....its the size (sorry) of the chunks that could cause the problem. So, the idea of switching to your octo is not a bad one.....unless maybe you have an airsource or some other kind of integrated octo. Then I think I would blow into my primary.
rich

[glendivesalot]

Several years ago, I was on a dive trip to Cozumel. I had been pestering the dive masters on the boat to take my daughter and me to Devil's Throat, which I had never dove before. Devil's Throat is a dive that you enter a dark tight tunnel at about 85' and wind around and down and a few minutes later, you exit into the prettiest blue opening at about 125'. The dive masters agreed that we would dive this on our last day of the trip as this would be a highlight. The night before I was to dive Devil's Throat, Montezuma's revenge took hold and I was sicker than a dying dog. But there was no way I was going to miss that dive. So I went. I'm in the middle of Devil's Throat and all of a sudden, I had to throw up. I'm over 100' at the time. But I just grabbed hold of the regulator and kept it in my mouth. Vomit came out of the exhaust tubes of the second stage. Fish went crazy eating it. Kind of gross but one hell of a dive. I've now done Devil's Throat several times since and I always remember throwing up in my regulator.

[Laura]

Thanks everyone!

Hopefully I will never need to use this particular skill in real life, but I feel better knowing it can be done.

Take care all,
Laura

[TheSassyRabbit]

Don't worry about vomiting in your reg. Although it definitely needs to be flushed afterward for general sanity reasons, it's built to handle events like that. I was with a group of students; one of the students got sick and took the reg. out of his mouth - inhaled a ton of water and panicked, inflated his bc and popped to the surface. Luckily he was only in 20' of water.... but elsewhere that could have been a disaster! The positive side of getting sick underwater is that you are quite attractive to the fish for the rest of the dive.

[wrinkles]

Ok

I have plenty of experience with this topic....

I throw up almost every dive I am on. Really it is no big deal. I throw up I think becuase of nerves and after I do I feel much better. It is kinda like a ritual now.

Ana

Edited by wrinkles, 19 June 2004 - 06:11 PM.

[OHDiver]

Although I have had the "gags" while underwater, I have yet to throw up... KNOCK ON WOOD...
I have heard the very same thing though, to keep your reg in your mouth if and when you do spew...
I am actually happy to have come across this disgusting yet helpful thread... I now know that it has indeed been done... And with success I might add...
Thanks for the gross question Laura and Thanks everyone else for the equally gross but helpful/useful informative answers...
Good to know for sure!

[vargy3]

Never have had to do this personally but a good friend seems to make it a regular practice. As said before the fish seem to love it. All most as much fun as sticking bread in your buddies BC pocket.