A DAN Case Study on Regulator Clearing

A DAN member recounts his expertise of vomiting underwater and highlights the significance of regulator clearing.

When Things Go Wrong at Depth

Getting to the wreck of the Caribsea can take as much as an hour and a half. While travelling to the dive web site, I regrettably ate a prepackaged lunch I had bought the night time earlier than.

After arriving on web site and receiving the dive briefing, my buddy and I reviewed our dive plan whereas suiting up. We entered the water and noticed the silhouette of the wreck within the distance on the finish of the anchor line. A large number of sand tiger sharks and varied different marine life engulfed it in a whirlwind of exercise. We had been each nervous and excited in regards to the staggering variety of sharks, however we carried out our plan of filming the sharks and looking for shark enamel.

Vomiting Underwater: Yes, It Happens

Roughly ten minutes into the dive and at a depth of 27m, I used to be instantly overcome by an intensely upset abdomen, and my mouth started to water as if I wanted to vomit. My dive buddy was inside arm’s attain, and I shortly acquired his consideration to sign that one thing was incorrect and that I wanted him to stay shut. He signalled that he understood and stayed close by, getting ready to help with sharing air or every other assist wanted. I then involuntarily regurgitated the predive snack, expelling my lunch into the water round us by means of the first regulator, which was nonetheless in my mouth. Fish instantly swarmed us to eat the freshly deposited meals particles now suspended within the water column.

The flurry of exercise round us was overwhelming and added to the apprehension quickly constructing in my thoughts. The temporary reduction I felt from throwing up was shortly changed by the rapid must breathe in once more. I additionally wasn’t certain if I used to be going to throw up greater than as soon as in speedy succession.

Why Keeping Your Regulator In Matters

With my main regulator fouled, I resisted the urge to right away swap to my secondary regulator. I knew if I eliminated my main and involuntarily threw up once more in the course of the transition, I might don’t have anything however seawater to suck in between episodes. I used to be additionally involved {that a} second bout of vomiting would foul the secondary regulator, and I might not have a clear regulator obtainable to breathe by means of. Conscious of the potential hazard of inhaling vomit or seawater, I pressured myself to stay calm and fought to disregard the demand from my physique to take an enormous breath.

Regulator Clearing Under Stress

I used to be capable of gently breathe across the chunks of particles that had crammed the housing of my main regulator, and with my first exhalation I displaced many of the particles trapped within the housing. When I felt assured that every one involuntary reflexes had subsided, I switched to my secondary regulator. I carried out the regulator-clearing talent on my main a number of occasions to make sure there was no extra trapped particles, that it wasn’t free-flowing, and that I might breathe by means of it with out concern. When I used to be prepared, we proceeded to the ascent line earlier than heading to the floor.

Vomiting may cause involuntary inhalation and could be a singular occasion or have a number of subsequent occurrences in fast succession. Keeping your main regulator in your mouth after vomiting at depth prevents you from unintentionally inhaling water, which can occur whereas transitioning to a different regulator. Wait for the vomiting to be utterly over earlier than taking motion, and swap to your secondary regulator solely in spite of everything involuntary reflexes have subsided. My buddy remained close by and was able to share air if I had didn’t clear my main regulator or had fouled my secondary regulator.

Practice Panic Control and Breathing Discipline

Staying targeted on the issue and remaining calm on this sudden scenario allowed me to breathe slowly and intentionally, minimising my threat of inhaling vomit or water. My instructors’ classes on controlling panic and discovering options to issues at depth helped maintain me calm.

Relying on elementary dive expertise comparable to regulator clearing and managing a free-flowing second stage proved essential for my security. Regulator clearing is a necessary talent that every one divers ought to follow. Sadly, a number of revealed instances of dive fatalities describe a diver failing to clear a flooded regulator after which aspirating water, triggering panic and inflicting a flight to the floor. Take time to deal with the fundamentals of diving.

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