Emergency Procedures: Separated Mouthpiece

By John Bentley

With all the redundancy and integrated safety features in dive equipment it is surprising to think that our second stage regulator delivers gas through a silicone mouthpiece that’s attached, in most cases, with a simple cable tie. The separation of this mouthpiece can be a scary and dangerous experience but is prevented and managed easily.

1. Prevention is Key.

Whether using a zip tie or a clasp system (as both can fail) a pre-dive check should involve checking the securement device as well as the mouthpiece itself. The mouthpiece should be secured to the 2^nd stage body and be free of holes and tears.

2. Reaction

If the mouthpiece becomes separated, or a hole develops, water will enter the airway. Whenever water enters a diver’s airway the immediate action should be to switch to a different regulator. A diver should not continue to use a wet breathing regulator because of the later implications of a snowball effect incident. With sufficient air supply your own alternate, sometimes called octopus, is the first choice. While you can use a regulator without a mouthpiece it isn’t nearly as comfortable and the regulator recovery process is just as time consuming as deploying the alternate.

3. Follow-up

As with any gear failure, no matter the severity, the dive should immediately be aborted.