Breathe From A Regulator
The very first skill you will learn in any scuba diving course is how to breathe from a regulator. Don’t worry this is an easy skill to master, and there are a few simple steps you can remember when you are learning to breathe from a regulator.
If you are nervous at first, practice these steps out of the water first, and then move to into a shallow pool or confined water. And always keep in mind the most important rule of scuba diving, never hold your breath.
Find out which way is the right side up
To breathe from the regulator place the rubber mouthpiece between your teeth making a seal around the mouthpiece with your lips. You want to find the ‘top’ and the ‘bottom’ of your regulator. The bottom is where the exhausted valve come out to the side. You can also check the logo on the front of your regulator to see which way is up. If your regulator is upside-down water cannot escape from the exhaust valve, and you could get water inside the regulator when you breathe.
Taking your first breath above water
While you are standing with your head outside of the water, take your first breath. You want to make sure there is no water in the regulator at this point. Breathing from your regulator should be easy. When you inhale, breathing from your regulator should feel smooth, and you shouldn’t have to inhale forcefully to get the air to flow.
Put your face in the water and breath at the surface
Once you feel comfortable breathing with your head above water, lean forward and place your head in the water like you were snorkeling but with your regulator in your mouth. Practice taking a few more breaths at the surface with your face in the water.
Fully submerge your head underwater breathing normally
Now that you’ve taken your first breaths in water it is time to go under. When you are ready, and your instructor has told the group to go down, keep breathing, deflate your BCD and kneel on the bottom of a pool or shallow confined water. Take caution on your first inhale making sure there is no water in the regulator.
Congratulation! You are now breathing underwater. Once you are comfortable breathing underwater, you will learn how to remove and replace your regulator underwater as well as recovering your regulator underwater.
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