Regulator clearance is the next logical step after regulator recovery. Once you recover the regulator and place it in your mouth, it is extremely important to clear the regulator to drain out water. This will ensure that you do not inhale the water into your lungs. There are two ways to clear your regulator, one is the blast clear method and the other is the purge clear method. This article explains how to clear the regulator using both the methods.
Blast Clear
Once you recover the regulator, gently place it in your mouth. Blow a puff of air into the regulator, which will clear the water through the regulator’s exhaust valves. Regulator recovery only takes a few seconds, leaving you with enough air to blow into the regulator for clearing it. You can then slowly inhale to ensure that there is no water remaining and continue to breathe normally thereafter.
Purge Clear
Once you recover the regulator, gently place it in your mouth. The regulator has a purge button in the front of the mouth piece. Roll your tongue back and push it against the mouthpiece to create and barrier and press the purge button. The purge button with blast air into the regulator to clear the water from the exhaust valves. This method can be used if you do not have enough air in your lungs to blow into the regulator. Inhale slowly to ensure there is no water remaining in the regulator, after which you can resume normal breathing.
Here’s a beginner’s tip: New divers often ask what is to be done in case they want to cough or vomit underwater in case of nausea. You can do both through the regulator! You can cough and vomit into the regulator and the exhaust valves will drain it into the ocean. You can clear your regulator once after vomiting to ensure that there is nothing blocked in the regulator.
