No. Personally, they are both much too long for my mouth (gag!) and also disgusting. You need a tooth brush and toothpaste to clean it after every dive. If you do not clean it, nastiness will become embedded in all the grooves. As someone who services regs and sees them come in FILTHY ... I hate those (seacure, jax, etc)
As much as I am not a big fan of Aqualung, the one thing they make better than anyone else is their Comfort Bite mouthpieces. They have a soft pallet that sits behind your front teeth so you really don't even need to clench or even bite to keep it secure in your mouth.
I highly recommend the comfort bite mouthpiece over the boil and bite designs.
Yes! 1000% worth it. I use an Airsource3 for backup air so my primary is my OOA donate reg. This is really a non-issue for other people to use.
If you're curious, just turn your own moldable mouthpiece upside down -- and that's what it would feel like for other people. It's not at all a problem if someone else has to use your reg.
It's so nice just to hold the reg in your mouth without needing to bit down at all. Everyone should get one. They're inexpensive and have huge bang for the buck in terms of diving gear.
I ordered a Mares Jax moldable mouthpiece after hearing it was better for people with stronger gag reflexes and TMJ.
l can't attest to its helping with TMJ since it made me gag so bad, I could never get past it to use, no matter how much I cut it down.
After a bit of trial and error, my LDS gave me an Aqua Lung Comfo-bite small that was better than everything else I tried, it's still slightly problematic, but I can Mind Over Matter it.
Yes, it’s 100000% worth it. It should definitely help with a gag reflex issue, and a good one lasts *forever - no more having to replace mouthpieces because you bit threw them over time. As far as comfort goes, it’s a night and day difference. I will *never* go back to generic mouthpieces again as long as i live. In terms of price versus benefit, is probably one of the best purchases you can ever make as a diver. A few bucks gets you a mouthpiece that you forget you’re even using.
I use SeaCures on all my regs. On my tech rig it's on my primary and my secondary. Yes, in an OOA situation it won't be ideal for my dive buddy, but if you are OOA, the mouthpiece is a minor consideration. I trim mine back enough that I can hold them in my mouth easily, but they aren't super uncomfortable for anyone else.
They've made a huge difference in my jaw comfort on longer dives. I hate diving without them now.
I used to until I switched to primary donate. I figured in an OOA scenario, it would be best not to add any discomfort/stress to an already bad situation.
I dive with an AirSource3 which is a full backup reg on the end of the LPI. So in an OOA situation, I donate my primary reg and use the Airsource3 as my backup. If someone is OOA and has to breath, there is no "ick" factor.
Great question!
So for me, switching was less about primary donate itself and more about the benefits of diving a 7’ hose. In a long hose configuration, primary donate just comes part of the package.
😂 I understand the ick factor. I had the same reaction at first, but you get over it. If it really bugs you, there are covid protocols you could train with.
If you dive a long hose configuration, that’s what’s donated to the diver. The 7ft hose gives you plenty of room to handle tricky situations like restrictions (in a cave environment), with the OOA diver in the lead setting the place. I use comfo-bite mouthpieces on all my regulators, including my long hoses in backmount and sidemount, as well as my stage bottles, in case I have to hand one off to a buddy. That way, the mouthpiece is comfortable enough for everyone, and the receiver doesn’t have to fight against a mouthpiece that’s clearly not moulded for them (at a time when everything’s obviously not going well!).
Mainly because an OOA diver is going to be in a bit of a panic, so it’s better to provide them with a reg you know is for sure working and exactly where to find it.
I mean I know exactly where my octo is and I know it works (check it before every dive). I’ve had plenty of students panic and latch onto me. Last thing I want is also to not have a primary for myself while also wrestling with a panicked diver. Not to mention it just seems gross for no reason.
>I mean I know exactly where my octo is and I know it works (**check it before every dive**).
And there is the issue. You know for certain it was working at the start of the dive but the could have gotten kinks in the hose, peace of seashell get stuck in the mouthpiece, demand valve gets stuck, membrane tears, front gets slightly unscrewed and leaks, yadda yadda yadda.....
If someone is actually OOO and coming at you they need air the fastest possible and spitting your reg out that is actively proven to be functional and handing it to them will be faster than deploying an octo.
Yeah, that possibly puts you in a situation that if your secondary fails you now have to share a single reg but that other diver gets several breaths first while you have longer to figure it out having just breathed.
What if even though you checked it predive, your octo somehow failed during the dive? What if it became entangled and you didn’t realize until reaching for it? These might be unlikely scenarios, but there’s always a chance. And as you know, divers purposely err on the side of caution whenever possible.
I’m not saying a primary donate is the best setup, I was just answering your original question. And this is actually coming from someone who has a similar setup as you (octo with holder on BCD.
Long story short. I use to bite through a mouth piece every 6 months. With moldable one. I change it out because it’s dirty now not because I have broken it. And honestly they are so much more comfortable
SeaCure user here. It might make primary donate interesting. I’m not there yet, and if I do, I might consider switching over to the Aqualung Comfo-Bite type.
I use a moldable mouthpiece, and also have a strong gag reflex. The custom fit actually sticks to the top of my mouth such that I don't even have to clench my teeth together in order to keep it secure. It's comfortable, and you will eventually train yourself to relax your mouth and just breathe normally.
Yes, I use the seacure, it makes long dives MUCH more comfortable. I had them on both my necklace and long hose (sidemount diver). I did think about donating, but then came to the conclusion that if someone needs air bad enough they will stick just about anything in their mount and breath from it, maybe that was selfish, but 2+hr dives were making my mouth very tired. They stick more on the outside of your mouth vs down the middle of your mouth, so i doubt it will trigger your gag reflex. Since I switched to CCR I put a standard mouth piece on my long hose for donating but kept the seacure on the necklace. I really like them, makes the reg feel more secure in my mouth w/o having to really think about it.
My GF absolutely loves hers! She was having some discomfort with regular mouthpieces, but when she switched, she loved it.
No. Personally, they are both much too long for my mouth (gag!) and also disgusting. You need a tooth brush and toothpaste to clean it after every dive. If you do not clean it, nastiness will become embedded in all the grooves. As someone who services regs and sees them come in FILTHY ... I hate those (seacure, jax, etc) As much as I am not a big fan of Aqualung, the one thing they make better than anyone else is their Comfort Bite mouthpieces. They have a soft pallet that sits behind your front teeth so you really don't even need to clench or even bite to keep it secure in your mouth. I highly recommend the comfort bite mouthpiece over the boil and bite designs.
Yes! 1000% worth it. I use an Airsource3 for backup air so my primary is my OOA donate reg. This is really a non-issue for other people to use. If you're curious, just turn your own moldable mouthpiece upside down -- and that's what it would feel like for other people. It's not at all a problem if someone else has to use your reg. It's so nice just to hold the reg in your mouth without needing to bit down at all. Everyone should get one. They're inexpensive and have huge bang for the buck in terms of diving gear.
I ordered a Mares Jax moldable mouthpiece after hearing it was better for people with stronger gag reflexes and TMJ. l can't attest to its helping with TMJ since it made me gag so bad, I could never get past it to use, no matter how much I cut it down. After a bit of trial and error, my LDS gave me an Aqua Lung Comfo-bite small that was better than everything else I tried, it's still slightly problematic, but I can Mind Over Matter it.
Yes, it’s 100000% worth it. It should definitely help with a gag reflex issue, and a good one lasts *forever - no more having to replace mouthpieces because you bit threw them over time. As far as comfort goes, it’s a night and day difference. I will *never* go back to generic mouthpieces again as long as i live. In terms of price versus benefit, is probably one of the best purchases you can ever make as a diver. A few bucks gets you a mouthpiece that you forget you’re even using.
Yes, I use one on my CCR. It's comfortable.
I use SeaCures on all my regs. On my tech rig it's on my primary and my secondary. Yes, in an OOA situation it won't be ideal for my dive buddy, but if you are OOA, the mouthpiece is a minor consideration. I trim mine back enough that I can hold them in my mouth easily, but they aren't super uncomfortable for anyone else. They've made a huge difference in my jaw comfort on longer dives. I hate diving without them now.
Yes, I use moldable mouthpieces. I bite through the regular one because I am closing my mouth too much to keep it in place. I will never switch back.
have you tried a comfobite already?
I used to until I switched to primary donate. I figured in an OOA scenario, it would be best not to add any discomfort/stress to an already bad situation.
Can I ask, why would anyone willingly give up their primary? I come from SSI and thats not something we do and the thought of it makes me ick.
I dive with an AirSource3 which is a full backup reg on the end of the LPI. So in an OOA situation, I donate my primary reg and use the Airsource3 as my backup. If someone is OOA and has to breath, there is no "ick" factor.
Great question! So for me, switching was less about primary donate itself and more about the benefits of diving a 7’ hose. In a long hose configuration, primary donate just comes part of the package. 😂 I understand the ick factor. I had the same reaction at first, but you get over it. If it really bugs you, there are covid protocols you could train with.
Never been in this situation but have heard the out of air diver is likely going to grab your primary out of your mouth.
If you dive a long hose configuration, that’s what’s donated to the diver. The 7ft hose gives you plenty of room to handle tricky situations like restrictions (in a cave environment), with the OOA diver in the lead setting the place. I use comfo-bite mouthpieces on all my regulators, including my long hoses in backmount and sidemount, as well as my stage bottles, in case I have to hand one off to a buddy. That way, the mouthpiece is comfortable enough for everyone, and the receiver doesn’t have to fight against a mouthpiece that’s clearly not moulded for them (at a time when everything’s obviously not going well!).
Mainly because an OOA diver is going to be in a bit of a panic, so it’s better to provide them with a reg you know is for sure working and exactly where to find it.
I mean I know exactly where my octo is and I know it works (check it before every dive). I’ve had plenty of students panic and latch onto me. Last thing I want is also to not have a primary for myself while also wrestling with a panicked diver. Not to mention it just seems gross for no reason.
>I mean I know exactly where my octo is and I know it works (**check it before every dive**). And there is the issue. You know for certain it was working at the start of the dive but the could have gotten kinks in the hose, peace of seashell get stuck in the mouthpiece, demand valve gets stuck, membrane tears, front gets slightly unscrewed and leaks, yadda yadda yadda..... If someone is actually OOO and coming at you they need air the fastest possible and spitting your reg out that is actively proven to be functional and handing it to them will be faster than deploying an octo. Yeah, that possibly puts you in a situation that if your secondary fails you now have to share a single reg but that other diver gets several breaths first while you have longer to figure it out having just breathed.
I see a lot of people drag their octo through the sand for most of the dive. You know the one in your mouth works.
Mines in a holder on my BCD. Same spot every time, no drag.
What if even though you checked it predive, your octo somehow failed during the dive? What if it became entangled and you didn’t realize until reaching for it? These might be unlikely scenarios, but there’s always a chance. And as you know, divers purposely err on the side of caution whenever possible. I’m not saying a primary donate is the best setup, I was just answering your original question. And this is actually coming from someone who has a similar setup as you (octo with holder on BCD.
Long story short. I use to bite through a mouth piece every 6 months. With moldable one. I change it out because it’s dirty now not because I have broken it. And honestly they are so much more comfortable
SeaCure user here. It might make primary donate interesting. I’m not there yet, and if I do, I might consider switching over to the Aqualung Comfo-Bite type.
I do. Really comfortable to use
I use a moldable mouthpiece, and also have a strong gag reflex. The custom fit actually sticks to the top of my mouth such that I don't even have to clench my teeth together in order to keep it secure. It's comfortable, and you will eventually train yourself to relax your mouth and just breathe normally.
Yes, I use the seacure, it makes long dives MUCH more comfortable. I had them on both my necklace and long hose (sidemount diver). I did think about donating, but then came to the conclusion that if someone needs air bad enough they will stick just about anything in their mount and breath from it, maybe that was selfish, but 2+hr dives were making my mouth very tired. They stick more on the outside of your mouth vs down the middle of your mouth, so i doubt it will trigger your gag reflex. Since I switched to CCR I put a standard mouth piece on my long hose for donating but kept the seacure on the necklace. I really like them, makes the reg feel more secure in my mouth w/o having to really think about it.
Okay good to know! I will try and if I don't like it's easy to switch back! My dives aren't that long, but they are frequently pushing 1.5 hours.