Can You Vomit While Scuba Diving?

It is highly unlikely to vomit while scuba diving. Vomiting requires the contraction of the stomach muscles, which is difficult to do while breathing through a regulator underwater.

If you vomit while scuba diving, keep your regulator in and vomit through the regulator exhaust vents. Unless you are vomiting huge chunks of food, it should flow out the exhaust vents without a problem.

Additionally, the high-pressure environment underwater can suppress the urge to vomit. However, it’s worth noting that if a diver feels nauseous or experiences motion sickness before entering the water, it’s possible to vomit while still on the surface. In such cases, it’s advisable to delay the dive until the diver feels better and more comfortable.

I can’t say that I’ve ever vomited when scuba diving, and if I were feeling that ill before a dive I would abort the dive myself to avoid having to vomit underwater.

I couldn’t think of anything worse than vomiting at any depth, and especially as I am quite a “violent vomiter”, sorry for the graphical image or thought. I’d be concerned that I’d end up inhaling water, and despite the fact I dived hundreds of time and I’m a very confidence diver, I’d still be concerned about vomiting whilst diving.

I’ve been on the surface at the end of a dive in the Farne Islands, and my buddy became seasick on the surface as we were waiting to be picked up by the dive boat. But that’s as close as I’ve got to vomit and scuba diving.

The truth of the matter is, if you feel ill before a dive (and I’m not necessarily talking about seasickness), don’t do the dive. However, if you do suffer from seasickness, make sure to get below the surface and out of the swell as quickly as possible, so you don’t get sea sick in the water before the dive.

Often times if you feel seasick on the dive boat, once you get below the surface your seasickness feeling will go away, once you are below the movement of the swell on the surface.

What happens if you vomit while scuba diving?

If a diver were to vomit while scuba diving, it can potentially cause complications and risks. Here are a few potential consequences:

1. Regulator Malfunction: Vomiting underwater could lead to the regulator (the breathing apparatus) becoming clogged with vomit, potentially causing it to malfunction. This can interrupt the diver’s air supply and lead to breathing difficulties.
2. Aspiration: If the vomit enters the diver’s airway, it can cause aspiration, which is when foreign matter enters the lungs. Aspiration can lead to breathing problems, lung irritation, and even infection.
3. Panic or Disorientation: Vomiting underwater can cause a diver to panic or become disoriented, as the unexpected event can be distressing. Panic or disorientation can compromise the diver’s ability to manage their buoyancy, maintain their dive profile, and communicate effectively with their dive buddy or dive team.
4. Contamination of Surroundings: Vomit in the water can contaminate the immediate environment, potentially affecting visibility and creating a safety hazard for other divers in the vicinity. Although in reality the fish will probably eat the vomit.

Given these risks, it is crucial to prioritise diver safety and well-being. If a diver feels nauseous or experiences any signs of discomfort before or during a dive, it is advisable to ascend to the surface and abort the dive, if necessary, to prevent potential complications.

I hope you enjoyed this article about can you vomit while scuba diving

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If this article hasn’t answered all of your questions. If you have more questions either about snorkelling or scuba diving (or specifically about can you vomit while scuba diving), please comment below with your questions.

There will also be many more articles about scuba and scuba diving safety tips (and on snorkelling too) for you to read and learn about this fabulous sport.

Have fun and be safe!