Any time you cannot inhale while scuba diving (such as when a regulator is out of your mouth), you must be...

Any time you cannot inhale while scuba diving (such as when a regulator is out of your mouth), you must be...

• A. Holding your breath.
• B. Exhaling/blowing bubbles.
• C. Stop and float to regain control.
• D. Signal for help immediately.

Answer: (B)

Never hold your breath while diving. If you can’t inhale—such as when the regulator isn’t in your mouth—the immediate, safest action is to exhale and blow bubbles. Exhaling prevents trapping air in the lungs, which protects you from lung overexpansion injury during any ascent and keeps your breathing cycle progressing as you try to reestablish a breath source. Staying calm and continuing to vent gas is the practical response; stopping to float or signaling for help are things you do if the situation escalates, but they aren’t the automatic step required just because you can’t inhale.

Never hold your breath while diving. If you can’t inhale—such as when the regulator isn’t in your mouth—the immediate, safest action is to exhale and blow bubbles. Exhaling prevents trapping air in the lungs, which protects you from lung overexpansion injury during any ascent and keeps your breathing cycle progressing as you try to reestablish a breath source. Staying calm and continuing to vent gas is the practical response; stopping to float or signaling for help are things you do if the situation escalates, but they aren’t the automatic step required just because you can’t inhale.