Diving with a cleft palate

[George Hooper]

Hi all - we were holding an open day recently with try dives, when I was approached by a dad whose son wants to snorkel/dive, but he cannot find any mouthpieces that will fit. Does anyone know of a kit manufacturer who can help me give him some advice?

[Maria CM]

No experience of this or great words of wisdom to offer I'm afraid, but....

Would a full-face mask work better?

best wishes,

Maria

[IainC]

I wonder if one of those 'manta bite' mouth pieces with the large 'don't fall out flap' would work, or one of the ones that you heat up and then bite and mould. (not endorsing the sites, just wondering..)

Iain C.

http://www.manta-bite.com/
http://www.seacure1.com/

[Woz]

The Seacure ones are good and mouldable to your jaw. Around a tenner off eBay.

[George Hooper]

Thanks for the suggestions! I will follow these up now

George

[ChristianG]

No experience of this or great words of wisdom to offer I'm afraid, but....

Would a full-face mask work better?
Not for a, presumably, young lad learning to dive it wouldn't be.

[Maria CM]

Not for a, presumably, young lad learning to dive it wouldn't be.

I don't know what age the son is. In our club there seems to be an awful lot of parents who come to learn with late teenage children.

best wishes,

Maria

[merovingian]

As a Master Dental Technician in Belgium I have been undertaking research into this very subject for a variety of dentally challenged people, my first success has been for a lady who suffered from Lymes disease reulting in unilateral facial paralysis with water ingress from one side, as a result she now dives with full confidence.
I'm convinced i can resolve the problem for Cleft Palate providing that the patients Eustachion tubes are fully developed and functioning normally.
Such are the simplicity of my designs i am in the process of obtaining a European Patent.
All I am prepared to say at this stage is to tell you to be patient a little longer and once i've covered my ass against copyright infringements, anybody who has a problem holding a mouthpiece with or without teeth, there will be an end to your problems;)