Bottom Clean Breathing Device

[kaw0922]

Does anyone have any experience with the bottom cleaning breathing devices that are available? It kills me to pay a diver to do such a simple job, but i can only reach a portion of my bottom (I keep my boat in the water).

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by kaw0922

Does anyone have any experience with the bottom cleaning breathing devices that are available? It kills me to pay a diver to do such a simple job, but i can only reach a portion of my bottom (I keep my boat in the water).

Many options. Last time I needed to do a bottom clean I didn't have my diving gear so just did with a snorkel and free diving. The bottom was pretty foul and I hadn't been diving for a while so took me several hours over Sat and Sun to do it. In case you ask, I'm no super jock kid, turning 63 in a couple of months.

All the other options require buying somewhat expensive equipment. Do you know about Hookahs? Basically a very small, low pressure compressor with gas or electric motor driving it and a long hose, usually 30-40' But expect several hundred to buy even a cheap one.

Then you can just get your own dive gear. A few hundred for that plus you should be certified.

Have you though about a scrub brush on the end of a very long handle?

[Tingum]

I have used a brownie 3rd lung for years. It works great for cleaning and changing zincs; and especially useful for rooting through the mud when something goes over the side! Powered by a honda gasoline engine, always starts. If you want to use it for sport diving it will pump two people down to 60'. I have a friend who uses one to clean bottoms, he replaced the gasoline engine with a 220V electric motor and just plugs in to the 30 amp shore power on the docks. NO NOISE!

[svadagio]

Have cleaned the bottom about a 100 times now. Use a snorkel so I can keep my face in the water to see what I am doing. Use an extension pole like Home Depot sell to paint with. The brush is the key. Mine has stiff brush on one side and a scraper on the other. Scraper is needed to get the hard stuff off. You stay on the surface and scrub. Takes me about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to do my 42 foot full keel 6 foot draft boat.
Bob

[Cotemar]

They call them Hookah

Sea Breathe

Single Diver Deck Unit [130-D] - $1,395.00*USD : Sea Breathe, The Electric Snorkel

The Air Line Model
Hookah direct drive scuba diving equipment sales. Hose diving hookah

Hookamax
Hookamax Dive Systems

[AnchorageGuy]

You might want to factor all of the costs for you to have the equipment to do this yourself safely and compare that to what you are paying for a diver. Don't forget the cost of maintenance for the equipment. Maybe that diver isn't so expensive after all. Chuck

[Blue Stocking]

Depending on your location, be very careful about sea lice and other small crustaceans getting in your ears. Flush out with alcohol or similar, (I'm not a doctor, check with yours), after the dive. Have seen these cause infections.

[belizesailor]

SCUBA tank, long hose, regulator. Will last for hours between refills at such shallow depth.

[ohdrinkboy]

Have an airline here....very pleased.

[ReMetau]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

SCUBA tank, long hose, regulator. Will last for hours between refills at such shallow depth.

I use the same. I already had a reg and tank, so I bought the Hooka hose which allows me to use my reg on a short line for the BC or a long hose to a tank on deck. When cleaning the boat, I prefer to keep the tank on deck.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

You might want to factor all of the costs for you to have the equipment to do this yourself safely and compare that to what you are paying for a diver. Don't forget the cost of maintenance for the equipment. Maybe that diver isn't so expensive after all. Chuck

Quite so, unless of course you choose the snorkel option.

[AnchorageGuy]

Having a third lung and hooka is not a problem but to buy tanks, equipment and refill the tanks requires a diving certification, also not free but very useful. Chuck

[John Galt]

We used to use a long (10 ft.) handle boat cleaning brush and attach a medium sized fender to the back side of the brush. The fender held the brush against the hull trying to surface. You can knock off most of the growth that way and minimize your time in the water.

[hellosailor]

skip-
"Then you can just get your own dive gear. A few hundred for that "
Not these days. Tank, regulator, WET SUIT, weight belt, mask, even if you keep it down I'd expect $500 at a minimum. Plus the costs of annual tank VIPs, and the hydro, and the fills, and the nuisance trips to the dive shop to get the fills...AND the dive gear doesn't last forever, there's a maintenance bill for that too. KaChing! KaChing!
Cheapest way to clean the bottom? Careen the boat!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

skip-
"Then you can just get your own dive gear. A few hundred for that "
Not these days. Tank, regulator, WET SUIT, weight belt, mask, even if you keep it down I'd expect $500 at a minimum. Plus the costs of annual tank VIPs, and the hydro, and the fills, and the nuisance trips to the dive shop to get the fills...AND the dive gear doesn't last forever, there's a maintenance bill for that too. KaChing! KaChing!
Cheapest way to clean the bottom? Careen the boat!

Hey, I'm in Florida. I doan need no stinkin wet suit.

Actually I did the bottom job in RI in August and didn't have a wet suit. It was slightly chilly but I was working hard.

Anyway I already have all that stuff but if you're starting from scratch then even without the suit I guess you could blow $500. However, you have to remember, we're talking boat maintenance here so $500 is still a "few", just barely half a boat buck.