Hooka Rig Question

[dragonfly]

Hi, I am Cris and although I am currently on Padre Island, Texas I am from Florida. My question is: How much air pressure and air volume do you need to run one or two breathers from a compressor. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

[Pete7]

A beginner will use 30 litres per minute at the surface.

Welcome to CF btw,

Pete

[Rick]

Have a rating of at least 90PSI@3CFM

[Bash]

you might get better advice through a dive shop. a knowledgeable person might tell you the importance of using an oil-free compressor, for instance. there are a lot of ways you can screw yourself up with a DIY rig.

[Troubadour52993]

Required pressure will depend on depth, and the type of regulator you are using. Most SCUBA regulators have 150-200 PSI as their intermediate pressure, the pressure in the hose before the second stage (the one in your mouth). As long as the pressure is above ambient it should work, but I'm sure it affects breathing resistance (how hard you have to "suck" to crack open the valve in the regulator to get air from the hose).

[James S]

Originally Posted by Bash

you might get better advice through a dive shop. a knowledgeable person might tell you the importance of using an oil-free compressor, for instance. there are a lot of ways you can screw yourself up with a DIY rig.

Agree...more to it than meets the eye.
Some variables...how deep...what level of activity...
I just went through this exercise.
The below companies are a start.

Sea Breathe, The Electric Snorkel

Third Lung Diving

[Marksman]

I built a system for "at the dock" boat maintainance using a PorterCable oiless compressor with 6 gal tank. I think it is 2.6 cfm @90 psi. I run it at its full rated pressure of 150 psi. It is just adequate for a US divers calypso second stage, but only down to about 20 ft. or so. The compressor kicks on at 140 and off again at 150 and you can tell when it's getting close to the low trip. I could rebalance the reg to perform better at the low end I suppose, but its only for bottom cleaning and the like. If you want a system for deeper adventures you would need a higher pressure pump, though you will still be limited by the ambient pressure increase with depth.

[Blue Crab]

Not quite on point but for a traveling maintenance rig I use a tank, and a regulator with a 25' hose extension with quick disconnects. On my boat I can leave the tank in the cockpit for bottom work. For a big project, put the rig in your dink and you are ready for work. As a scuba instructor, I'm obliged to add that you should get scuba certified even if "just" using a gas or electric hookah rig. The danger is in the physiology not the depth.

[osirissail]

Although I have full Scuba gear, for cleaning the boat bottom I use a Hooka sold by Air Line Diver Gear | Alternative Dive Gear Scuba | The Air Line Hookah by J. Sink

It is a 100 ft hose that is in between the first stage and second stage scuba regulator and it attaches to a Scuba tank. Economical and efficient.

You could put the scuba tank in your dinghy and use the Air Line Hooka to "snorkel/shallow dive" an interesting reef without having to have the full BC/tank setup.

[Jimmyd60051]

Hi Chris,
I'm a hookah diver too. I built my own system for use up in Chicago.
For me I use a five gallon compressor with 90psi and a regulator on the tank that provides forty lbs. continuous pressure to the mouth piece.
With a 100 foot hose, I've had the compressor stop and still had three minutes of air in the hose. I'm having a blast using it and I hope you do too.
Good luck

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Jimmyd60051

Hi Chris,
I'm a hookah diver too. I built my own system for use up in Chicago.
For me I use a five gallon compressor with 90psi and a regulator on the tank that provides forty lbs. continuous pressure to the mouth piece.
With a 100 foot hose, I've had the compressor stop and still had three minutes of air in the hose. I'm having a blast using it and I hope you do too.
Good luck

I hope that compressor is "oil-less" and rated for human breathing - or - you have good medical lung transplant insurance. You can buy the compressors from commercial sources and then install all the other parts from SCUBA gear.
- - Down in Luperon, D.R. the locals use a Sears Best Paint compressor with 100 feet of hose and nothing on the end of the hose. They just stick it in their mouth and hold it with their teeth. Life-expectancy down there is rather low anyway so they don't really care.

[Jimmyd60051]

Actually it's a 12 volt system. I use a 100 watt converter and a marine battery powering a 3/4 horse compressor with a partical filter. I use a trolling motor to get to my destination, I've been under water for as much as 6 hours and only used 25% of the battery's power. The system only cost me $400.00 to build. I use it to treasure hunt the beaches around my house. it paid for itself the first day.

JimmyD

[denverd0n]

So, JimmyD, how about some details and sources on your compressor, hoses, etc?

[capngeo]

Originally Posted by Pete7

A beginner will use 30 litres per minute at the surface.

Welcome to CF btw,

Pete

Might want to check that figure..... I know it's been a lot of years since I went to Paramedic School, but I thought the average minute volume for a 75kg male was 5-8 lpm!

[Tampabayfireman]

Just a reminder to those that dont understand, that there is a big difference between hookah regulator and a dive tank regulator. The pressure rating is different between the two. The reason is the lack of high pressure. Hookah is around 60-65 psi, where the dive tank type is 150ish. Using one for the other is a bad deal. I have both on the boat, and the hookah is great for checking things closer to the boat, less that 100ft from compressor. If you are more than that, dive tanks.