Power Snorkel 12vdc Electric Floating Hookah

[skipmac]

I can second the recommendation for the Brownie's hookah. Not cheap but they make good gear and they're good people.

[CarlF]

I've have a Sea Breath unit for about a year and used it about a dozen times. Happy so far.

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

I got it on the last day of a boat show for a good price after talking to the vendor for quite a while. As with everything in life there are trade-offs. This little 12v pump isn't going to provide much air down deep but I've found it completely adequate down to 20ft or so. I really don't have much desire to go deeper. The advantage of the little power efficient pump is that a battery lasts longer than you're going to want to swim (e.g. an hour plus for me). I purchased an extension hose - not to go deeper but to allow a greater distance from the pump.

I was impressed with the quality of the hoses, regulator, etc. After a year, nothing has rusted or looks ratty. A great advantage of this unit is that it's easy to store. The pump is the size of a fishing tacklebox. The biggest piece is the mesh bag holding the coiled hoses but it stuffs well into a corner of the bilge. Maintenance is minimal.

I've found it easy to use from the dinghy for sightseeing. I simply anchor the dinghy and move the anchor along the bottom as I swim.

A final benefit is that I decided to power it with Optima 48 amp-hour AGM battery that weighs only 36lbs. This not only runs the pump for a really long time but is able to start my boat's diesel (with jumpers) should all other battery banks somehow die - of course, that could never happen . Since the Optima doesn't self discharge significantly, it just sits in a corner of the bilge disconnected from the electric system.

I've been a certified (but infrequent) diver for 30 years. You should certainly get some training as it's quite possible to kill yourself with this stuff. But at the shallow depths involved (well under one atmosphere) the number of ways you can get in trouble are greatly reduced. Breath out when surfacing.

To the OP. I would just buy a cheap 230 -> 12v auto battery charger and not worry about trying to use 24v.

Carl

[beau]

I built my own as well.
A 12 v compressor used to pump truck tyres ($130)(oil free)
a long length of breathable hose ($55) and I connected the hose to a snorkel .
i use a 30amp hour agm battery placed in the dingy.
Works great.

[biminijimini]

Experienced scuba divers do not dive in marinas unless they are certain there is no chance of "loose electrical currents" in the water. Swimming; diving or Scuba in marina waters is very unwise... Most people think the marina outlaws swimming because of drowning but actually its the electrical current from ungrounded boats that really cause the problems.. The best of swimmers who contact electrical stray currents lose their ability to use their muscles to swim and usually drown...

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by biminijimini

Swimming; diving or Scuba in marina waters is very unwise...

Gosh, the several thousand hull cleaners around this country who dive in marinas every day without incident will surprised to hear this...

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Gosh, the several thousand hull cleaners around this country who dive in marinas every day without incident will surprised to hear this...

He's from Illinois, so I'm guessing he's talking about the fresh water side of things. But still, I agree it's manageable/rare even over there.

[boden36]

Like Beau, I built my own and used two 12volt truck tyre inflators. It has a pressure actuated on/off switch. Used breathing hose and a low pressure regulator and it works well for prop cleaning etc.
Regards,
Richard.

[Uncle Bob]

One more plus for the hookah is the fact that there is no yearly hydro test as for a scuba tank, and no finding a filling station god knows where.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Gosh, the several thousand hull cleaners around this country who dive in marinas every day without incident will surprised to hear this...

It's a very rare occurance but it has happened. I would think all the alive and well bottom cleaners are testament to that.

[Tellie]

I like my AirLine and it's been running strong for about five years now, but I still have a single tank on board. I use a floating tank holder with 50' of hose. Can't remember the company that makes them but it deploys a lot faster than either a Hookah or God forbid a whole SCUBA outfit.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by biminijimini

Experienced scuba divers do not dive in marinas unless they are certain there is no chance of "loose electrical currents" in the water. Swimming; diving or Scuba in marina waters is very unwise... Most people think the marina outlaws swimming because of drowning but actually its the electrical current from ungrounded boats that really cause the problems.. The best of swimmers who contact electrical stray currents lose their ability to use their muscles to swim and usually drown...

never heard that one ?????

[fstbttms]

Saltwater electrocutions are uncommon. Freshwater is much more dangerous in that regard. That being said; if you are diving on a boat, it is always a good idea to unplug it from the shorepower before getting in the water.

[Tellie]

Just fer the heck of it...

Electric Shock Drowning
Electric shock drowning is often the result of a situation similar to a hair dryer falling into a bathtub; in these cases the hair dryer is a boat and the bathtub is a lake. The cause is often an undetected ground fault that energizes the hull and causes a low-level current to flow through the swimmers, thereby disabling muscle function. It's referred to as electric shock drowning and not electrocution because there is no physical injury. The victims either lose muscle control or suffer ventricular fibrillation. Because victims typically show no sign of injury, many electric shock drownings are mislabeled as deaths attributable to alcohol intoxication or heart attack.
What Causes Electric Shock Drowning?
Most commonly, it's faulty boat wiring that is not in compliance with standards. Specifically, the situation is created when faulty wiring causes underwater metals on boats to become energized.
Marinas under contract with the Forest Service are inspected annually for compliance with national standards. Inspection of a boat's electrical system is the responsiblity of the boat owner.
How Can Electric Shock Drowning be Prevented?
1) Do not swim in marinas. If you feel a tingly sensation, get out immediately and alert marina operator.
2) Marinas can post no-swimming warning signs.
3) Electrical work on boats should meet American Boat and Yacht Council standards.
4) Electrical work in marinas should only be completed by certified electricians.
5) Boat and marina owners should insure that routine electrical inspections are conducted.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Saltwater electrocutions are uncommon. Freshwater is much more dangerous in that regard. That being said; if you are diving on a boat, it is always a good idea to unplug it from the shorepower before getting in the water.

Not to be a pain Fstbttms because I believe this is a very rare occurance, but since salt water is a better conductor of electricity than fresh, how do you come to the above conclusion?

[gettinthere]

regarding 12 volt battery powered systems. Last time I looked into it, the runtime quoted by the OP's vendor was for the entire battery capacity. As many know, for long life you should only run the battery down to 50%. If you run that compressor till the battery is down to 20% or less you will kill the battery much quicker. Put that into your cost of operations. Plus you'll need to recharge that battery before another dive. OK for marina based boats but maybe an issue for cruisers.