Want To Buy: Hookah Diving Rig

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

We removed a stuck Maxprop and replaced it with a fixed prop using only snorkels.

I would opine that most people would find this very, very difficult to do. I know I would never want to try it and I make my living doing it (with a hookah.)

[TacomaSailor]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

I would opine that most people would find this very, very difficult to do. I know I would never want to try it and I make my living doing it (with a hookah.)

We were in 15' crystal clear water with a very smooth and clean bottom. Two guys in the water and me pushing tools from the dinghy. Didn't seem like a big deal at the time but I know nothing about diving with bubbles and just did what I was told.

[ontherocks83]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

We were in 15' crystal clear water with a very smooth and clean bottom. Two guys in the water and me pushing tools from the dinghy. Didn't seem like a big deal at the time but I know nothing about diving with bubbles and just did what I was told.

I think fstbttms is referring more to the physically demanding aspect of removing a prop while free diving. Some of us get winded doing that on the hard. Never mind free diving.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

Any suggestions for weights or buoyancy control when using a hookah so you're not constantly fighting getting pulled to the surface?

Yes, just use a standard weight belt with whatever weight added to keep you neutral based on your body and any suit you're wearing. Just don't over weight, go for neutral at +/- 20'.\

If I dive without a wet suit I'm pretty neutral and need no weight. With a 2 mil suit and empty tanks I need about 12 lbs.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Know that most electric compressors powerful enough to provide comfortable underwater breathing in a hookah rig are going to draw 10+ amps AC. So you need to be able to provide that, if you are going to use it away from shorepower.

Yes the electric are very limited in that respect. Unless you're mainly bottom cleaning and close to power gas is the way. If you're reef diving the gas power will let you go deeper and longer than electric.

[robert sailor]

Change a prop!!! You guys sure know how to make someone feel bad, I'm happy just being able to scrub the bottom free diving (many times)

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

Any health concerns using a rig like this. I mean long term not drowning.

DISCLAIMER: breathing compressed air from any source underwater can be dangerous and you should really get professional training for safety. I am not a certified instructor and offer some information strictly to inform anyone considering this about the potential risks.

Like any kind of diving, using a hookah does have risks. Would be hard to do, but if you had a gas powered hookah, went to the max depth (some with a single diver using a double length hose can get to 60-80') for a long time you could get bent if you went directly to the surface.

Higher risk would be for pneumothorax or other barotrauma (pressure related problems). One of the most important rules of diving with compressed air (tank or hookah) is never hold your breath. A lung full of air at 32' will double in size if you surface so holding your breath you will over-expand your lungs and possibly die. If you have never taken a SCUBA lesson but have done a lot of snorkeling/free diving this can be a hard lesson to remember. It's just a natural impulse to hold your breath if you run out of air.

If you're under and the hookah quits supplying air you should be able to easily make a free assent, blowing air out as you go.

Bottom line, if you plan to use a hookah it's probably a really good idea to get some training and practice.

[cabo_sailor]

Skipmac is right on. I live in FL and during lobster season some people use hookahs and occasionally one or more ends up dead. Usually there is no equipment malfunction but the person involved panicked. I heartily endorse getting some dive training. I know that some dive shops actually offer hookah classes. Even a basic open water dive certificate doesn't take that long or cost an arm and leg.

I happen to have a gasoline Brownie third lung that is good for two divers to 40 ft or one to 80 ft. I am also, as is my wife, a certified diver. I would hesitate to loan it to someone who wasn't certified.

Finally, on the subject of homemade electric compressor rigs, virtually all the people cleaning boat bottoms around here use those rigs. There are even a couple of dive shops that will put one together for you. (they use food grade hoses) It's been a while since I asked but I recall prices of around $300 USD. Definitely cheaper than my Brownie rig by an order of magnitude. If air fills are available I would use tanks otherwise the Brownie.

Just my 2 cents worth, whatever you decide, have fun and be safe.

Rich

[Sulaire]

I have been running a home made oiless compressor system for a year now, use it to clean the bottom.

Only suggestion i would make is get a good quality air filter to fit in the hose, i bought a 3 stage model, that is used in car spray paint shops, gives me extra peace of mind, takes out rust and any water vapour that might be present.

Charlie.

[Celestialsailor]

While we're on the topic of electric, does anyone know of a 12 volt compressor that would work (proper CFMs)? It would seem more efficient to wire into the 12 volt system of the boat rather than an Inverter.

[chris in SG]

I recently bought a Brownie's 12v system online for bottom cleaning.

I like to use hard antifouling and scrub frequently but this takes alot of time (even just for my 40ft cat) when holding my breath. I don't think there's anything wrong with my lungs but too much time is wasted between breaths..

I'm not waving any flags here, because I'm not from the US, but I was very impressed by the quality of the equipment. Very solidly made, certainly not a toy, with spares included and a 'voucher' for online dive training.

Having said that, the first time I used it, the built-in reset breaker tripped and it's very disconcerting when the air supply cuts out instantaneously. I would favour a system with a pressure vessel reserve of some sort.

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

You can get by with a cheap-o Home Depot, Chinese-built POS oilless compressor, but your suggestion that he buy pneumatic tool hose to use as breathing hose is a dangerous one. You should never use anything but food-grade (Grade E) breathing hose in any surface supplied air system.

I'm not looking to challenge your statement or say that you are not correct, but I am interested in knowing the reason(s) why a plain old air hose from Sears would not be a good idea. Can you list the potential hazards?

This is just an academic question.

Thanks,
Jim

[pbiJim]

+1 on the suggestions to get some dive training before trying to use any compressed air breathing system. Lung expansion injuries are serious trouble & easy to get if you break the rule about blowing bubbles upon ascent.

[bobsadler]

I decided to go for an in-between solution.

I bought a small scuba air bottle (I forget the capacity and it's on the boat in the UK so I can't check) and had a dive shop make up a 10m (33ft) length of the same type of hose that goes between the first- and second-stage scuba regulators and installed this hose between a first- and second-stage regulator.

I then whipped onto the hose a 1/4inch double-braid line with a snap-shackle on the end about 1.5m (5ft) from the sceond-stage regulator. I wear my sailing harness when in the water and this snap-shackle clips onto the harness to take any loads off the regulator (and my teeth). The other end of the line is tied off to a cleat on deck and the air bottle sits next to the cleat.

At a 2m (6ft) depth a small scuba bottle lasts a long time and not having a scuba bottle on your back makes working under a hull a lot easier.

The whole unit is compact and easy to store.

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

While we're on the topic of electric, does anyone know of a 12 volt compressor that would work (proper CFMs)? It would seem more efficient to wire into the 12 volt system of the boat rather than an Inverter.

For very shallow work that isn't too stressful (boat cleaning), I tend to consume about 0.8CF/min. 1 CF is just shy of 30 normal liters. Surfing around the web, I found this little $50 unit who's spec's look marginally acceptable for that low stress task. Wagan Dynamite Power Air Compressor Wagan Tools WC2050. Adding a small air tank to the system might improve capacity enough to make it work a little better.

This $90 2-cylinder unit may be a bit better, but no volume spec's are listed, so it's hard to compare http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/...sor/p7634.html

Most second stage regulators will want to see something in the 100+ psi range for feed pressure. Adjustments can usually be made to the second stage to make them open more easily. Most second stages are an unbalanced design. This means that if you are not running off of a regulated pressure, the mouthpiece will tend to alternate between free flowing & breathing hard, as pressures in the line vary.

As you get deeper, you will need the same volume of air at a higher pressure. This means that as you go deeper, you will need a higher capacity compressor.

This is all just semi-educated guess work from calculating the posted numbers a bit on the thin side. This is not something that I have tested, nor necessarily endorse.