Scuba Gear for Basic Boat Maintenance

[DeepFrz]

Intro to Hooka!
This can help with putting together your own system.

Oops, I see RainDog beat me to it.

[rcontrera]

Originally Posted by Adventurebound

The world record for holding your breath is 22 minutes. Can do a lot in that time.

Records are done ... still ... no movement that requires oxygen to the muscles.

[Zanshin]

Originally Posted by Adventurebound

The world record for holding your breath is 22 minutes. Can do a lot in that time.

But that record was done while resting and in meditation mode by an athlete. Trying to saw or otherwise remove a wrapped line is surprisingly hard and aerobic work underwater. Imagine doing a 50 yard sprint and then, at the end, holding your breath. Even for people that can hold their breath 2 or more minutes on the surface a "down-time" of 30 seconds while working is very good.

[a64pilot]

[QUOTE=fstbttms;1556048]

Originally Posted by vinayfm

Because it is physically impossible to draw a breath when deeper that 3' with a contraption like that.

I believe he was talking about putting the hose form his compressor to the snorkel and breathe like a weeki wachi mermaid


https://www.google.com/search?q=week...ml%3B790%3B527

[Kenomac]

If you are planning to dive, do it the right way tanks and all, then you will be ready for just about anything. I almost added a hookah system yesterday for $900 that could go down to 50 ft... very nice system by hookamax. But on second thought, I ordered up two more 12 liter bottles (80) for half the cost. Hookah is fine for cleaning under your boat, but I like the independence of not being tethered and the ability to go deeper.

Example: Right now, I am anchored with 150 ft of chain out in 40ft of depth. If my anchor is fouled, how do I remedy the problem with 50ft or even 100ft of hookah hose that can maybe go down to 50ft. Take the compressor under with me?

[Canibul]

I've been diving now for fifty one years. I long ago lost count of how many tanks I've owned over the years, from my first galvanized 72's with double hose Healthway regulator.....I felt just like Lloyd Bridges in Sea Hunt when I was 12 and started diving with a family friend of my father's who was ex Navy UDT.

I now have a Brownie's Third Lung. Tanks are a pain in the butt to own, certify, store, fill, and deal with. They can be dangerous in some circumstances. Check out this video;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyINNUaXa8Q

I'd just as soon not have one of these somewhere in my boat.

My hookah is gasoline powered but if I was buying another one I'd definitely go with a 12 volt system. 90% of the stuff worth looking at underwater is shallower than 30 ft. anyhow.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

....
Example: Right now, I am anchored with 150 ft of chain out in 40ft of depth. If my anchor is fouled, how do I remedy the problem with 50ft or even 100ft of hookah hose that can maybe go down to 50ft. Take the compressor under with me?

Take in the chain till the bow is over the anchor. Use the Hookka to descend the 40 ft. Anything deeper than 40 odd feet is going to be out of reach with the Hookka.
We use an AC powered Hooka to clean the bottom and have used it to clear line snags on the prop. If we had full scuba gear, then we would get two sets. One for each of us. This would be a lot of space. For recreational diving, renting from a dive shop is usually pretty reasonable.

[Adventurebound]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

But that record was done while resting and in meditation mode by an athlete. Trying to saw or otherwise remove a wrapped line is surprisingly hard and aerobic work underwater. Imagine doing a 50 yard sprint and then, at the end, holding your breath. Even for people that can hold their breath 2 or more minutes on the surface a "down-time" of 30 seconds while working is very good.

That would be part of the sailing dream, doing breath control exercises for months, then slipping into some cold, murky, slimy water to free your propellor, with pointy fins circling around.

[a64pilot]

I have lots of Scuba gear around as my whole family dive and my Son and I cave dive, so I won't be going the Hooka route myself. Possibly once we begin cruising, depending on tank refill availability.
Myself, I pretty much will only have steel tanks as they are much lighter and smaller and usually don't require the diver to carry extra weight. My stage and deco bottles are and will remain aluminum though as I don't want the extra weight underwater that steel gives as I'm carrying at least two steels if I'm staging or on a deco dive anyway. Only advantage to aluminum is they are cheap.
Let me explain that a little, see a steel 80 is much smaller and lighter than an aluminum 80 out of the water, but the aluminum tank displaces so much more water that it is close to neutral in the water, depending of course on the pressure in the tank, so with an aluminum tank you end up having a weight belt, not so usually with a steel tank, of course your body density and how much neoprene your wearing affect that too. So dive gear with a steel tank can be a lot lighter than with an aluminum tank.

So a good steel tank with a backplate and wing is about as small and light and maintenance free, easy to care for as your going to get with a tank. Of course you don't generally need a wing, but they are light and nice to have.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Markhunter1097

I have a bottle permanently in a locker and a 15 meter regulator hose, works perfectly, very easy, no maintenance, can access all parts of the boat, and bottom in shallow water.
Having searched for ages for the ideal underwater gear, this current set up tics more boxes than the other options. reg and hose cost $250, second hand bottle, $100.

In terms of ultimate flexibility ^ is the way to go. Are you a DIY person or someone that calls someone else? That's the real question. I have used my long hose system hundreds of times over the years. Plus if you do need to go deep, you still can with the rest of your gear. A 40 or less is nice for carrying down the dock but I don't want to worry about filling it more often. A steel 100 makes the most sense by far.

And I don't think my dive gear takes up much more space than a good hooka like a Brownies. Noobs to underwater work should re-read FstBttms post a coupla times. A hookah rig has some benefits as outined above and may be all many require but IME hookah folks feel no need for training. This is a dangerous view; right along with the modern reliance on all things electrical.

Originally Posted by Adventurebound

The world record for holding your breath is 22 minutes. Can do a lot in that time.

HAHAHAHAHAH! Sure boss, whatever you say.

[Canibul]

anyone who breathes compressed gases without bothering to learn the physics basically should be subtracted from the gene pool anyhow.

[Matt sachs]

I will keep a few aluminum 80's on board, next to my bail outs and rebreather. No room for for a hooka in this bucket. ;-)

[Kenomac]

Forget what I said in an earlier post. Ebay just sent me a $100 coupon.... so I ordered the Hookamax 12v with 100ft hose. Along with the two 12 liter tanks onboard... I should be ready for just about anything. Plus some fun shallow dives.

Ken

[Canibul]

Videos

[Zanshin]

Originally Posted by Canibul

...I'd just as soon not have one of these somewhere in my boat...

That was an awesome video and quite eye-opening, I'd not realized the forces involved. But did you watch the whole video to the end? At 3:38 they do the exact same test on a tank with a safety valve installed and nothing happens. I need to see about getting those!