Scuba Gear for Basic Boat Maintenance

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

Any list of quality components or specs you would recommend for those of us interested in building one?

1.- Use a Thomas or Gast brand compressor. High quality and American made. Can be found for reasonable prices used.

2.- Use only Grade E breathing hose. I see some knuckleheads breathing through the pneumatic tool hose that came with their cheapo Home Depot compressor. Big health no-no.

3.- In-line filtration. Most of the legitimate hookah retailers can sell you this, even if you aren't buying your air hose from them.

4.- Some (maybe most) off-the-shelf SCUBA 2nd stage regs will not operate properly at the lower pressures provided by hookah. Consider buying one specifically tweaked for use with hookah.

[nwdiver]

Get a little 12volt powered hooka compressor they are good to 15-20 feet....... can't scrub the hull with only a pony tank........... well maybe you can I can't......

http://www.airlinebyjsink.com/the-ho...detective.aspx

[frank_f]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

Interesting system. I like how it comes with a random gratuitous cleavage shot to help "display" the product.

On a serious note though I was not aware they made 12v compressors. Nice find.

Wait,... there was product in that shot?

[rfb3]

I keep a Zeagle 20 pony bottle and a Zeagle backplate on board... Works great, small size. I have to respectfully disagree with the Spare Air suggestion... They are too small and you almost need one hand to hold the thing in your mouth. Just my 2cents.

[RainDog]

Good overview: Intro to Hooka!

[Zanshin]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

No, really, who needs more than a bailout bottle or a "Spare Air" with built-in regulator to clear a crab pot within six feet of the surface? Assuming you've got a sharp knife.

I think "as small as you can" probably fills this bill.

So far I've had to dive on 4 wrapped lines, two of my own making, two to help out others. My first wrap took more than one tank to clear, the second I could have done with one breath. The two other boats that I helped took a whole scuba tank apiece, on one there were two of us on my gear, one guy using the backup and we stopped a leak and cleared the line, the other was just last week and I needed 1 1/2 hours underwater to clear it. So, from my vantage point, a bailout bottle alone won't do it.

p.s. these dives were with a bread knife (serrated is better in this case), dental picks, hacksaw, and pliers.

[vinayfm]

[QUOTE=AirBoyzT;1554987]Got caught up on a crab pot yesterday, guess I did it while sailing because my engine failed to start as soon as I was turning into the wind. Any suggestions on scuba gear that I can get to battle this in the future rather than call a diver



I purchased an air supplied mask to work in the bowl of the boat (fiberglassing for example) It has a small compressor that suppies air. The hose is long (20' plus). Why would this not work? In fact whynot just put a hose at the end of a snorkel? One is not diving for long or very deep!

V

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

They don't. Hookamax is nothing more than some guy puttinging together the exact same components you or I can buy at any Harbor Freight or other place that sells cheap, Chinese-made POS air compressors. And you can do it for much less than Hookamax will sell it to you for. My favorite Hookamax accessory is the "Floating Kit" where for a mere $350, you get a $40 pool toy and a $15 battery box.

Hookamax Dive Systems

Fastbottoms is right. My Hookamax is primarily an off the shelf Campbell Hausfeld compressor. One could probably come up with a system on their own if they were handy enough. But, the Hookamax comes complete with the proper air hoses, regulator and fittings. Would I explore a wreck with the system. No way! But, for cleaning the bottom of my boat or cleaning out a through hull it works fine. Fast and easy to setup and stores nicely under the cockpit. Beats just using a mask and snorkel and no heavy air tanks to refill. Noisy as hell though when you are next to it but, fine when you are under the water.

[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.

[downunder]

[QUOTE=vinayfm;1556002]

Originally Posted by AirBoyzT

Got caught up on a crab pot yesterday, guess I did it while sailing because my engine failed to start as soon as I was turning into the wind. Any suggestions on scuba gear that I can get to battle this in the future rather than call a diver



I purchased an air supplied mask to work in the bowl of the boat (fiberglassing for example) It has a small compressor that suppies air. The hose is long (20' plus). Why would this not work? In fact whynot just put a hose at the end of a snorkel? One is not diving for long or very deep!

V

People can die using compressed air underwater (and do) even in very shallow water if they do not understand the principles of dive physics and thats why dive courses are taken. Despite not for very long or very deep. Then again you may survive.

Seriously you really need to do a dive course.

[fstbttms]

[QUOTE=vinayfm;1556002]

Originally Posted by AirBoyzT

...why not just put a hose at the end of a snorkel? One is not diving for long or very deep!

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

[downunder]

[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.

+2

[ontherocks83]

I thought every kid tried doing that when their parents weren't looking. Or was that really just me? Thought sure as hell I could find a way to dive to the bottom of the pool and stay there.....I was very wrong

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.

[Adventurebound]

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

[engine1218]

Bond, James Bond.