Shallow dive gear

I do not use a release valve. 30 metres of hose and a storage tank probably handle the situation. I turn on the switch on my rig when I get into the water, put the reg into my mouth and breathe. Then you just have to breathe and not hold your breath. When you first start you will always over breathe, you have to make an effort to breathe normally. One thing I did not mention previously is That I use a harness to tow the hose about and an extra flexible hose to the reg. The hookah hose is very stiff and if you use that to the reg it tends to want to pull the reg from your mouth. Strangely I bought the flex hose from Britain!

There are regular threads on Hookahs on the Cruiser and Sailing forums. I contributed to them a few years ago. Here is a current one, http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f61/dive-hookahs-110569.html

The Poms are easy to pick on this thread! We are all going to die!

fstbttms is always worth reading and he gives the part numbers of the Thomas pumps he is using in his business of hull cleaning. Lets remember that this thread is all about working under our yachts and not ridiculous depths. Use Youtube as well for heaps videos on Hookahs.
 
The pump is the same one sold on eBay connected to a normal snorkel by a length of hose I mentioned previously. Its an aquarium pump, probably do the job for shallow dives. The hose would be better if it was made for a hookah. The hose is the critical part of the rig and it is important it does not pass sunlight. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Divers-A..._Scuba_Diving_Snorkelling&hash=item3f0e6c7a34
Go 10mm and gain a bit more reserve. The regulator has to match the pump pressure. A normal 2nd stage has an opening pressure of 80 pounds or so. If you stick to the same pump and reg as the bought ones then there will be no confusion.
 
Just a note for people who may be assembling their own hooka gear. Another mate turned up yesterday with his gear complaining about not getting enough air! He has the same Thomas pump as my setup but bought a hookah reg off Ebay. The reg he bought was for a high pressure motor driven hookah with an opening pressure of 140 pounds! If your using a high volume, low pressure pump then the reg has to have opening pressure to suit, around 15 to 20 pounds or so.

He needs to dive within the next couple of days and reckons he would just use the hose in his mouth like the island commercial divers do. I assured him it would be easier and safer to borrow my reg.
 
Agreed you would need a low pressure regulator operating between 15 & 20psi. The pump I identified gives about 150l/min and 1.2 bar or 18psi which is slightly more than atmospheric. That would be why some just breathe from the hose and some set ups just use a snorkel with a purge valve. A trial with that set up would be worth trying as a complicated demand valve seems un necessary (and expensive if it doesn't work!)
Can't find suitable breathing hose at a reasonable price.
 
 
That's helpful. The pump they are using is 160l/min and the one. I had selected is 150l/min so practically little difference except in cost. I certainly don't intend going to 10m. This set up is to help make a job that I usually do just below the surface using a snorkel a bit easier.
Are you still intending to purchase one of their kits when in the US? You could be our test pilot!
 
Test update ........

I thought I would put the theory to the test........ and it is still exactly that. I have not established whether this will work or not.

I managed to get hold of a BOYU membrane/diaphragm pump, 10 mtrs of respirator hose, and a snorkel with a purge valve.

The pumps output is 150L/min and 0.12MPa (17.4 psi or 1.2 bar)

The pump seems to deliver more air than is needed and purge valve allows the excess out of the end of the air line. This prevents pressure building up in the hose.

When you inhale you appear to be able to simply take the air you need from quite a neutural pressure in the hose.

I would imagine the excess air coming out of the snorkel purge valve will be a nuisance but I imagine you could pipe that away a bit.

When you exhale, it is discharged with the excess air out through the purge valve.

I have tried this for several minutes, not in water, but standing in my garage! My only observations were that when I wasnt inhaling I could feel slight pulses in the air pumping through the hose, caused by the compressor. This went as soon as you started to inhale, which may be improved if I used a longer hose or used some sort of receiver.

I'm going to experiment with it a little more and if I get positive results I'll consider giving it a test in water and eventually establish whether I would use it to assist with a hull scrub.

Now where do I apply for that Darwin award?

snorkel.jpg
 
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