# Hookah dive rigs



## j34035 (Nov 10, 2006)

This past weekend I borrowed a friends BrownieDive 120 volt hookah dive rig to clean the bottom of the boat. It worked really well, and I would like to purchase one, but would like to have one that runs on 12 volts so I can use it away from the dock. Anyone have feedback on what the best unit is out there? Thanks for the help!!
DD


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Gas Powered engine drive?


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## trantor12020 (Mar 11, 2006)

My friend made one up himself. Get a high pressure inflatable dinghy pump (4-7psi), connect a long flexible plastic conduit (used for wiring) to a snorkle, Tee-off near the snorkle top to another short length of conduit and end with a plastic throttling valve. With this throttling valve, you can adjust the bleed-off pressure slightly so that you won't be over pressure by the pump and yet can throttle in if you go deeper. Do not understand estimate water pressure at 4-8 feet below. The snorkle must have an over-pressure one-way valve. That's your safety device in event you shut the bleed-off too much and pump pressure is coming in. You won't want to puncture your lung. Any decent snorkle should have this feature.
This arrangement is good for cleaning even the keel. Depth is depandant on the pump pressure.
There is always an element of risk, its up to you to manage that.
7 feet of water is approx 3.0 psi


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## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

trantor12020 said:


> My friend made one up himself. Get a high pressure inflatable dinghy pump


I wonder if there is any issue of lack of filtering of the air?


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## trantor12020 (Mar 11, 2006)

*Air filter ?*



davidpm said:


> I wonder if there is any issue of lack of filtering of the air?


Air filter/quality shouldn't be an issue. The pump is just a 12V pump from WM. If you put it in proper place then air quality is as what you breathe in. The pump would run hot after 10-20 mins. So that's the dive time. It should be enough to get alot cleaning done and have a break every 15mins.


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

j34035 said:


> but would like to have one that runs on 12 volts so I can use it away from the dock. Anyone have feedback on what the best unit is out there? Thanks for the help!!
> DD


Hookah direct drive scuba diving equipment sales. Hose diving hookah breathing regulators and gear. Hooka hose diving breathing systems, compressors, and gear.

This might work also

Hookah direct drive scuba diving equipment sales. Hose diving hookah breathing regulators and gear. Hooka hose diving breathing systems, compressors, and gear.


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## Fstbttms (Feb 25, 2003)

Also have a look at SeaBreath:

Sea Breathe, The Electric Snorkle

I use an electric hookah every day in my business but have never tried a 12-volt system. For my money they are definitely recreational-level gear and not robust or powerful enough for my needs but for the ocassional hull cleaning or fun dive it might work fine.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

If you're making one yourself, you really want an oil-less compressor design, as the very fine oil that gets suspended in the air of most air compressors is really bad for your lungs.  You also want a regulator at the diver's end...


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

my research led me to believe 12 volt systems are the least effective of the three choices. They can't pump enough air to get you very deep and they use a lot of battery power. So if you are sure you don't need to go more than 10' to 15' and you either have a very big battery or a very short dive time then go for it. Otherwise, think 110 volt or gas.


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## j34035 (Nov 10, 2006)

I dont need very deep dives on our lake as the visibility is really poor, but time enough to do a bottom clean is important to me. The 120 volt rig I used was great, but would really like to be able to use it away from the pier. Maybe driving a 120 volt rig with and inverter would be a solution?
DD


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

that's gonna use up a lot of battery power...hope you got a big battery bank. If you want to use a 120 VAC powered unit, you could always run it from a Honda Generator... or something similar...but if that is the case, why not just get a gasoline powered unit to begin with. 


j34035 said:


> I dont need very deep dives on our lake as the visibility is really poor, but time enough to do a bottom clean is important to me. The 120 volt rig I used was great, but would really like to be able to use it away from the pier. Maybe driving a 120 volt rig with and inverter would be a solution?
> DD


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Once I have the spare money, my solution is this. I already have a Honda 2000 generator. All I need now is an oil-less compressor, a regulator and hose. This is the same setup that the person who did my bottom in Florida used.


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## Richard108 (Sep 30, 2008)

I have a 12 volt Power Snorkel that floats behind you when you are diving. It allows you to dive around an away from the boat. We have just been on a trip to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and used it extensively and found it easy to use and have had no problems. 

Battery life is a bit over an hour on a charge. We have a spare battery and can charge the batteries in a socket in the boat, though battery charging is slow.

The quoted 6m with two diver and 12m depth with one diver is conservative. We can dive to about 8-9 m with two divers though the air gets thinner.

We purchased it in Australia and they can be seen on the following web site 

aquasea.com.au/index_files/12Volt_Power_Snorkel.htm


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## SEMIJim (Jun 9, 2007)

Fstbttms said:


> Also have a look at SeaBreath:
> 
> Sea Breathe, The Electric Snorkle


That looks like a neat thing and exactly what _I'd_ need for our boat, but $1200.00? That ain't gonna happen. (Not saying it's not worth it, mind you.)

Jim


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## j34035 (Nov 10, 2006)

I have looked at the seabreathe 12 volt system, and it looks pretty good, but expensive. The Brownie is about$1000 for the 120 volt system. I have thought about the generator idea, but still think the 12dc system would work for me. Good feedback here, thanks for the thoughts!
DD


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

Watch the run times for 12 volt systems. Deep cycle batteries should only be drawn down to about 50%, maybe 40% for a sealed battery. One of the 12 volt systems, I don't remember which, was using 90% of the battery to get their 1 hour run time. 

And how long will you need to run your generator to recharge that battery? 

I like the small generator as part of a modular system. The 110 volt hooka is the cheapest choice and the generator can be used for other things aboard or ashore. Just watch the fumes!


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## LoTech (Sep 10, 2008)

j34035 said:


> I dont need very deep dives on our lake as the visibility is really poor, but time enough to do a bottom clean is important to me. The 120 volt rig I used was great, but would really like to be able to use it away from the pier. Maybe driving a 120 volt rig with and inverter would be a solution?
> DD


Get a used, cheap aluminum scuba tank and a very long regulator hose, and you'll have enough money left over to get scuba certified so you can have your tank filled.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Yeah, but you keep having to get the tank refilled...



LoTech said:


> Get a used, cheap aluminum scuba tank and a very long regulator hose, and you'll have enough money left over to get scuba certified so you can have your tank filled.


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## trantor12020 (Mar 11, 2006)

For those price quoted, I'll stay with my friend's self-made hookah anytime. Can't really justify that kind of money for ocassional cleaning of hull and keel. But this 12V system is really good for snorkling in shallow water/reefs.


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## pfbanyas (Apr 26, 2000)

For the cost invested a scuba tank or two on a boat with a 50 foot hose in my opinion is your best entrance to being 'safely' equiped for any below the waterline boat maintenance. Yes I realize they need to be filled and that isn't always available but in many 'popular (read not necessarily in the remotest reaches of the world here)' areas there are hotel dive shops, and beach front dive shops, and dive boats anchored who can provide a quick fill. I have two tanks I keep under my bunk down below. If I need it I can pull it out and then refill it and put it back. A mask, weight belt, and regulator round out the picture. On occasion you even get to help others with rope on a prop or fixing something else under the boat. On that rare occasion when something falls from some ones boat in 50 feet you can even be the hero who throws on the scuba tank and rescues it. Of course that implies you have the other necessary gear in your locker for scuba.

If however you want to 'snorkle' away from the boat and can afford it then hookah does seem the way to go.

With all the other monetary hemmoraging I am doing though I just cannot afford the hookah. Be safe and have fun.

Pat
Marguerite


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