Regulators with 30' Hoses ???

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OldFatGuy

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I am completely new to the forum and certified back in the 80's and since getting out of the navy I have just snorkeled in area lakes.

My boss has recently certified and has a setup with 3 regulators and a gauge on it. One of the regulators has a 30' clear hose. He now wants a couple more of these so he and his wife can just dive from tanks floating on the surface as opposed to carrying tanks. Can we just swap the hoses on the other two ?

What do I search for to locate this ?

I also found a product called a "SCUBA Two" . Has anyone ever used these ? I couldn't find any feedback or discussion on the 3 or 4 forums I searched.

I am very rusty on all the equipment so any newbie bashing is welcome :)

I was able to dive (mask fins only) in a lake yesterday where I could actually see beyond my fingertips and am thinking about a refresher course.

Thanks

Gerald Austin
 
OldFatGuy:
I am completely new to the forum and certified back in the 80's and since getting out of the navy I have just snorkeled in area lakes.

My boss has recently certified and has a setup with 3 regulators and a gauge on it. One of the regulators has a 30' clear hose. He now wants a couple more of these so he and his wife can just dive from tanks floating on the surface as opposed to carrying tanks. Can we just swap the hoses on the other two ?

What do I search for to locate this ?

I also found a product called a "SCUBA Two" . Has anyone ever used these ? I couldn't find any feedback or discussion on the 3 or 4 forums I searched.

I am very rusty on all the equipment so any newbie bashing is welcome :)

I was able to dive (mask fins only) in a lake yesterday where I could actually see beyond my fingertips and am thinking about a refresher course.

Thanks

Gerald Austin

Try searching for SNUBA.

Personally, I don't like the idea. Granted there are cases when surface-supplied air is a good idea, but you still have all the same risks as SCUBA, so should have all the same training. SNUBA systems are increasingly marketed to folks who have no idea of the dangers.

But that's just my opinion.
 
It sounds a lot like the Snuba system or even Brownie's Hookah where you actually float a compressor. I just don't understand the problem with carrying a tank on your back. There's the depth limitation and the chance of hose entanglment. I look at this as complicated snorkeling at best.

I would definitely recommend a refresher course as a lot has changed equipment-wise in the last two decades.

Bobby
 
They're great for pool and boat work/cleaning.

Eliminates banging into delicate, smooth and pretty surfaces.

Other than that, pure goch.
 
One issue with a hookah system is that if the compressor quits, you lose your air supply so a bailout bottle is a good idea. Also you need to be wary of carbon monoxide from the compressor engine's exhaust getting sucked back in the air intake which can be an issue with some systems in some wind conditions.

Performance wise a first stage at surface level does not adjust the intermediate air pressure to accommodate increased ambient pressure at depth, so second stage performance gets worse the deeper you go. That, hose lenght, and compressor capacity makes them a shallow water proposition only.

Unless you have aback injury that precludes lifting tanks etc. I'd stick with Scuba. Also if you go the hookah route, you still need someone to lift and carry the compressor and float, so you need a buddy with a strong back.
 
I have gotten bad air from a hookah...kinda tasted like exhaust. Immediately switched over to standard scuba.
 
Another option is to use a scuba tank with a reg and a long hose to the second stage.

We do this sometimes for surface supplied commercial dives and use 100' hoses, mostly for more lateral mobility, not for the 100' depth potential as you still have limits related to a fixed IP and a steady increase in ambient pressure at depth.

To make it work well at moderate depths, you need a quality high performance first stage with the IP set at 145 to 150 psi and a high performance balanced second stage that will still offer decent performance at comparatively low intermediate pressures.

To make it safe, you need a tender on the boat and either a really big air bank or a manifold that lets the tender work with two tanks with the ability switch out one tank while the other continues to supply gas. In a pinch, a suitable gas block can serve as the manifold on the surface, but a suitable gas block will run you $350-$400 and you can make up a manifold for a lot less.

To make it safer, a bailout bottle and a gas block to enable the diver to quickly switch from surface supplied gas to bailout gas is a good idea.

Of course all that gets to be pretty complicated so unless there is a need to stay down for extended periods or to cram yourself into restricted spaces to work in areas where you just would not fit wearing a tank, scuba makes a lot more sense.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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