I would like to make my own hookah setup....is it this simple?

[corman]

Not grasping at anything. I just can't find another source other than brownies and their related suppliers. I need 1. A supplier name 2. A website 3. A contact # 4. The model # of the hose. That would be that. All the hose I see out there being supplied is brownies hose. Frankly there isn't even a way to differentiate that either. Just an assunption based on price. O

 

[fstbttms]

Brownie's is not the only hookah supplier by any means, there are lots of 'em. You could do all this legwork yourself, but since I'm a nice guy, I'll help you out:

Brownies Third Lung Hookah Diving Systems
Keene Engineering, manufacturer of mining, prospecting, diving equipment and more!
About us | Powerdive Worldwide
Air Line Diving System | The Air Line by J. Sink
Hookah dive gear featuring direct drive hookah dive systems by the Air Line
Sea Breathe, The Electric Snorkel
Hookamax Dive Systems
Super Snorkel

Most of these places will carry the yellow Synflex hose. Again, if you want the good stuff your LDS or a commercial dive supply is the place to go:

http://diving.amronintl.com/products.cfm?categoryid=114&industry=Diving

 

[Spimon]

So my research has actually found something useful now..

It seems lead :yuck: is the industry standard stabilization agent for 'regular' PVC.
PVC degrades as a result of exposure to UV radiation, directly proportional to the surface area exposed.
As PVC breaks down it releases small amounts of hydrochloric acid which the lead absorbs.

A short time ago the risk of toxicity in PVC blinds was closely examined due to the large surface area exposed to sunlight. Electrical cords also present a risk. Some garden hoses are now labeled 'safe to drink from' if they do not contain lead. While a drink from the garden hose hasn't killed me, I wouldn't like to breath through the stuff too much.

Medical grade PVC IS in fact different. Medical, or Grade-E PVC is manufactured using alternative stabilization agents and is totally lead free.
Contrary to my suspicion it's not just a marketing tool and must be manufactured according to requirements and issued a SGS (a quality assurance organization) certificate.

So it seems the small additional investment is well, well worth it! Don't breath through industrial hoses!

It's rather concerning how hard some of this information was to find and the lack of warnings on products which we come in contact with daily. I'd much rather a 'not safe for breathing' label on an air hose than a 'hot' label on McDonalds coffee!

My research has come from a variety of online and printed sources. The most concise and a good summary is available at:
Lead and PVC The Reality-Based Community

 

[fstbttms]

So it seems the small additional investment is well, well worth it! Don't breath through industrial hoses!

I tol' ya so! How ya like me now?

 

[corman]

We like you berry berry much. Thanks for the sources. The Amron source was somethng that I have been looking for since day one as it is the only site I have ever seen with an actual description and breakdown of the product this forum has been looking for. And at $1.00 a foot is well worth the investment. Even better as I can customize the length.

 

[fstbttms]

We like you berry berry much. Thanks for the sources. The Amron source was somethng that I have been looking for since day one as it is the only site I have ever seen with an actual description and breakdown of the product this forum has been looking for.

Glad to be of service. As a member of the California Professional Divers Association (an organization I urge all California hull cleaners to join, BTW) I am always concerned about diver safety, especially as regards surface supplied air.

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

Good job fstbttms and Spimon. As my posts stated I have seem guys use it for years, and even though no one seems any worse for the wear (possibly too short time of exposures, or damage just hasn't caught up with them yet) but this discussion led to actual information. The fact that a source will not give the ok for a hose to be used for breathing is more of a liabilty for them since they don't know and their hose is for other uses. The make up of a hose and what happens due to exposure of UV's and breakdowns is solid info that will affect my future usage when I am on SSA.

 

[Spimon]

Totally agree Spd_135. That's exactly why I was skeptical (I'm the type to question The Man). Just because something doesn't specifically say it IS safe for a particular use, doesn't mean it's NOT safe...but in this case it turns out there are better choices.

 

[Nevek]

Awesome discussion everyone.....looks like I will slowly be piecing this together. Next step is to decide if this old regulator is worth rebuilding/using of if I should buy another one.

 

[Nevek]

We like you berry berry much. Thanks for the sources. The Amron source was somethng that I have been looking for since day one as it is the only site I have ever seen with an actual description and breakdown of the product this forum has been looking for. And at $1.00 a foot is well worth the investment. Even better as I can customize the length.

Which one of their hoses are you going with?