Biggest problem I have not scaring critters is my bubbles. In lieu of buying a rebreather, does anyone know of an add-on I can attach to my regulator's exhaust ports to minimize bubble size (and therefore sound) and up-front location? Thinking of a pair of hoses with screens inside that join and then floats above or behind me... silly as that sounds. The only difference between me and a turtle on a reef (besides the turtle being better looking) is my bubbles. Would be able to get 4 times the great shots I do now if I can solve this problem and I'd be a lot less likely to hold my breath as much during shots. Any help would be great.
Bubble minimizer?
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You know, I saw something just like that on a shark show - discovery channel a few years ago. They didn't have any rebreathers, and the discharge of bubbles would scare the sharks, so this guy made up a gizmo.
It had a long tube that went over a shoulder, then hooked to the tank. It was a flattened tube looking thing on the tank that was about 18 inches long, and about 5 inches wide. In the top were a gillion tiny holes. It would continiously "fizz" out of the little holes, take a while for the air to get out.
Probably mess with your buoyancy a bit, and it took a bit for all the air to get out of the thing. Probably take a bit of experimentation.
I found that when I'm starting my approach to the critter, I make sure I've blown out everything, then I make the slowest sipping inhale for a long time, and when I'm full and have to exhale, I've found it's better to make a little humming sound instead of just blowing...
Don't know if either of those will help - but if you do go make a bubble gizmo... make sure you post pictures!
It had a long tube that went over a shoulder, then hooked to the tank. It was a flattened tube looking thing on the tank that was about 18 inches long, and about 5 inches wide. In the top were a gillion tiny holes. It would continiously "fizz" out of the little holes, take a while for the air to get out.
Probably mess with your buoyancy a bit, and it took a bit for all the air to get out of the thing. Probably take a bit of experimentation.
I found that when I'm starting my approach to the critter, I make sure I've blown out everything, then I make the slowest sipping inhale for a long time, and when I'm full and have to exhale, I've found it's better to make a little humming sound instead of just blowing...
Don't know if either of those will help - but if you do go make a bubble gizmo... make sure you post pictures!
lairdb
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I probably don't know as much as I should to be saying anything, but just extending the exhaust would amount to a huge increase in the deadspace in the reg, possibly resulting in partially or completely inspiring gas wth a declining O2 content rather than drawing fresh gas from the tank.
An arrangement with a purge valve at the reg end of the diffuser as well as at the exhaust end might solve this... but it might add exhalation resistance.
Interesting idea, but I'd be careful messing about with it, even at minimal depths; shallow-water-blackout or similar hypoxic outcomes seem a distinct possibility.
An arrangement with a purge valve at the reg end of the diffuser as well as at the exhaust end might solve this... but it might add exhalation resistance.
Interesting idea, but I'd be careful messing about with it, even at minimal depths; shallow-water-blackout or similar hypoxic outcomes seem a distinct possibility.
rndboulder
Registered
The answer is a double hose regulator. Here is a link to fully reconditioned and diveable double hose regs. I dive them almost exclusively.
http://www.vintagescubasupply.com/regs.html
www.vintagescubasupply.com has a great collection of equipment photos and information about double hose regulators.
The bubbles release behind you. They are great for photography and wild life viewing. They also have great style. The Cousteau divers have always used them and still use them today. Good Luck.
-Ryan
http://www.vintagescubasupply.com/regs.html
www.vintagescubasupply.com has a great collection of equipment photos and information about double hose regulators.
The bubbles release behind you. They are great for photography and wild life viewing. They also have great style. The Cousteau divers have always used them and still use them today. Good Luck.
-Ryan
caveseeker7
Contributor
You already said the magic word.
SCR - bubble minimizer (with an additional diffusor available)
CCR - bubble eliminator (purges on ascend only, like DS & BCD)
A single stage reg would get the bubbles out of your sight, but still bubble and be noisy. Nemrod in Spain made them until a few years ago, and they were quite popular with some photographers. The Aqualung Mentor is unfortunately not available to the puplic.
Any hose contraption added to your exhaust-T, with or without bubble diffusor at the opposite end, will affect your regs breathing performance and hence likely the CO2 build-up in your body. Be very carefull with that, hypercapnia is a serious issue (that RB divers also have to deal with).
SCR - bubble minimizer (with an additional diffusor available)
CCR - bubble eliminator (purges on ascend only, like DS & BCD)
A single stage reg would get the bubbles out of your sight, but still bubble and be noisy. Nemrod in Spain made them until a few years ago, and they were quite popular with some photographers. The Aqualung Mentor is unfortunately not available to the puplic.
Any hose contraption added to your exhaust-T, with or without bubble diffusor at the opposite end, will affect your regs breathing performance and hence likely the CO2 build-up in your body. Be very carefull with that, hypercapnia is a serious issue (that RB divers also have to deal with).
Not that I've made one or played with one... but I did see the thing in action. They were shark diving in Cocos islands. Basically, if you removed the exhaust T and ran it up over your shoulder, you would still have a sealed system until the exhaust, so there would be no way you would be inhaling a higher CO2... you're still pulling fresh air from the tank. In effect, you're grabbing the bubbles as they leave the exhaust, and directing them up and behind you. Seems to me that, while yes, it probably would increase the exhalation resistance, if the flow was directed up, they want to go that way. So if designed right, the bubbles will simply flow up into the "catcher" then their buoyancy would carry them up behind you without breathing effort.
I do remember, theirs kinda hinged at the forward point - close to the valve, then as they would get air into it, the tube going along the tank would lift up at about a 30 degree angle. Again - since it's simply "bubble powered" it would not seem like an exhalation effort would increase to the point where you could not exhale into it. In a full upright position, if you had to blow the water down - that would cause a huge exhalation problem. It takes a good blow to get an air bubble to travel down even a foot... but again, if they just follow a flow of up and out - physics tells me it would not have the other issues mentioned.
Still... I just humm...
I do remember, theirs kinda hinged at the forward point - close to the valve, then as they would get air into it, the tube going along the tank would lift up at about a 30 degree angle. Again - since it's simply "bubble powered" it would not seem like an exhalation effort would increase to the point where you could not exhale into it. In a full upright position, if you had to blow the water down - that would cause a huge exhalation problem. It takes a good blow to get an air bubble to travel down even a foot... but again, if they just follow a flow of up and out - physics tells me it would not have the other issues mentioned.
Still... I just humm...
scubatoys:
I saw the same show.
It was a modified "bubble crusher" that has its roots in military diving.
The hose went to a small counter lung that was on the back. I believe this prevented any exhalation resistance, but did look funny when the dude exhaled as this thing would pop up behind his head.
The crushing was done by filtering the air through those scotch brite pads you clean dishes with. It turned the large bubbles into a fizz. It is not really the bubbles that scare the fish, as much as the noise of the bubbles breaking as they expand.
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