oil less Compressor for Diving

[Me]

Any one know where to get good info for using a oil less compressor for air supply to cleaning the hull in less than 5 to 10 ft water.
Saw a web site for this and other cool things like water maker,generator and other cool tricks to build things mostly for sailboats.

 

[jackhartjr]

I would be careful doing such a thing. Air for diving needs to be filtered just right. For example, you would not want to be using a gas engine making the air and the exhaust winding up being in the air you breathe!
Not to mention the regulator being a good one.
Jack

 

[garylinger]

As a diver and SCUBA instructor, I would recommend NOT using a compressor unless you purchase one that is made specifically for that purpose (referred to as surface supplied air). What a lot of people do, especially some of the commercial boat cleaners, is to use a SCUBA tank left on the boat or the dock with a long hose going from the 1st stage regulator to the 2nd stage (what you put in your mouth). The only thing is that any reputable dive shop is going to only sell this equipment to a certified scuba diver.

 

[Hermit Scott]

I saw a website that said you could use a $100 air compressor from Home Depot as long as it's oiless. Scuba tanks are filled with high pressure oiless compressors, I don't know if they are using synthetic rings, filtering the air after it's compressed or what. Maybe Gary can shed some light on the details.
One thing I would do with out worry is use a diaphram pump for a surface air supply.
A hookah is something I looked into a bit. (hookah-not a hash pipe, a surface breathing set up)
By all means if you have never scuba dived before go take a class in a pool first and get some instruction so you can see how not to blow your lungs up.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Gary's close

If you look in sailing magazines and other sources, there are plenty of compressors that are made for your intended use - for ONLY doing your bottom and not diving too deep. Of course you need to use great caution and do your own homework on these things.

That said, many of the bottom cleaning services here use either engine driven or electric compressors for diving when cleaning hulls. Because it is so difficult to get up on docks from the water, and there are no ladders (a whole separate marina safety issue which really bears a separate discussion), the bottom cleaning divers here in the San Francisco Bay area that I've seen in th past 25 yars rarely use scuba tanks because they are so heavy.

Why not find one or two of them in your area, call them on the phone and ask what they use?

Now for the disclaimer: I am NOT a professional or recreational diver, did some scuba in Hawaii years ago, wish my busted eardrum could take more depth because I just LOVE it down there. Too bad I'm limited to only snorkeling! :cry:

PS - and "me", why not sign up as a registrant here, it's a great place for info and purchasing marine related stuff.

 

[garylinger]

Re: Gary's close

The air compressor and fill system we use in the dive shop where I work (Divers Source, Owings, MD) uses a 4 stage system using NON PETROLEUM oil with a set of filters that remove any impurities (oil, water). It also monitors for carbon monoxide. I would NOT use anything other than an electric compressor and even then you have to watch where the air is taken from. If it is running near any boat engines that are running you could die. The cost of a surface supplied system is probably much more than a tank and regulator with the extra long (25 to 30 foot hose). Anybody who uses any of these systems should have some instruction first otherwise you risk serious injury or death.

 

[Ross]

Re: Gary's close

Gary, I seem to remember reading that CO poisoning can happen at much lower concentrations with pressurized air than with surface pressure air. Is this correct or is my memory failing?

 

[Buck420]

Well, Me ...

Any one know where to get good info for using a oil less compressor for air supply to cleaning the hull in less than 5 to 10 ft water.
Saw a web site for this and other cool things like water maker,generator and other cool tricks to build things mostly for sailboats.

Like Gary, I am a certified scuba diver (open water,nitrox). I do have a small A/C oilless compressor installed in my 420. I run my generator to power it at anchorage, but, I do use it for exactly what you describe.

However, as Gary says, I would first suggest that you get certified (I suspect that you're not, because if you were, you wouldn't be posting the question in the way that you are). Secondly, as Gary says, it would be simpler, cheaper and (for most people) more practical to simply use a scuba tank on your boat w/ a 30-50' length of hose to a second stage regulator.

The folks at almost any dive shop can answer all your questions and help you put together whatever system you determine will suite your needs best.

 

[shemandr]

FWIW I do my bottom on my 356 with a snorkel, mask, suction cups and a scrubber. Its fun, good excercise, simple and safer than breathing compressed air. And you don't have to be an athlete. I'm 53 and 240lbs. I am a good swimmer. I am a certified diver but its too complicated to don the tank and associated gear, including weight. Also I don't like the idea of diving - anywhere, anytime - alone. As for the long hose, I know folks who do this, and I may try it but I think I would be bothered by the teather nature of the hose.

 

[garylinger]

Anytime you breath CO it is bad, especially in higher concentrations. When you breath it at greater pressures (not tank pressure but atmoshperic pressure - 1 atm. at sealevel, and an addtional atmosphere for each 33 feet of depth in salt water) the greater the risk of adverse reaction (poisoning, death). Even pure oxygen becomes deadly before reaching a depth of 33 feet!

 

[Stu Jackson]

Not to belabor the point, but...

Even pure oxygen becomes deadly before reaching a depth of 33 feet!

Please find me a boat with a 33 foot deep keel.

All of the responses are well meaning and insightful, and they all mention the three most important things "me" needs to know:

safety, safety, safety

That's VERY important, but may be missing the mark for what he and others may be attempting to do. Gary and those professionals and scuba certified folks really know their stuff, and are sharing important advice. shemandr does what I do, when it's warm enough! Those "Hold Tights" really help when doing the bottom and snorkeling is fun! Save yourself a lot of $$ by doing it that way, first, and perhaps then and only then figure out if it's worth all the $$ and hassle and safety issues involved with anything more complicated.

BTW, it really would help if you, "me", would bother to tell us what size boat you are talking about. Please see this important post about this website message board: http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=101369

 

[Hermit Scott]

Renting the gear is really pretty cheap. I think a tank full of air was $8 and a regulator was $15 or $20. I was scraping off a reef so I stayed down for an hour and used a whole tank of air. They were kind pissed when I brought back a tank that was completely empty. They said it could have water in it now. I actually finished emptying it on the dock, because that's what I do with welding tanks. Anyway they tried to charge me $75 for a visual inspection fee. I was like 'good luck getting that from me, you should have put those instructions on the bill'. Turns out they will let it slide once.

 

[myerssl]

Hookah

What your looking for is called a Hookah. A surface compressor, with a regulator. You can find them at many dive shops and on-line sites. A good explanation of the requirements is located at: http://www.keeneengineering.com/pamphlets/howhookah.html

As the others mentioned, no matter the depth, it would be wise to get certified for SCUBA first. What many people do not realize is that 0 - 33 feet is where the most pressure change occurs which can easily cause lung over-expansion injuries.

Steve (active dive master for Outrageous Diving).

 

[flhunterowner]

Good Lord $75.00 for a VIP. We ued to get $10.00 for doing a tank about 5 years ago. If they are concerned about moisture, there is no reason to do a complete inspection either. Even a complete inspection on an aluminum tank only took about 20 minutes.

 

[MoonSailer]

profit centers!!! It is hard to make a living out of a dive shop so anything that they can charge money for and require is a good thing from their viewpoint. Selling air fills won't pay the bills!!!! They make most of their money from selling equipment to new divers. Visual inspections take just a few minutes. Just open the tank and look for corrosion. Some shops replace the O-ring . A great way to make a profit. One shop really pissed me off. I had just paid them $30/tank for a hydrostat test and they insisted that I also had to pay for a visual....f**king ripoff. They do a visual as they do the hydrostat anyway. But the dive shop wanted to stick me for everything they could. It kind of takes the fun out of scuba diving when the dive shops stick it to you every time you walk in the door. I never did business with that dive shop again and went to another shop 20 miles away where the shop owner was more reasonable. He realised that repeat business was better in the long run. Shops also lose business to on-line scuba marketers as everyone dislikes being ripped off by the local shop. Hooka rigs are a real threat to some dive shops. Buy online and with no need for tank fills they get no business at all.

 

[myerssl]

Most dive shops in North Carolina charge between $10 - $15 for a VIP. FWIW, for legal reasons most shops require that the person who does the VIP be certified by a certified PSI/PCI technician.