simple scuba setup for emergency.

[magna 6882]

So i discovered i grabbed a crab pot line on my shaft when looking with my go pro. I had a diver come and remove it but it was like if the water wasn't so cold i would have just jumped in and removed the line. It got me thinking about simple diving setups mainly some suit to keep me from freezing. I could just hold my breath but a small tank would be nice. Has anyone played with this type of thing.
I am not looking at diving any lower then the keel or out in the open.
Thoughts??

 

[localboy]

Could easily be done with basic gear. Mask, fins...weight belt. I’d prefer a small tank on a BC like a 40, 30 Cu. tank...that way I can control my buoyancy. Or you could use a surface unit like a hookah too. A wetsuit to keep you warm. But you’d have to rinse, dry and store it all. But you could also scrub your own bottom...

 

[tiltrider1]

Before you do this I am going to recommend you take a PADI dive course. Diving is very safe if you have training and very dangerous if you have not had training. You need to learn about the difference between wet suits, dry suits and weights. Jumping in with no weight and you will never make it to the prop shaft. Jumping in with too much weight and you might find yourself stuck to the bottom of the sound.

After the training you will find some simple cost effective solutions.

 

[SteveK]

While I have advanced cert, it has been a while.
So I got as far as thinking about it. A wetsuit back in the day, no way now. Weights, no way without a BC, but then you need a tank. Clean my boats bottom, not. The cost invested for the times it may be handy, Nyet.

if you are going to do it and use weights perhaps ankle weights?

 

[KnotYet]

A hookah is simple and fairly safe. The compressor can stay on board or in the dingy.
No time limit and no tank to refill.

 

[Benthic2]

if you are going to do it and use weights perhaps ankle weights?

Conventional wisdom for diving is to have your weights so that they can quickly and easily be jettisoned with one hand.

 

[SteveK]

Conventional wisdom for diving is to have your weights so that they can quickly and easily be jettisoned with one hand.

well I suppose if you cannot reach your ankles on dry land it may not be a good idea even if they are quick release

 

[tiltrider1]

A hookah is simple and fairly safe. The compressor can stay on board or in the dingy.
No time limit and no tank to refill.

If the goal is to get to the bottom of the boat. The diver is going to need weights. I find weights with out training to be a dangerous combination. I will grant that if you are working on your boat in 15' of water there is very little risk with a hookah set up. What if an inexperienced diver jumps in with 50' water? Does he have the training to get air into his suit before the hookah is yanked out of his mouth from being dragged down by to much weight. Does he know the correct procedure for dumping weight?

I'm not asking for much here. Just a few hours of safety training before messing about in a potentially dangerous setting.

 

[magna 6882]

perhaps a beginner coarse just to get a feel for what i need and can store on board.I did a course 30 years ago and only did a couple. I found it boring.I need to be doing something not just looking around .I did dive in mexico once and the fish were interesting.I just want to be able to check the bottom and maybe cut a line or something.
I really appreciate this forum.

 

[O C Diver]

I have a scuba tank with a long hose between the 1st stage regulator on the tank and the 2nd stage regulator in my mouth. Much prefer to not be banging the tank on the hull or running gear.

Really recommend taking a class so you don't end up dead when you hold your breath and pop to the surface.

Ted

 

[OldDan1943]

A. complete SCUBA gear
B. Tank left on boat and 50-75 ft of hose. I have 4 tanks onboard
C. Hookah. I can use the electric hookah to make sure I am attached to the boat.
I think all would require a BC and weights, if you intend to do some meaningful work.
Dont forget a couple of really sharp knives and maybe a cable cutter too.

 

[DonW28]

If you go for dive gear do yourself a huge favor and get certified and then get in some dives. Being under a boat at sea trying to work is not fun. And in bad/low vis it can get sporting in a hurry. If you are a very inexperienced diver you may regret going over the side. And if there are any seas at all then your prop(s) and or rudder becomes an extremely effective weapon with you as the target. Lots of folks do it safely just know what you are getting into. Don

 

[Nightsky]

Mantus anchors sells a small scuba tank just for such situations as you mention.
https://www.mantusmarine.com/mantus-scuba/

 

[jleonard]

I have a scuba tank with a long hose between the 1st stage regulator on the tank and the 2nd stage regulator in my mouth.

That is what I have also used. 50 ft hose. Soft weight belt and I would run the air hose under the belt so I didn't have to support the hose weight/tension with my mouth. It worked well for the normal underwater duties such as cleaning, changing zincs, etc. Several of my fellow marina mates had borrowed it as well.

And we never got clams using it, that would be illegal

 

[Porgy]

I’m thinking the same as the OP about something simple for emergency use. And doing some research I definitely agree with others about the need for training. There are many things that can go wrong quickly and permanently.

Having said that and making no endorsement, there is a new battery powered hookah called Nemo that I think was mentioned here a while back. It seems more of an alternative to snorkeling than scuba but looks interesting. They have an online training class to use it. I would venture to say it does replace conventional scuba training but would at least expose one to the basics.

 

[Larry M]

We have a 110 VAC hookah with 60' of airline, a 3 mm wetsuit and a weight belt. The hookah can run off the generator or the inverter.

I've tangled lines in the running gear before and thought it would be a quick fix. It's amazing how tight a line can get wrapped around the shaft/prop. A good serrated knife or hacksaw were the only way to cut the line free. (I have been diving for 40 years and certified)

 

[RonR]

As the rest have said a basic course needs to be completed before most dive shops will even fill your tank, if you run a tank. Dad was a Master, my Cousin use to be a Manager at the Lighthouse dive shop and I took my first class when I was 10. For a first time diver I would not use a hookah or lines from the boat as they are easily tangled by the inexperienced, and then panic sets in and things go wrong. One must be in fair shape to even get a wet suit on. And by the time you put on a belt and fins its a small workout before your even in the water. One must have fair swimming skills, many fail the basic swim test. Cost is significate for a basic set up, more cost effective to hire a pro, and most are available in any area but the far remote. PNW waters are cold, dark, and it is very easy to become disoriented when you first start out. If one was to start fresh a hookah set up with suit and everything is about 2k. If you ditch the hookah and go with a BC/tank the cost is about the same for a basic set up. If you still want to do it I recommend the light house to get you started, they have weekend and night classes, most class is in a warm pool, then you take a basic "final" open water class. You could also look for used gear, most often is lightly used and about 1/2 price.

https://lighthousediving.com/instru...urses/open-water-scuba-diver-course-weekends/


On your boat if you had a line cutter on the shaft do you think it would have worked? I think you can have a diver install a two piece for about the same cost as a dive gear set up.


Now if we are talking warm water set up's and clear water its a different story in my book. Even with a good .5-.7mm suit you still get cold in a hurry around the PNW.

 

[cardude01]

I bought a hookah setup with a 50’ hose and a soft belt for cleaning the bottom in the Bahamas and other maintenance. I’m not an experienced diver and have not taken a class, but have always been a strong swimmer, have surfed for quite a few years here in Texas and Costa Rica, etc, etc.

I experimented with it multiple times in my pool with my wife watching. Seemed pretty easy to modulate my breathing.
However, the first time I used it to clean my bow thruster blades and tube in the Bahamas I started sneezing. Maybe I was allergic to all the growth I was cleaning? I don’t know, but the combination of the sneezing and working on a boat moving up and down and looking around for sharks ? made it way more difficult than I had anticipated. Every little problem seems to be magnified underwater when inexperienced. It made me realize I needed instruction and more experience before trying it again. All the divers here told me that, but I didn’t listen obviously.

Anyway, that’s my cautionary tale.

 

[twistedtree]

I think the challenge is that it's a slippery slope.


To not freeze, you need a wet suit.


Wearing a wet suit, you will float like a cork, so you need weights.


Wearing weights, you need to know some basic safety procedures, or get a refresher on them.


To conveniently dive with weights, you need a BC (buoyancy compensator).


To operate a BC, you need an air supply, which you will really need anyway unless you are really fit and can hold your breath for a long time. Otherwise you won't be able to do much of anything before you need to come back up for air.


Now you need an air supply, and can choose between a hookah or tanks. But by now you see that the air supply is only a small part of the problem.


So by far the simplest solution is to call a diver, and that just leaves you exposed if you get tangled up out in the middle of nowhere, and can't limp home somehow. At that point, it's a risk assessment.

 

[ghost]

I would use a mask that fits you and without a snorkel. The hardest part is seeing.

I would bring a good light. The hardest part is seeing.

I would search out and bring a good hacksaw blade. In reality, you won’t be slicing much.

I would bring a Victorinox serrated blade or 3. They are thin, inexpensive and work. Favorites among the professional fishing crowd.

I would bring a good pair of stiff solid fins, like scubapro jetfins. Floppy is for swimming, you want immediate trim control and power right when you need it.

I would wear a wetsuit just thick enough to keep you from freezing and just enough weight to get under but still significantly positive. You want freedom of movement. You will be a bit cold, but don’t worry, you will be working. Wear a hood.

I would tie most of my tools with some short shock cord to my wrist. It’s easy to drop things.

For clearing a line, scuba is not required. If you are not already well experienced and a frequent and recent user, leave it. I leave it because it is not required for the job.

I’ve done the cutting out the line thing more times than I want to admit to. I’ve done it in calm conditions, somewhat rough and I’ve done it after being roused from my bed with the shakes from a full on flu. The hacksaw and serrated blades are by far the most critical parts to getting in and out. You will be working at it longer than you think sometimes.

The biggest risk is getting separated from a boat that can’t retrieve you. Stay next to the boat and have some trailing catch lines just in case.

Scuba, and it’s complications, are just not necessary.

 

[DDW]

I have a battery powered hookah rig, wet suit, weights. It didn't seem that complicated to me. You just have to remember to breath. BC not necessary. Set the weights on the light side so you are slightly buoyant (adjust in shallow water). You are only going about 4 or 5 feet deep. I would only do it in calm water. Free diving, by the time I get to the prop I've only got about 10 or 15 seconds of working time. 3 or 4 of those and you are pretty worn. A lot easier with the hookah, but it is a significant cost to set up.

 

[TJM]

Wow, what a myriad of responses and that is what makes TF great.
Here is what I do for the exact same reasons.
I have 5mm wetsuit with quick release ankle weights to keep my feet down so I am not horizontal. Buoyancy does not change unless I eat to much. NO BC required.
I have a spare air tank that I can hold in my teeth (lanyard around my neck) for those quick overboard tasks like unwrapping a line from a shaft. It can not be tightly wrapped otherwise the spare air is not enough. Spare Air tank provides about 10 minutes of air at relaxed breathing. The spare air tank can be refilled from the 80 Cu ft tank on deck.
Working underwater will labor your breathing pretty quick.
I also have a bright yellow 80 cu ft tank with a 50' foot hose. I have the correct regulators on both ends. I can keep the tank on the boat or throw it in the water, it floats. My 80 tank gives me about 45 minutes underwater.

 

[Alaskaflyer]

The cold water introduces additional difficulty and danger. Much different animal doing this same mission in the Turks and Caicos vs the PNW. Teenagers with simple snorkel gear can and do get under a boat in warm, calm and bright conditions to free stuff and to clean the hull. Dry suit diving (which I enjoy) kills people semi regularly, as does cold water immersion in various other situations.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. Af. Why does a dry suit kill people?


I have a Hooka system that I use to clear weeds in our slip in our Canadian summer (usually on or about July 7th). I will be buying a wet suit, hopefully, this summer. As mentioned, even warm water gets cool and in MY case, all too quickly.


Not terribly concerned about depths as I very, very seldom (OK, never) go more than 4' or 5' (max) under but the Hooka allows me to stay under without coming up for air. Breathing compressed air gives me a VERY dry mouth.


If I was to use it for hull cleaning I would look into some sort of head protection unless a hood would suffice.

 

[Benthic2]

Greetings,
Mr. Af. Why does a dry suit kill people?.

The drysuit adds another variable to the bouyancy equation. Some dry suit divers forgo a BC ( bouyancy compensator ) and use their dry suit to regulate their bouyancy. This is workable, but all dive training is based on having a BC so when a problem arises with a drysuit and no BC, your training is of limited value. Then there is the incredibly funny ( as long as you have assistance or training ) of a drysuit diver who gets his legs higher than his head and all the air in the suit moves to the legs. Air in the legs, heavy tank on the back, and you are stuck upside down underwater and unable to invert yourself. If you inflate your BC to make your upper half more bouyant, you end up with a runaway ascent.

Also, if the neck seal on a drysuit doesn't fit well it can put pressure on your carotid artery. I don't know the biological process but this can end up slowing your heart rate and creating a dangerous situation.

Example:

https://www.scubadiving.com/drysuit-disaster-lessons-for-life

 

[GoneDiving]

Seems like a lot of crap to buy and store for rare events.

Perhaps it's better to take up scuba diving, enjoy yourself and have the gear there, ready for whenever other tasks are to be performed.

As a keen diver myself, I can tell you the worst thing for my skills and equipment reliability is leaving gear on the shelf and only using it once or twice a year. Diving with annual holiday warriors terrifies me.

 

[Simi 60]

240v hookah for us
Cost about $250 in bits and 10 minutes to man
Have spent about 20 hours on the bottom using it, an hour at a time
Going in today to scrape prop and rudder.
I always bring her in until we touch at the bottom of the tide so as to walk along the bottom.

 

[denverd0n]

Not terribly concerned about depths as I very, very seldom (OK, never) go more than 4' or 5' (max) under...

Perhaps you already know this (I hope you do), but even at only 4' underwater, when breathing compressed air, if you hold your breath as you surface you will do MAJOR damage to your lungs. "Major" meaning, it could very well be fatal!


Hence the need for some training before using any sort of underwater breathing system.

 

[Porgy]

Not involving scuba but the potential for shallow water drowning can exist diving to accomplish some underwater task.

 

[Alaskaflyer]

How deep you intend to dive is certainly important. Also important is how much water is left below you.

Dry suit divers - even "professionals" - have more runaway ascents, as well as uncontrolled descents, both of which can have consequences ranging from minor to fatal. More complicated systems coupled with physiological factors in cold water.

Plus, you know, they cost a lot.