Surface Air Supplied Diving-anybody Done It?

[uptou]

Whilst i was looking around the net for diving equipment,i came across a site that sold surface air supplied gear,air pumps,hoses etc,which was kind of interesting,even if i'm not about to buy any of it.The air pumps were pretty cheap.

Anybody tried this kind of diving for fun,or work,& are their certain procedures that should be followed as in scuba?

[khunandy]

Whilst i was looking around the net for diving equipment,i came across a site that sold surface air supplied gear,air pumps,hoses etc,which was kind of interesting,even if i'm not about to buy any of it.The air pumps were pretty cheap.

Anybody tried this kind of diving for fun,or work,& are their certain procedures that should be followed as in scuba?

Its quite popular in Western Australia when diving for crayfish (lobster), locally refered to as a "Hooka" set up.

I was on a workboat in the river mouth at Songkhla (Southern Thailand) once and saw a canoe with a clapped out old petrol pump chugging away with hoses going over the side, after a while up pops a diver with a modified bucket with a perspex eye visor and chin strap. he was diving (feeling around for) scrap metal on the river bed.

If you have seen the river (sewer) I am talking about it was indeed the most bizarre and dangerous way to make a living I had seen in a long time. 10 points for ingenuity though.

[Jareddiving]

It's called SNUBA..

[britmaveric]

Done inside a pool before, deepest bit 20ft.

[up-country_sinclair]

I enjoy diving, but my wife is only an average swimmer and simply isn't ready for it. However, I came across a company in Phuket offering SNUBA, which is something she could definitely handle.

Has anyone gone out with the SNUBA company in Phuket? If so, what did you think?

[Zoggie]

Up country,

It would most likely kill her. If she can't get into the water with normal instruction don't do it.

I used to be a diving instructor. What I'd do if I were you, is hire gear, get a shallow pool and let her mess around at her own pace till she gets comfortable. Being a good swimmer is not a requirement to be a diver. She just needs to figure out she can breath underwater.

Teach her the three rules:

Equalize early and often

Don't hold your breath

And never ever panic

And don't hound her, just give her the time to figure it out at her own pace. All you need to do. If she's feeling claustrophobic take of the mask and let her putter around without it.

[lujoyalin]

Done it of a back of a boat at only around 10 metres of water.Its good your not lugging around a tank and bcd.Just throw on some weights and jump in.the only downside is running out of hose which is usually 100m .Its good for cleaning hulls.great fun on a hot day.

[Chinavet]

I did a few years pro diving for abalone in W. Australia as a young bloke. A typical homemade hooka was a honda motor driving a Clisbee air compressor (don't use mineral oil). The air filter was just pipe stuffed with sanitary pads. Yes new.

We would use a couple of hoses 100-130m and work each side of the boat. For recreation divers, a single hose with a couple of 10m hoses off a T piece at the diving end is a good option. I did not learn scuba until in my 30's in Asia.

I agree with everything Zoggie has to say. A hooka is a great easy way to get new/uncomfortable divers started in a pool or from the beach.

They are terrific for freedom without all the kit, even a buoyancy compensator is not needed. A good way for divers to slow down and really enjoy an area of the bottom instead of powering around. Drift diving is another option with the safety of staying attached to the boat. Navigation and boat location stop being issues, just follow the hose back up, or you can pull yourself back against a strong current. If you stay inside one atmosphere, dive as long as you like, no computers, no worries.

It was also mentally comforting (in the Southern Ocean) to know the sheller in the boat could give the hose a couple of tugs if he saw big nasties in the water, or at least pull you in if he saw blood.

Even if surface air cuts out at 30+ meters, an experienced diver will notice reduced air supply and start a controlled ascent, knowing there will be another breath or two in the line as the air expands with reduced depth/pressure. A 'spare air' bottle is good insurance and probably essential for the novice.

I have never understood why hooka diving has not been more popular, particularly with boat owners.

Have fun, be safe.

[sanpakwan]

this post is quite old,

but with my experience i would not advise any one to "play" with surface supply air as it can be more dangerous than scuba, designed to work at greater depths with a trained team. there can be a lot of faults with the equipment also .leave it alone unless you know what you are doing.

hse part 3 (uk) used to cover the rules and regs.