Hookah,,,,

[homestead digger]

Ok guy and gals here is a silly question, i have been looking at the hookah systems pretty dang neat setups, have anybody used them?? I'm open water certified to 60 feet, my other question is we didn't cover this in my training or i don't remember does the hookah put the residual nitrogen in your joints and bloodstream like compressed oxygen out of your scuba tanks, being how your air supply is at the surface instead of being on your back and compressed? Thanks.

 

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[stevemc]

Yes, using a hookah is the same as breathing air from a tank, you must stay within the no deco limits. It really doesnt matter, the gases you are breathing get compressed from the depth once in your body. And that has a pressure on the gases, and they act different at depth, than at just 1 atmosphere - on dry land. I have a hookah, and with the stock 5 hp Honda it held about 1/3 of a gallon of gas, and it ran for 3 hours with 2 people. Now I put a 6.5 hp engine on it and it has a 1 gallon gas tank, so I am sure it would last 5-6 hours with 2 people. So either use a dive computer or have the dive tables and obey them. If you are only diving 30' deep, you could do that for hours-all day. But 80' you are only good for 40 minutes on your first dive. They are neat, no heavy tanks, doesnt cost much to run, as opposed to an hour for a tank of air that costs 4.00 or so. They are noisy, compared to no noise from a scuba tank. But they cost a bunch at first to buy, but still not as much as several tanks, backpack/BC and regulator. All the other stuff you need, mask, fins, weight belt, and maybe a wetsuit if cold.

 

[TheRandyMan]

I am in the market for a hookah setup myself. Could anyone recommend a good brand? I have kicked around the idea of making my own as it does not seem too complicated. Anyone have some plans for a nice setup? Thanks for the help! Randy

 

[stevemc]

Check Ebay, in the sporting goods and mining areas. Good deals can be found. Also maybe Craigslist, if you are in an area where people use them. Yes, you could build your own, but you can find a good used one, that has everything already. Keene mining website sells parts, such as the compressors, and fittings. It all adds up fast, that is why I suggest getting a good used one.

 

[ghost95]

Yes, you can build one of these but...if you do be very careful. If you are using a gas engine to power the compressor your filter system must be good. Carbon monoxide is poison as you know but it's effects are multiplied the deeper you go. It can be done but it's probably cheaper to buy a setup purpose built for diving.

 

[Sandman]

I have used hookah for years after I tried it once I sold the tanks. I did keep the BC, weight belts, fins, masks and all the other items. Because hookah will allow you to stay down so much longer you need to take extra care of your downtime. Regardless it never seems like you are down long enough. The engine noise isn't all that loud with a Honda motor and it is a comforting sound. My worst problem was boaters thought it floating there with nobody near by that it must be FREE.

My first one was from Kneen and it worked well. The ones from J-Sink are very good. http://www.airlinebyjsink.com/the-hows/honda-gas-powered.aspx

They also make electric ones if you need silence. I always used my BC and had a Pony tank along with a Spare Air for just incase. Also carried two dive knives to cut fishing line that might get you tangled up. While it costs $$$ to purchase I suggest buying new and it will quickly pay for it self quickly. I always carried a float bag for that anchor or boat motor you will find.

 

[TheRandyMan]

That is some great information, thanks everyone. I am very curious about the battery powered ones as the noise issue seems to be one that has caused people problems at times. I wonder if anyone has ever setup a solar panel on the system to charge the battery, while the system is being used, to extend the battery down time. That sounds like it would be an ideal setup. Maybe even use a glass mat type battery to help extend the down time as well. Anyone tried any of this?

 

[homestead digger]

thanks guys for all the info i have been doing some research and found a place on the net that has some cheaper,, electric and gasoline powered hookah's and 12 volt too i don't how to post the link but here is the web page address http://www.hookamax.biz this place has been in business since 1994 if i read there articles right and they use a FDA food grade air hose. Now if my tax refund check will hurry up and get here its gonna be an interesting summer on my area lakes lol....

 

[Sandman]

All the solar panel systems I've seen would not do any recharging that would be worth anything during a dive. The electric hookahs don't have the power to run as long as gas and the weight of the battery is a down side. The advantage to the electric hookah is you can hunt a private beach without bothering the home owner or use it from your boat at dock side when cleaning your hull. I knew a guy that used an electric for removing the expensive props from boats at marinas.

 

[architecad]

I got my first Hookah past summer and it works great!

Arch

 

[Diamondlar]

Try looking at "Octopumps.com" I bought one last summer and saved over $1000. So far I'm happy with it.

 

[stevemc]

Electric the 110 volt AC ones are good for using at a dock or on a yacht to clean the bottom. The battery ones are a joke. It will use a car battery down very quickly. They used the 12 volt Gast pumps on GMC motorhomes to inflate the rear airbags in the suspension. They are sometimes available, but they have low CFM, and use a lot of juice. I have a 110 volt AC Gast motor with 2 cylinder oilless pump. It the same as the Kenne 110 volt or engine driven pump Gast PCA-10. I think it has 10 CFM which I know from using these, it is more than enough for 3 people, I dont think 4, but maybe if they were just lazing along, not working hard. I bought it to use as a boat cleaning hookah on my yacht, but I have a gasoline powered one, and never used it. If someone needs a 110 volt (plug into the wall or generator, or you could use a big inverter-I dont know how many amps it draws, but can look), I have a perfect running motor with pump attached from the factory. I will sell it for $150 . and you pay shipping. It weighs at least 20 lbs. I have more than that in it. If anybody has an interest, I will take pics and show what the decal says. No hoses have been hooked up to this. I also have the whole PCA-10, with 2 head compressor, and flywheel, crankshaft, fan housing, belt and pulley housing, maybe even a base plate, etc, but heads valve plate(a thin plate made of stainless) has some tiny holes from using it for years around saltwater, and I bought a new one(PCA-10) for $600 or so. The PCA-10 can be fixed, it just needs new valve plates, and gasket set. Otherwise it is fine. It actualy worked fine, but I took heads off and found tiny holes in stainless plates. I would like to get $100 and you pay shipping. I will get pics of that too if any one has any interest. I have a 5 hp honda engine that has the right pulley on it, and cant get the pulley off, I really havent tried hard though. Engine is shot, I think a stuck valve, but you can have that too with the PCA-10, and then have the right pulley. Pm me, Steve.

 

[jiminsandiego]

Another option is called the tote flote. You put a tank in it, roll it to the dive site and throw it in the water. It floats above you while you breath off an airline. Very cheap, silent and safe. Wearing a tank really sucks, and hookah rigs introduce a lot of factors, like gas, maintenence, carbon monoxide etc,etc,etc. At ten feet a scuba bottle will last a long time.
Jim

 

[Silver Surfer]

That is my plan... I have a dive float 3ft x 2ft and plenty of room to strap one of my tanks to the bottom of it.. When, not if (LOL) I get to the point I can return to diving/spearfishing, etc., I want to buy the 200ft hose setup from the Hookamax folks, and then I can just use one of my four tanks. Due to the Interstim device implanted in my spine (just yesterday), I can never dive more than 60 ft again... So why bother with the heavy tanks and all the other crap I used to have to carry around?
Of course, the ideal would be for me to again be able to free dive.. 3 years ago I was good to 70 ft with a bottom time (on a good day) of 3 minutes.. But I highly doubt I will see that again.. But you never know.. ;-)

 

[TheRandyMan]

Is this the type of rig you are talking about?

http://www.toteandfloatdiving.com/

I like this idea a LOT...very quiet, very portable...How long would a 120 cubic foot steel tank let an average person stay down who was not going over 30 feet and not exerting much?

 

[stevemc]

If it was a low pressure 120 and you filled it to 3000 or more, you could probably stay down for 2 hours or more. A high pressure 120, less, but still quite a while.

 

[jiminsandiego]

Silver surfer I would think about buying 200 ft of airline from a dive shop ($1 a foot) and have them attach it to your first stage regulator then use a "Hansen" fitting to attach it to the hose of your second stage to the 200 ft airline. The Hansen fitting will allow you to disconnect your second stage from the airline and you can use the regulator you already have. Anyone buying a second stage for hookah should definitely get a Kirby Morgan $200 from deco diving. (It's the only one you want)
Cheers,
Jim

 

[TheRandyMan]

Man, these are some great tips, especially for me as a near noob wanting to get into some good metal detecting diving action with silence. I do believe the best way is looking like the float n tote with the battery powered units a second place backup option. Found this site yesterday and it seems that, with the right battery (read that very expensive high quality battery) you could get some decent down time.

http://www.keeneengineering.com/buddy.html

But the float n tote appears to be the way to go...great idea on the hoses too, thanks for that tip.