Right, not to "bump" per se, but rather I'm going to hijack this thread entirely:
I've got 4500 cultured staghorn corals to plant to 10~20' depth in Montego Bay (Jamaica) and I own 15 tanks and a 17' 1968 Montauk (Boston Whaler) with a new-ish Yamaha 60Hp four-banger. I have one great guy that works with me and I need to bring on another proper blood-knuckes coral guy (girl, actually), possibly two. Three divers doing 3(?) tanks each will eat 9 tanks/day, and it tends to be a two-day turnaround to get fills done. Thus hiring the extra people that I need puts me into an annoying logistical bottleneck...
... plus limited space on my little boat.
I don't want to buy a bigger boat, nor rent for that matter.
I don't want to buy nor own more tanks (>$200 each once they arrive), nor a 3000PSI compressor of my own ($3~$8K), nor to hire & oversee a compressor-watcher-person.
... and suddenly a 4-line hookah makes a lot of sense.
Recommendations? Something work-horsey that will last through a reasonably continuous 40~60days slogging.
I'm a little entrepreneurial start-up and money's very much an issue, but so is time & headache & maintenance & down-time & having & trusting the same machine for another 10++ years.
I am Googling Thomas & Gast, appreciating that FastBottom's advice is by now maybe a little dated. Also Brownie/Third-Lung.
I'm Ok spending a few bob on a second (3'd?) battery for di'WeeWhaler, as necessary and/or to keep from having to keep the engine running. I might ask advice on how to wire battery #2 (&3) as we get there.
Thanks-thanks,
Dr.Droid, Ph.D.