Breathing underwater(7ft) diy?

[Ivan275]

I was wondering if it's possible to crazy glue or duct tape something for under $100 together that would allow a person to breath under no more then 10 feet (possibly no more then 7 feet) of water for hours? This will be in a river and I'll be in the same few feet area, so once I set up I won't need to move much.

I was first thinking of just running a 1 inch hoes from a snorkel to the surface and just breth... but I realized that I'll be breathing the same air and CO2 lvl would get to hight.

Now I'm thinking of adding a 1 way air valve to the top of the snorkel (it has one already on the bottom) so I will take in air from top and exhale it all threw the bottom, so there won't be any CO2 build up. Also now thinking of adding a small 12v blower fan to the end of the hoes to help force air into my lungs.

But I read some ware, something about air pressure not being equal in your lungs and what you inhale threw a long snorkel, and that it won't work...???

Any recommendations? Ideas? Personal experience?

 

[jonnythan]

Sure!

Take a SCUBA class and they'll teach you how

 

[do it easy]

From my own personal experience with a swimming pool and a garden hose, it gets pretty tough to breathe once you get down below 3 feet. I was only inhaling from the garden hose and would exhale into the pool since I didn't want a garden hose rebreather.

For under $100 you could probably rent some scuba gear, with the proper credentials.

 

[amascuba]

You're not going to be able to breath with a snorkel system system in 7 - 10 feet of water. The water pressure surrounding your chest will prevent that. what you need is a hookah system. Basically a compressor that will send you clean, dry, breathable air to a second stage regulator. The compressor could be gas driven and setting on a floatation device if it's small enough.

Standard air compressors, like you would air up a tire, won't give you a clean enough air because of the moisture and oil that doesn't get filtered by those compressors. Unless you are able to modify one to do that for you. I'm not going to act like an expert and tell you how to do it, because I'm not sure. I'm not a compressor expert.

BTW, This could possibly get you killed if you do it wrong. I can't be held liable with what you do with this information. Do this at your own risk.

 

[jonnythan]

http://www.scuba.com/shop/product.asp_category_152_categoryname_Hookah+Systems

A hookah system like that is probably what you ideally want, though some simple SCUBA gear and tank rentals will be cheaper.

In either case, you really do need to get some SCUBA instruction first. Take a local class.

 

[amascuba]

Yep. I would agree. Take some scuba instruction and see if you can buy a set of used scuba gear from the shop for cheap if all you are going to do is be sitting at the bottom of a river.

 

[Ivan275]

getting scuba gear would run more in a long run, take classes, purchase equipment, weekly air refills, I will be under water at least 12 hours a weekend during summer(that's a lot of tanks to bring alone with me)...

I've used a hooka setup before and it worked perfect. I guess what I need to find is a used T80(http://www.keeneeng.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=T80&Category_Code=ACS) compressor and a 3HP gas engine, air lines, regulator and maybe a reserve tank. And go hooka (I can get all for $600 brand new) at least 1/2 off used.

I was hoping for something cheap...

 

[jonnythan]

That might work just fine.. but I still say you gotta take the class. Don't know what you don't know.

I notice the compressor only does 45 psi, and at 10 feet that'll be dropping to more like 40 psi. Most regulators I know of work with an IP of 100-140 psi [though I notice that sites sells regulators for the T80].

 

[amascuba]

12 hours at a time? or 12 hours off or on? That could possibly be dangerous.

Also, I've done a 20 foot dive for 1 1/2 hours and been in 10 foot pools for 2 1/2 hours at a time. It's probably not as bad as you think. As far as weekly airfills. You could see about working up something with the local LDS. Most shops that I've seen ask $5 for an air fill.

 

[Walter]

getting scuba gear would run more in a long run, take classes, purchase equipment, weekly air refills, I will be under water at least 12 hours a weekend during summer(that's a lot of tanks to bring alone with me)...

I've used a hooka setup before and it worked perfect. I guess what I need to find is a used T80(http://www.keeneeng.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=T80&Category_Code=ACS) compressor and a 3HP gas engine, air lines, regulator and maybe a reserve tank. And go hooka (I can get all for $600 brand new) at least 1/2 off used.

I was hoping for something cheap...

Where should I send flowers?