Breathing underwater(7ft) diy?

[Ber Rabbit]

My brother-in-law, when he was a kid, rigged a "diving bell" out of a 55-gallon drum with a plexiglas window, some hose, a wad of cotton and a standard air compressor. He and my husband took this thing to 30-35 feet in the lake by their parent's cottage. Having done it my husband says he can't believe they weren't killed just from the amount of oil in the air from the compressor; the cotton was stuffed in the hose to absorb the oil. Going cheap where your life is on the line is generally not worth it unless you're putting the money you save into the payment for a larger life insurance policy
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

We used to swim in the Southern California Edison canal. It had been cut through the side of a mountain, so there were sheer cliffs on either side of it. We used a bedsheet for a parachute, once. It worked good for a couple of us, and them my friend Brent decided to try it. One of the corners slipped out of his hand and he ricocheted down the side of the cliff all the way to the bottom and then fell into the canal with a "plop." We were laughing ourselves sick, but we jumped in and fished him out. LOL

 

[DennisW]

I'll send a card. A Darwin Award card.

 

[Lightning Fish]

What will you be doing at 7 feet for hours at a time?

 

[Ivan275]

What will you be doing at 7 feet for hours at a time?

Well I will be dredging for gold. When I said 7 feet that was ment to be the max depth. Here is a picture, currently all I can do is what the guy on the right is doing with a snorkel and what I'm aiming for in the guy on the left(feet visible from under water)

 

[red_barbarian]

I'll tell you what I have seen sailboat diver/clearners do. Hook up your compressor to an old reg. I have seen them do this w/ no intermediate filter but for a few bucks you could run the air thru some sort of filter device. For your application get an old metal second stage filter, they need 140 lbs air pressure coming in, you can probably get your compressor to 120 pretty easily, fiddle with the reg until it breathes easy. Make sure you have a buddy watching in case of CO issues. I think if your in too long hypothermia is going to catch up with you, from your pic it looks like your dredgeing in the Sierra's, that moving cold water will cool you off very quick. You can pick up an old Dacor, White Stag or other non-supported reg on ebay for very little. Your largest expense should be the air hose. and the fittings. The better alternative is to buy a built hookah system and an old metal reg on ebay and put it together. Just because the old equipment work work at 100ft under w/ no failures doesn't mean it won't work for you as long as you can stand up, if it does fail who cares? You may get a little chocked up but sit back fix your gear enjoy the sunshine and let your buddy go to work.

 

[Darnold9999]

Watch the oil in the compressor, you really don't want to be breathing that stuff.

In the picture two are in water one out. Seems like a good idea to me. Seem to recall that is how commercial divers do it. A line tender and a diver.

 

[moneysavr]

Hooka system,
looks like fun! just dont kill yourself with fumes from the gas motor on the air rig or oil vapor,Your not realy diving, but a full face mask set up would realy rock!
Man I hear you can find a chunk sometimes worth several hundred so it would be worth the money for a good rig as I am sure you could sell it to the next guy for the same price!
Looks hard on the knees!
Is the water cold?
good luck and be safe!
Brad

 

[Lightning Fish]

Well I will be dredging for gold. When I said 7 feet that was ment to be the max depth. Here is a picture, currently all I can do is what the guy on the right is doing with a snorkel and what I'm aiming for in the guy on the left(feet visible from under water)

That looks hilarious! Best of luck. Perhaps you could post some of your findings for us.

Bill.

 

[Diver0001]

I was hoping for something cheap...

Then I guess you're digging around in the wrong rivers.... LOL

Interesting hobby. That river looks just like one where I grew up. It's all full of gold too but nobody has the patience to get it out. If you give me 1/2 I'll tell you where it is.....

R..