CESA Hood

[mikerault]

Here is an idea for a scuba gadget...a clear plastic hood with one of those springy round rings at the bottom for use in a cesa...as you exhaled on the way up it would capture the air and let you rebreath it if it was needed...could be weighted to offset the buoyancy of the air volume...

It is based on the Steinke hoods used for ascent from a downed submarine. You slide the hood out of your pocket, snap it to open and place it over your head, as you exhale it fills with the "used" air, which still has plenty of O2 in it, allowing you to breath on the way up. The actual live air volume would be very small, but enough to give you a breath or so, so a 1-2 pound buoyancy penalty would be added to your weights. As the air expands on the way up, it leaks out of the bottom of the hood (it isn't tight around the neck)

Just a thought...with those rings they put on laundry bags that allow them to fold easily but snap open instantly (or like the ones used on some car sunshades) the size would be small when not used and easily stowed.

Of course the full Steinke hood (shown on this page:

http://www.usscasimirpulaski.com/virtualmuseum.htm

)

would be too much, this would just be a heavy clear plastic hood with a snap open end.



Mike

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Here is an idea for a scuba gadget...
//snip
Mike

Interesting thought.

But you've already got one.

Kind of...

There is a controversial technique promoted by some and ridiculed by others whereby you do this exact procedure (minus the pure O2 at startup) using your BC.

From what I've read, the original opponents to rebreathing from your BC based their opposition on the fact that BCs of the day used CO2 inflators, and breathing CO2, even in small amounts, is really bad. However, CO2 inflators are pretty much museum pieces today.

Another problem is that few people keep the inside of their BC clean enough to prevent lung infection. Plus CO buildup in the BC (You might be able to minimize this by incorporating Semi-Closed Rebreather techniques, like exhaling every XX breath into the water) and Buoyancy issues (properly venting the BC while rebreathing it). I'm sure there are other issues I can't think of right now.

I've thought about adding this skill to my toolkit, but it would take some training and practice, and there are plenty of other things to work on first.

 

[mikerault]

I would worry about the fungus that can grow in enclosed dark moist spaces like the BC or Wing...this is the same stuff that grows in a bag pipe bladder and kills many a fine Scottsman...of course some would say playing of the pipes should carry a lifes sentence...but th death penalty is a bit much.

Seriously, I wonder if this would be a good gadget or not?

Mike

 

[Soggy]

Seriously, I wonder if this would be a good gadget or not?

I vote "not."

 

[Ber Rabbit]

It would involve having the presence of mind, while out of air and underwater, to deploy the thing. I'm guessing the people who might actually NEED it would not have the presence of mind to deploy it.
Ber :lilbunny: