help with Hookah compressors...

[Graeme Tolton]

G'day all

Next year I plan to clean my boat using the increasingly popular hookah-type setup and would like to ask some advice about the compressors people use before purchasing one. I need to get a compressor for paint spraying in a couple of weeks so rather than get two, I'm looking for one that can be used for both purposes (paint spraying now & very occasional shallow diving in the future). I should point out that the diving will only be a couple of hours every couple of months (to clean a hull with draft of 2m). I plan to get all the proper equipment and take a course prior to doing anything dive-related, including getting the other components (I'll also be hoping for advice on these in due course), but I'm ready to get the compressor now.

My question is, would a compressor with the following spec be suitable as a hookah-type compressor to be used as outlined above (assuming all the correct filters/hose/regulators etc):

2.5HP oil-free w/ 50 litre reciever tank
f.a.d. 8.8cfm
10 bar max pressure

Any feedback on suitable compressor spec would be gratefully received, thanks.

Wolf

If you plan on taking a scuba course, why bother with surface supply? Fwiw rent gear when you need to clean the hull. One al80 should last 1 1/2-2 hrs at 4 m.

 

[Dave Chicagp]

Here's a related question, in that paint is involved. Can I use a diving hookah as a positive air pressure respirator when epoxying down below on the boat (in the boatyard) and use the same rig to dive and clean the bottom of the boat? If so, any issues about which I should be aware?

 

[frogman62]

Dave, If the compressor is truly a diving Hookah compressor, you can use it safely for breathing air with a full face mask. You want to be able to keep the air on your face free from the fumes of the epoxy, just like the fire fighters use a full face mask to protect them from toxic smoke.
There is no reason that a full face mask designed for diving can't be used for breathing air on the surface or in the hold on your boat. However , don't attempt to use an face mask for fire fighters under water, as it is not designed for that purpose.