Probably 300' of the 34BA Bright Yellow Breathing Hose from Amron International. Or from a competitor if I can find one as the one from Amron is out of stock until Feb 8. I am also seriously thinking to have my existing hose analyzed by a lab to see what if any derrogatories exist. I am very curious about this entire hose business and not looking for shortcut just clarity. Is it possible that the cost to get approvals from OSHA, etc....is not worth it for some industrial hose manufacturers and maybe their hose is perfectly okay. I have the money to do this research so why not. Reports of the study and findings will be made avaailbe here at $50 per (hahahah kidding). Thanks fstbttms for lighting a fire under my you know what.
I would like to make my own hookah setup....is it this simple?
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elmer fudd
Contributor
I think you're probably right on this, but without the testing, who knows? Consider that pneumatic shop hose is in fact used indirectly for breathing purposes all the time. When you operate a pneumatic tool, the air is venting all around you and you are inhaling it. Sure it's more dilute than if you were breathing directly off the hose, but shop technicians do it 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year for years on end.
My guess would be that a visit to an indoor firing range or 15 minutes standing at a bus stop in the days before unleaded gas would result in more lead exposure than breathing off a shop hose. Without the testing however, it's all conjecture.
fstbttms
Contributor
I cannot believe the lengths (and risks) you people will go to to save $100. Jeezus, just buy the friggin' Grade-E hose, for God's sake. 
elmer fudd
Contributor
I cannot believe the lengths (and risks) you people will go to to save $100. Jeezus, just buy the friggin' Grade-E hose, for God's sake.
I don't get why you're upset about it. Let's say he spends the money, gets it tested and finds out the air is chock full o' lead and all kinds of other hazardous chemicals. That's just proof positive for you then isn't it and it makes us all aware of a real diving hazard.
On the other hand, it's also possible the results would come back with no detectable contaminants. In that case we can save the time and money procuring hoses that aren't necessary.
For him there will also be the peace of mind issue. He's been diving with these hoses for 10 years. Presumably, he'd like to know whether he's gotten a dose of chemical contamination in that time.
For me, I don't have any real need for a snuba setup, but I just like to monkey around with things and dive weird gear when I get a chance. I probably wouldn't go out and spend $150 on hookah hoses, but if I could do it with $30 worth of hoses from Lowe's, then it's something I would likely play around with a bit.
That being the case, I'd be interested in the results of his tests.
I'd also be interested for reasons of knowing the safety of these hoses when used in a shop environment. As I mentioned in a previous post, you might not breathe the air directly from a hose in that environment, but you definitely get it second hand.
fstbttms
Contributor
I'm not upset, just a little dumbfounded why anybody would spend the time and money to get industrial air hose tested to see if it meets government breathing hose standards, which has gotta cost many hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to do. And to what end? Even if one were selling hookah/snuba rigs and hoped to increase profits by using cheap hose, you couldn't legally sell any with unrated air hose, regardless of what the lab tests showed. And if one was interested on a strictly personal level, why spend the money for testing? Considering how long a length of breathing hose lasts, you could buy a lifetime supply of Grade-E hose for a fraction of what the testing would likely cost.
And to continue arguing that cheapo, hardware store hose is probably not harmful to use as breathing hose when there is absolutely no documentation showing this to be the case and (more importantly) no self-respecting commercial diver would ever consider using it because of the safety issues? Wow. I just don't get it.
And to continue arguing that cheapo, hardware store hose is probably not harmful to use as breathing hose when there is absolutely no documentation showing this to be the case and (more importantly) no self-respecting commercial diver would ever consider using it because of the safety issues? Wow. I just don't get it.
elmer fudd
Contributor
I doubt the tests would cost that much.
I also doubt the hoses release much if any contamination. The auto repair and pneumatic tool industry is thousands of times larger than the hookah diving industry. Presumably, if these hoses were not safe to breathe off of, we would be seeing the results in sickened automotive technicians.
Of course many times people aren't aware of the environmental hazards surrounding them, but for a product that's been used on this scale for several decades now, I have a tough time believing that.
I also doubt the hoses release much if any contamination. The auto repair and pneumatic tool industry is thousands of times larger than the hookah diving industry. Presumably, if these hoses were not safe to breathe off of, we would be seeing the results in sickened automotive technicians.
Of course many times people aren't aware of the environmental hazards surrounding them, but for a product that's been used on this scale for several decades now, I have a tough time believing that.
you guys are neck and neck here. 661 posts for fstbttms and 663 for Elmer Fudd. Both 4 star status and ScubaBoard Contributors and both live in places I wouldn't stick my freakin tow in the water without booties on. I can't believe I almost went to the University of Puget Sound. Fortunately common sense prevailed and I went to the University of Miami. I think I have to side with Elmer on this one. Fsrbttms you are too caught up in grading and meeting government approval criteria which many times are extremely suspect. I think the test of the industrial Pneumatic hose will prove that the hose is more than safe for the recreational application. At that point in time we can do a massive PR campaign to undermine all the companies seliing overpriced hose like Brownies and the others on fstbttms list.
I'm putting my money on fstbttms. From what I know of polymer chemistry, most of the detrimental effects are likely to be chronic rather than acute, and since most commercial divers would be required by law to use approved materials, the only source for anecdotes of damage would be less-frequent users. Additionally, I think by default most stuff's pretty nasty, especially if you spend several hours a day breathing through it.
It's worth mentioning that both fstbttms and I live in the most highly regulated part of America (perhaps the world?) when it comes to occupational health & safety, and I don't think too many people here disagree with that.
It's worth mentioning that both fstbttms and I live in the most highly regulated part of America (perhaps the world?) when it comes to occupational health & safety, and I don't think too many people here disagree with that.
fstbttms
Contributor
Spimon
Contributor
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Just be sure you don't test a nice, new piece of hose. Make sure you test one that's been used and exposed to sunlight for as long as you plan on using it.
Even then, it's a risk, not a guarantee. Plenty of kids survived a childhood of lead paint with no ill-effects, but some weren't so lucky. I can think of better ways to live life on the edge, when there's a known lower risk alternative so easily available.
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