Mini-SCUBA (or real spareair, not a toy)

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АлександрД

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Moscow, Russia
# of dives
100 - 199
As base model I used VALVE-REGULATOR (valve AND regulator in one piece).
There is nice models from Taiwan manufacturers, but big enough, and also use very rare thread in our country
Than I make my choise to Aqualung HABD systems.
Old one - based on Micra regulator - Aqualung M.A.S. (Micra Air System)
new one - Aqua Lung Survival Egress Air MK With LV2 Second Stage

Most important, you have to know, is thread of tank. I`d looking many sources and found just one size - thread for small HP tanks - same as for spare air, airsoft guns and for paintball markers
it is UNF 5/8-18

here you can find (use translator) my way with such system: миниакваланг, он же спэйр-эйр заспинный: Клуб любителей экзотического дайвинга: Подводный форум больных дайвингом.
Some additional information: Now I use (for standard valves) Armotech tanks - it is very nice, stainless steel inside, very lightweight, and 15 years of usage.

(below is autotranslated text)
It has long been the idea to make yourself a small compact scuba, which could be as spareair, and just took it and went to dive off the coast.
total set of requirements:
easy. little. with a hose that could be fastened next to a balon from behind. filled with both a bypass and a compressor. and most importantly - that would be on the cylinder cylinder thread.
the reason for using cylindrical threads is the ability to untwist a balloon that would be possible to carry it with you on an airplane.

criteria "small and light" are satisfied by the valve-regulator.
there are variants of type H2O, but I used to fall under the arm of another, and even more compact.
The Micra Air System from Aqualung was used as the basis for the future of the aqualung. http://www.okdive.ru/phocadownload/regs/[aqualung]_mas_habd_eng.pdf

As a balloon, only the composite was considered. there are a lot of reasons, but one of the main ones is reliability (well, the weight itself)

many offices were phoned, Gero, Safit, Mashtest, Elina-T (Russian composte tanks manufacturers).
As a result, in early January, they agreed with Elina-T that they will begin to consider the production of baloons with the required 5/8-18 UNF neck.
So, month of correspondence, confirmed that yes, they can do.
brought in early March, somewhere a sample - a luminous balloon (native to spyric and screwing into it, from the reducer valve) ...
in general with a month ago began to ask clarifying questions about the size. as a result, converged to the maximum thin by 4 liters.
in total there was a surcharge compared to the standard price for everything (starting from the very beginning, threading under 5/8) in 15$.
Yes, another very important reason to look towards Elina was the fact that they have liner material inside - stainless steel !!! so that such a balloon can be almost "eternal" ...

so, half a year has not passed, but I still made a 300bar composite thin ball with thread 5 / 8-18 UNF
production: Elina-T , the passport is accompanied by a passport
price - as a typical balloon would be, but in fact they made a new snap for such a thread, well, plus the envelope of a non-standard ball - a thin, long - it came out a little more expensive.
so that everyone who wants to replace their flasks on their Spare flasks with a more spacious one - Welcome! they are already doing it!



Tank:
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Valve-regulator
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Yes, someone was rubbing me that the valve-reducer M.A.S. (MicraAirSystem) garbage, and it has a set pressure drop, and it does not give a big flow ....
NONSENSE! checked. connected the manometer - as much as possible threw an arrow - by 1.5 bar, and it is most likely due to inertia.
more to make a difference, no matter how strongly and sharply I did not try to breathe - it was not possible.

Assembled
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with belts
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passport
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buoyancy in an almost empty balloon - almost neutral, provided that a balloon is hung a weight of 1 kg (pictured in the pocket)
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If the weight is taken out - the balon immediately pulls upwards
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Thanks again and again for sharing so many unique items from afar..

The size and configuration reminded me of the rescue packs we used in the genesis of organized instruction : tank, regulator and a sling strap --

I also used the same unit in my kayak while free diving/spearfishing (oh the horror of it all) as a recovery unit-- slap it on and jump over board submerge and chop the fish out of the kelp and surface -- (It only counts if you resurface)

Thanks for sharing this and many other items

cheers from California, where it all began

Sam Miller,III
 

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