Snorkel Alternatives...???

[SURFFOILS]

Good advice Blasto, thanks.

 

[SURFFOILS]

It’s interesting to consider inventing something that lets you work in that depth of a few feet where you can breath unassisted. You could clean hulls, root around the reefs, still dive to a few metres but not to have to stay on the surface, clear a snorkel or return to the surface for every breathe.

 

[Bob DBF]

Hookah systems are dangerous

Along with SCUBA and freediving. All three are done in a hostile environment and if not done properly can kill you. Hookah is basicly SCUBA diving using a long hose.

Back to the original question, in addition, you can use a long hose off of a scuba tank similar to the hookah.

As far as SCUBA goes, for shallow, short dives, one could use a small capacity tank rather than the larger ones. Also look up monkey diving on ScubaBoard, avoid the ones with actual monkeys.


Bob

 

[SURFFOILS]

Thanks Bob, I hadn’t seen the mini tanks before. I guess they still need to be used with caution because the need for timing dives and decompression is applicable to even tthe small tanks ?
I had an idea to do some underwater videoing of surfboard and the new surfboard hydrofoils that are getting popular but it’s only down to about 3 foot deep, right on that limit of being able to draw air against the hydrostatic pressure.
There seems to be just 2 things to solve , a constant supply of fresh air and expelling the exhaled air, you not only need air but also to get rid of the used air so there’s no CO2 buildup. I’ve made a few medical devices over the years as that’s my industry and there’s some excellent medical grade valves that would ensure induction at low pressure inspiration and also allow for the exhaust of used air to be completely expelled. So 2 valves with a very small dead air volume in between. In theory it’s possible to build a non pressurised regulator that would suit. Connect a mouthpiece to a T section with the valves in both ends with one end goes to the surface.

 

[Bob DBF]

Bob, I hadn’t seen the mini tanks before. I guess they still need to be used with caution because the need for timing dives and decompression is applicable to even tthe small tanks ?

If you stay shallower than 35' decompression is not an issue if you make your ascents slowly. The big issue is keeping your airway open to avoid Pulmonary Baratrauma. If you are already certified, a quick, and usually inexpensive, scuba review would be good if you do plan to use compressed gas underwater.

To film at three feet you might try putting a camera on a stick with a screen on, or a bit below, the surface, similar to a fishing show I saw where they were showing a fish hit a lure. If the screen was in a waterproof housing you could be on the surface with a snorkel and control the camera on a stick.


Good Luck

Bob

 

[SURFFOILS]

Thanks for the info Bob.
I think the pleasure in diving is the freedom from the surface, to linger completely submerged. Not necessarily at great depth and for the young, old and newbies, a few feet deep is a good and safe depth. I’ve had problems getting my young sons (7 and 9) to go deeper than a few feet so I think I can make a system that gives them the ability to comfortably enjoy the few feet near the surface. I’m warming to the idea that there’s room for something between the surface dwelling of snorkelling and the complete freedom of SCUBA.

 

[woodcarver]

Look at the dry snorkels with an exhaust valve. Eliminates the need to exhale hard at the surface to clear. Won't get you any deeper than a regular snorkel just cruising along, but after a shallow dive there's no need to clear, just start breathing again.

 

[SURFFOILS]

Thanks Woodcarver, I hadn’t heard of Dry Snorkels, clearly there’s a need for such an item as the number of newbies snorkelling far outnumber the SCUBA and making it easy ( and safe ) is the key for getting people to put a mask on.

 

[aquacat8]

Here’s a pic of the dry snorkle my scuba shop sold me to dive with when I first got certified. It was expensive and fancy at the time with a drain area and purge at the bottom and a heavy bulb at the top and a flexible but not floppy joint that kept the mouthpiece where you wanted it. Guess what it worked, laugh if you will.
Nowadays these things are uncool to elite freedivers who use only a simple J snorkle. So I got that. Recently tried an ocean swim in some waves and it totally sucked, my snorkle was getting pooped by waves and I was aspirating water. I kept having to dump water out the bottom and actually became nervous about “dry drowning” later from inhaled water. I like just swimming and holding my breath underwater so the snorkle went back to the car but I was surprised by how hard it was to use. Really made me appreciate how ingenious my old dry snorkle actually is.

 

[aquacat8]

Mind you it is clunky and I don’t dive with it any more, but for just snorkling in rougher water, yeah it’s not bad.