Trying to make something...

[WeldonDowd]

Are you saying that you want gauges with you while you use it? You would need a high pressure hose as long as the low pressure regulator hose and run them together. What you want to do isn't difficult by any means. I see 50' to 100' low pressure hose all the time on eBay. And yes you can certainly run your first stage from a set of doubles. I'm just not certain of the high pressure hose so you can have gauges but I was unclear as to what you were asking about that. Post this in the DIY section so people will tell you how to do what you want instead of telling you how you don't want to do what you want.

 

[japan-diver]

There is nothing special about what you want to do we make these for our hang tanks and O2 bottles all the time. All you do is attach the desired hose length on your first stage. If you want to run the gauge under with you a long high pressure hose will be needed also. The kits listed in the OP are a pretty good price for long hoses and dive you the belt for routing also so not a bad deal.

 

[captain]

Making lifesupport equipment is not a casual affair. A surface supplied air source is known as a Hookah they run anywhere from $1000 up. Leaving the tank in the boat creates several hazards. first, you will have no gauge and your air is going to snake down 50 fsw. I like my lifesupport where I have control of it.... You might as well wear the tank with you, otherwise you have 50ft of trouble waiting to catch the bottom or a rock or get damaged, or tangled in.


Hookah are useful if you want to do very long shallow dives, but you have a gas engine producing exhaust close to (but hopefully far enough from the air intake) a damaged snorkel or one that was poorly designed or built could be fatal. Reliable scuba is widely available, unless you have a REALLY good reason (Like the need to plan a prison break and recover the diamonds stashed on the boat sunken just of the shore of your prison island) I would drop this idea.

On a note related to this, most 1st stage run at something like 225 psi (i think) does anyone think that tank 50 feet away and pushing against, say, 25 fsw would be able to keep an un-modified regulator functioning? You have to not only push against ambient pressure on the reg, but also the loss of presssure due to resistance on such a long hose. Would it even be able to operate, despite being a death trap? Any thoughts?

---------- Post Merged at 10:23 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:48 PM ----------

Having looked at the links, just pay the $150 bucks and get something that was built and tested by someone who at least has some reasonable idea what they were doing. Build a Kayak or something or a u/w scooter that wouldn't be fatal if it wasn't made properly

The pressure at 50 feet should you be able to reach it with a 50 foot hose is only 22 psi. It would have little effect on IP. Most regulator IP runs 135 -145. A 100 psi IP would not have much effect on breathing resistance at such shallow depths.

 

[herman]

While what you want to do is fairly easy, I just don't see the need, a simple BP and a couple of tanks would be cheaper and a lot easier. Like Capt said, the reduced IP at depth is not really a big deal at 50 ft or less and using a balanced second stage (or an adjustable one) would take care of the problem altogether. It sounds like you want gauges at depth as well, if so, that is going to be your biggest problem, a long HP hose is not going to be cheap. I understand the idea of a hookah so you don't need to have tanks filled but I just don't see any benefit to using a long hose on tanks instead of a simple BP and reg.

 

[JEC11718]

I have a buddy that did exactly what you are trying, its doable but any deeper than 40ft and the tank has a hard time pushing air to the reg. He tried to stay in the 30 ft range. IMAGINE TRYING TO PULL AIR THRU A STRAW AT 50FT. Josh

 

[Rich Keller]

This is easy to do and everything you need can be found at a welding supply store. It would be helpful to know what you intend to use this for but I will give you the basics for now. You need 50' of oxygen hose with female fittings, two female oxygen fittings made to fit your reg hose and two double end male oxygen fittings. Cut your reg hose in half and attach the two female fittings, then use the two double end male fittings to make one long hose out of the three parts. I use this for kayak diving so I am towing the kayak by the hose. To take the strain off the hose I add a life line to form and umbilical so I am towing with the line not the hose. I run the umbilical to a commercial diving harness with a quick release snap shackle so you can separate yourself from the umbilical if needed. The harness can also hold a bailout bottle so I do not need a SPG run down from the surface. This will work down to 50' without a problem but for the most part you will be working in about the 30' range with a rig like this.

 

[spectrum]

What you want to do can be done but it has it's limitations and unique risks. Before taking on those challenges I would log some dives as certified with scuba gear. This hookah rig may sound attractive for not needing to wear a cylinder but for common open water use dealing with that hose, keeping if from getting snarled and not knowing your cylinder pressure are enough to make me say why? I know a dive buoy can be obnoxious to pull in a stiff breeze, what about a cylinder raft, yikes!

BTW If per ytour profile you have been certified 5 years with 0-24 dives you really need to be focusing on the basics before dealing with these projects. Go dive and have some fun.

Pete