Hookamax

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by chris in SG

Ok, I should have been clearer. I use this equipment only for cleaning the bottom of a catamaran at depths not exceeding 1.5m.

Fatal barotrauma can occur at 1 meter (or less) of depth. That you don't understand this is reason enough to be worried.

[chris in SG]

Originally Posted by Bill O

Chris,
Are you saying the Brownie's compressor overheats and shuts down?

Yes, it requires good ventilation. Mine is stored in an engine compartment (typical cat transom access) and I leave the engine hatch open. On a sunny day it can still overheat and trip the Brownie's breaker.

[chris in SG]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Fatal barotrauma can occur at 1 meter (or less) of depth. That you don't understand this is reason enough to be worried.

I would like other divers to respond on this. Anyone who has swum and snorkeled will have held their breath at such depths. I'm smelling another agenda now..

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by chris in SG

I would like other divers to respond on this. Anyone who has swum and snorkeled will have held their breath at such depths. I'm smelling another agenda now..

Jeezus. You're breathing compressed air, not holding your breath. You really have no clue what you're doing, do you?

Unbelievable.

[cj88]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Jeezus. You're breathing compressed air, not holding your breath. You really have no clue what your doing, do you? Unbelievable.

This!

chris in SG, holding a breath taken on the surface has no relationship to one taken on compressed air underwater at depth. The latter one can kill you if you don't know what you're doing.

[cj88]

I started diving back in the 70's as barely a teenager. Self-taught and not recommended but my dad and his mates taught themselves back in the early 50's and built all their own gear so I guess I just followed in his footsteps, built my own hookah, eventually did a course or three and assisted instructing before training and becoming a commercial diver (mixed gas, deco chambers, etc.). Diving is fun and relatively safe IF you know what you're doing but it is obvious that you do not know what you do not know but some simple and inexpensive training will fix that easily. No agenda here other than not to see someone possibly end up dead unnecessarily.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by chris in SG

I would like other divers to respond on this. Anyone who has swum and snorkeled will have held their breath at such depths. I'm smelling another agenda now..

Chris, as a diver who has spent many an hour working underwater, ( was my first real job after leaving school) as well as recreationally, snorkeling is totally different to compressed air breathing. When snorkelling the air in your lungs is compressed as you dive underwater, returning to it's original volume as you surface. When diving with compressed air your lungs fill to their normal capacity at depth and if you should surface without expelling air it will expand with the possibility of rupturing your lungs, this can happen at shallow depths.
Once again, respectfully, a dive course should be in your future, even though diving to depth is not on your agenda.
Cheers.

[chris in SG]

Clearly valuable and measured advice that I will take onboard. Since my comment was a side-show, I hope maybe the OP benefits too (although he/she may already be qualified)

[toddster8]

PV=nRT
Learn it. Love it. Live it.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by chris in SG

Yes, it requires good ventilation. Mine is stored in an engine compartment (typical cat transom access) and I leave the engine hatch open. On a sunny day it can still overheat and trip the Brownie's breaker.

So it sounds like the Brownie's compressor may not be as high of a quality as suggested in this thread and a distinct possibility of failure. Obviously, that would not be good if you were doing deeper dives with this equipment.


Bill O.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by chris in SG

I would like other divers to respond on this. Anyone who has swum and snorkeled will have held their breath at such depths. I'm smelling another agenda now..

The difference is, when swimming, snorkeling etc. you inhale sea level pressure air and then dive, so that when you ascend it expands back to sea level pressure and doesn’t therefore hurt you.
When under water, your under higher than atmospheric pressure, so that if you hold your breath and ascend the air in your lungs will expand and at the surface you will have greater pressure in your lungs than sea level pressure.
There are no nerves in your lungs so you won’t feel it, and your lungs are fragile and can not handle even low pressures.
Combine that with the fact the pressure differences in percentages are greatest near the surface and you can understand that diving to shallow depths can in some fashion be more dangerous than deeper dives.
The trick is to exhale as you ascend or simply breathe normally, and don’t out run your bubbles on the way up.
Descend as fast as you like, but you can’t ascend too slowly

But you can really kill your self and or cause serious permanent harm from rather shallow depths breathing compressed air.

[a64pilot]

You want to be neutrally buoyant, being positively buoyant isn’t a safety feature, it can be dangerous, and it works you to death, which is actually a little dangerous too as it means your more likely to be breathing hard and deeply, can become light headed etc.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bill O

So it sounds like the Brownie's compressor may not be as high of a quality as suggested in this thread and a distinct possibility of failure. Obviously, that would not be good if you were doing deeper dives with this equipment.

Brownie's uses Thomas compressors, which (if you know about such things) are of the very highest quality. Any electric compressor will shut down if it overheats. And let's face it, this guy doesn't seem to know anything about safe diving practices and obviously runs his compressor in a poorly-ventilated, warm spot aboard.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Brownie's uses Thomas compressors, which (if you know about such things) are of the very highest quality. Any electric compressor will shut down if it overheats. And let's face it, this guy doesn't seem to know anything about safe diving practices and obviously runs his compressor in a poorly-ventilated, warm spot aboard.

I'm not certain how a lack of dive certification relates to a compressor overheating and shutting down. The OP related that if it was sunny out w/ the engine hatch open (proper ventilation?) it would over heat. It doesn't even sound like it was sitting directly in the sun. I might have concerns of a possible overheating failure if using this set up on a deck in the full summer sun or in a dink.
Has any one using a Brownies/Thomas compressor ever experienced an over heating shut down?


Bill O.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bill O

Has any one using a Brownies/Thomas compressor ever experienced an over heating shut down?

Yes. I have.