DIY scuba Hookah

  


hello im new to this site and i want some help on how to make scuba hooka i will be diving in about 30ft of water i just need some help on what kind of compressor i should buyt and fittings and what nots i found these compressors will and on these woork  
  
VIAIR 400P-RV Portable Air Compressor :: New Enough Motorcycle Hard Parts (http://www.newenoughhp.com/track_garage/air_compressors_/viair/model_400p_rv_portable_motorcycle_air_compressor.h tml)  
  
SpeedyNails Pneumatic air tools, nails, staples and parts: Bostitch {CAP1516} 1.5 HP / 1.6 Gallon OIL-LESS Electric Pancake Compressor (http://www.speedynails.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Category_Code=acc_air_compressors&Product_Code=abos_comp_CAP1516&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SN)  
  
Thomas Compressors 1020-T 3/4 HP Piston Air Compressor/Vacuum Pump (http://www.toolbarn.com/product/thomas/1020-T/)  
  
450H VIAIR Air Compressor, Hardmount, Continuous Duty (http://www.xtremeterrain.com/450hviairaircompressorhardmountcontinuousduty.aspx )  
  
Hitachi EC79 Oil-Less Portable Pancake Air Compressor (http://nailgundepot.com/shop/customer/product.php?cat=0&page=45&productid=26765)  
  
Amazon.com: Denver Tools 210010 2HP 30 Liter Oilless Air Compressor: Home Improvement (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E0A23A/ref=asc_df_B001E0A23A740612?tag=the004-20&creative=380337&creativeASIN=B001E0A23A&linkCode=asn)  
  
sorry for all the links i just dont know what one to pick any help will be apperciated!!!! thanks Corey

None of those will do.  
  
Forgeting about the air filtration problems, and please don't forget about that, at 30 feet you need 15PSIG above what your regulator wants to see (130 to 150 PSI), also at 30 FSW you will need at least 2 SCFM, and frankly I'd want at least 4 SCFM with a 10 CF volume tank.  
  
Good luck, and be careful.

well if none of those will work can anyone recomend on theat will?

Why don't you describe, in some detail, what it is that you're trying to do. Perhaps then, someone will be able to help you.

Keene Engineering has a good selection of Hookah gear, from compressors and fittings to whole systems  
  
Air Compressor Systems: Keene Engineering Online (http://www.keeneeng.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=ACS)

well i just want to make a simple scuba hookah system for 1 person to dive to a depth of 30ft what else do you need to know?

What is the work load when you get there? How do you intend to deliver the air to the diver? What sort of regulator? Do you know about non-return valves and why they're important? What's your power source? etc.   
  
The more details the better the advice will be.

Corey, get certified and become a diver and you won,t have to use a hookah system. Dont go try making one unless you really know what you are doing.It can kill you easily.  
Iif you have to use a hookah get one ready made.   
Brownie's Third Lung (http://www.browniedive.com/hooka/index.shtml)

well i just want to make a simple scuba hookah system for 1 person to dive to a depth of 30ft what else do you need to know?  
  
Corey,   
  
I think the point that is trying to be made here is that there are variables that can affect the answer. Since you're posing the question, in search of an answer, the better the details you provide are, the more accurate the answer will be as it applies to your situation.

thanks for all the responses i am a certified diver but i wanted to make a scuba hookah because i used one and i like it more than having all the gear on your back. I thought i could save some money making my own . plus its easier for me at least to spear fish.I wanted to make one powered by 12volt marine battery i dont want a gas one for the risk of breathing in fumes thats why i i want electric. I dont know what king of regulators i have to use for this thats what i was hoping you guys could help me with.??I dont have a lot of money to spend or i would buy one from brownies.

I used to have a hookah mounted in my 12 ft inflatable. I used a keene compressor and reserve tank, hose I bought from Amazon hose in Miami, regulators were old aqualungs set up for hookah, fittings I got from keene. There is no safe, cheap hookah rig  
  
I was doing a shore entry with scuba one day and the seas were 2-3 ft. I watched two guys start up a new Brownies rig and enter the ocean holding the handles with the unit between them. They got about 50 ft out and a wave picked it up and flipped the running unit. Salt water compressed in the engine and compressor proabably twisted rods and did lots of expensive damage. It's just something to think about if you're planning a comressor running on a float.

There are fairly inexpensive hookah units that show up on e-bay from time to time. That would be potentially less expensive and a lot more idiot proof than a DIY project.   
  
Whether you go gas (mechanical relaibility is key and fumes are a potential issue if you do not properly locate the intake) or electric (relaibility issues with electical contacts and salt water, battery issues) you will want a small pony as a bailout. This could take the form of a slung pony that you switch to, or could take the form of a back mounted pony feeding a common gas block also fed by the hookah and leading to a single second stage.  
  
Fume issues aside, I'd consider sticking with gas as it is more portable. Even if it gets flipped, a 5.0 HP Honda engine is very reliable and lightweight but is also inexpensive and designed as a repalcement part so if you flipped the float say once every two years, the cost is still low - no more than the cost of a set of good quality deep cycle marine batteries. Plus with the air coming in through the carburator, it is really unlikely that you would get water into the single piston and if that occurred it is unlikely the motor would still have enough power to bend a rod.   
  
Reg wise, most hookah units operate at an Intermediate Pressure around 60 psi rather than the 120-145 common to scuba regulators. That means that at a max depth of 30 ft, a 75 psi supply pressure would be ample and most small compressors can maintain a lot more flow at 75psi than they can at 135 to 160 psi, so the lower IP makes a successful Hookah rig far easier to achieve than if you attempt to do it at 135-160 psi using a scuba second stage.  
  
To adapt a scuba second stage to Hookah use (ie: lowering the IP it operates at) you would want a model that is a dual adjustment design where you could adjust both the orifice and the lever height with separate adjustments. And you'd need one that is fairly high performance as the lower IP means you need a larger orifice to get the same flow rate, although if you limit the depth to 30' that is not so much of an issue.   
  
The USD double hose regs with hookah ports (DA Aquamaster and Royal Aquamaster) operated at 110 psi, but the second stage could easily be adjusted for a lower IP by just backing off the second stage body and reducing the spring pressure slightly. Reproduction hookah harnesses are availble from Alan Klauda through vintagedoublehose.com and that would be a fun alternative for a hookah reg.

well thanks for the info at this point i think i may just have to bite the bullet and but a new one i dont want to have to run the risk of me making the rig wrong and somthing bad happen. can anyone tell me if these are any good?  
  
HOOKAMAX hookah, two diver Scuba Diving System 2X100' - eBay (item 270347032582 end time Mar-22-09 10:00:00 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/HOOKAMAX-hookah-two-diver-Scuba-Diving-System-2X100_W0QQitemZ270347032582QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_D efaultDomain_0?hash=item270347032582&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1308%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50)  
  
Ultralight (http://www.octopumps.com/ultrafloat.htm)  
  
or if you no of another on that inexpensive

i already have a electric porter cable 6 gallon 150psi compressor oil free 1.5 hp 3.5scfm @90psi i dont un derstand why i cant put a micron filter on it and attach a regulator?

What are you plugging your compressor into? do you have a boat with 120 volt power?

no offense but this just sounds like a train wreck.   
  
it seems the general feeling is to pony up the money and do it right. buy the system designed for what your wanting. Im my opinion i would not want to dive with the same thing i use to run my nail gun.  
  
for spear fishing, i would also want to be more mobile instead of teathered to a short hose  
  
brett

Wow, loads of info here...and I will admit I just skimmed all the post ...but please allow me to change the question just a bit.   
  
I own a 30 foot sailboat that I keep on a mooring hook. I'd like to build myself a hookah to keep the bottom clean with the possibility for snagging me some lobsters and conks from time to time (once I learn the proper hunting sessions and other important info like that).  
  
I have around 20 tank dives under my belt but dont really care for the sport. Love the "water world" but diving is hard on my ears. And I haven't been under water in 20+ years. I doubt very seriously I would venture beyond 20 feet. Mainly I want it to maintain my boat.   
  
I'd like the unit to be electric, 12v. Tank-less. Safe. .....oh...and cheap. I know, I know ... I can buy a unit for $300 - $500 but I could build one for seriously less. I have massive amounts of spare parts at my disposal and very little cash.  
  
Many said that Cory shouldn't attempt this. But for someone that isn't likely to get below 10 feet, it should be easy. Right?

Right. I did it with a little info from Keene eng., An oil-less compressor (2.5 cfm) from home  
depot a 2nd stage hookah reg from e-bay, a 40 micron filter,and food grade beverage hose.  
If you want it to work safely,pay heed to DA's post.Especially about the 2nd stage reg.  
I would advise sticking with scuba or go with a tank on a kayak or boat with an extended  
hose. I think it is called snuba? There are lots of posts about this issue out there,but for  
the savings and peace of mind I think I would listen to thalassamania and DA on this one.  
Just my 2cents. Porbeagle

Porbeagle nailed it, if you want a safe and reliable hookah use a scuba tank and reg. combo with a 50 ft. hose. I clean boat bottoms for a living in Sarasota, Fl, and for all of us bottom scrubbers it's the standard. No tank on your back, but if the rig rolls of the dock/boat it's no big deal. Plus it's cheaper than a compressor and you should have no air quality issues.

I would like to hear what you want to use this for. If you are doing any diving that will require any labor intensive work you need to be careful about your set up even at 30ft. I have looked at most of the hookah set up on the internet and they are not safe for any real diving you will out run the cfm produced by this. First off the you need to have a regulator that can handle varying out put pressures. I use the kirby morgan EXO-26 this full face mask with a manifold block that include a one way valve never dive surface supplied with out it. Also most regulator need to have at least 90psi over bottom pressure to operate properly but optimal is 150psi over bottom pressure. When I scuba you don't have to worry about that at depth.   
  
Also the type of hose is very important you want a hose that dose not kink and can take some abuse 3/8" id min or you will be breathing through a straw. Most hookah systems have cheap glorified garden hose. I use Gates 33hb witch is the commercial diving standard. As for using a cylinder hooked to a first stage on the surface is ok but you cant very the out put pressure. If you want a save money from buying a commercial compressor you can purchase an air control manifold with hp regulator for about 2800 from divers supply inc. This hooks up to two scuba cylenders and you can adjust the pressure on the surface and swich out cylenders with out losing air.

If you are going to DIY a hookah rig, the MOST important piece of gear is the non-return valve. DESCO makes a nice and inexpensive one from their free-flow masks. It is male 9/16 o2 to 1/4 inch npt so its east to adapt to a scuba second stage or a FFM. A open circuit scuba bail out sytem is a good idea.

If you real want to build your own set up there are some factors you need to take in acount. The psi over bottem pressure demaind regs require around 115-150 psi so at 33ft you need an out put of about 130-165psi. Also then you need to figure out your cfm needed the average diver per US navy uses 2-3 cfm for medium work load. So you will take that number and add the number or atm down you are working and the number of divers on the compressor. So at 33ft you will need between 130-165 psi and 3-4 cfm continuous out put from the compressor for one diver.  
  
Also you need to be carefull with the type of compressor. Some compressor are oilless and oil lubricated. Oil-less are good but the out put cfm to psi is low and usually can not be maintained. If you select an oil lubricated, you need to make sure that there is minimal oil in the air. A craftsman compressor for air tools it is no big deal if oil is in the air but with breathing air It will kill you. Devair and Quincy are the most common LP compressors for diving apps and are used by the US Navy. After the compressor you need a filtration system and volume tank you can get one from most commercial diving suppliers. I would also recommend a motor for marine environment like a Yanmar L70EE-D. Just make sure your motor has enuff hp to put out to turn the compressor if it is fuel powered or electric.

maybe I am wrong here, but aren't hookah systems really only rated for depths up to about 12-15 ft.

Hooka is kinda mini-surface supplied and is only really limited by the pressure and volume of the compressor.

it been awhile since ive been on here but im stilll intrested in the hhookah mainly because im taking a 2 month long trip aroound the bahamas on our boat (41 hatteras)  
so ill be running it off of there i wont be diving any deeper than 35 feet probally less than 18 feet most of the time tanks just seem like they would be hassle everytime i wanna go spearing and im not to sure how many dive shops the are in the bahamas??  
Thanks corey

Corey,  
  
Bahamian law prohibits spearing off scuba or hookah systems. Also, triggered spearguns are illegal too. Only freediving and a hawaiian sling are permitted. Here's a link with some info.  
  
Fishing Regulations - Abaco Island and the Bahamas (http://www.bahamasvacationsonline.com/fishing_regulations.htm)  
  
Hope this helps.  
Eric

wow i didnt even realize it was illgeal to spear fish with using a hookah system i thought you wernt allowed to tank dive and spear but thank you for that info!

I had just watched an episode of Speargun Hunter where they were on South Andros Island in the Bahamas, otherwise I wouldn't have known. That's a pretty awesome show, and the host ended up bluewater diving and spearing mahis off a navigational buoy off the island in a couple thousand feet of water. Sheri Daye has guts, spearing in those waters. I don't know if I'd do it.

haha thats pretty funny i just watched that episode to they spear dolphin at the end its pretty cool.

This outfit has some good information for you:  
  
Hookah Diving (surface air supply) Equipment, Drysuits (http://www.akmining.com/diving.htm)

Go to the Keene Engineering website. Call them with questions, they are very helpful. They have info for building a hookah system. I built one and it has supplied two divers down too 45 feet. I believe it would have supplied air deeper but that was the max dept were I was diving. What ever you build use a air storage tank between you and your hookah system. I carry a pony bottle with me just in case. I see hookah regulators on eBay often. My home built unit is big and heavy. Keene Engineering has come out with a lighter compressor. Good Luck

Corey,   
If I may. The "Thomas Compressors 1020-T...." WORKS!! I used to clean boats in Hawaii for a living. I worked at one of the biggest/well known boat hull cleaning companies on island. We used Thomas Compressors and they work really well. The only issue I had was the noise. It's pretty noisy when you're not in the water. You can adjust the psi and add the micro filter thing on it. Buy a 100 ft hose and yes you can attach a scuba reg with the proper fittings. And no you shouldn't use a BCD...if you do, you might as well use a tank.  
  
Hope I'm not too late.  
  
Dive safely!

shot in the dark but you may have some luck just doing a how to search through Google. There would be some safety concerns building your own so make sure you dig into specifications on air regulation at your prescribed depths

Making the hooka yourself is crazy. There are far too many mistakes you can make which could either endanger your life, or just waste your money.  
  
Brownies has been doing Hookas the longest , and better than anyone else....and they have a new floating electric model... see link  
VS Floating Systems (http://www.browniesmarinegroup.com/variablespeedsystems/vsfloatingsystems)   
  
The one I looked at at the shop in Lauderdale would allow 2 divers to go down to about 60 or 70 feet.....the thing about a hooka type rig, and depth, is that the depth rating is based on the breathing rate of the divers.....Two very good divers that breathe very slowly, may enjoy a 70 foot dive as long as no workload develops....and one or two divers that breathe like vacuums may not get enough volume of air to enjoy much below 40 feet....And obviously one diver will have much more depth than 2 ( no one to share the amount of air delivered with).  
  
REgards,  
DanV  
  
DanV

Making the hooka yourself is crazy. There are far too many mistakes you can make which could either endanger your life, or just waste your money.  
  
Brownies has been doing Hookas the longest , and better than anyone else....and they have a new floating electric model... see link  
VS Floating Systems (http://www.browniesmarinegroup.com/variablespeedsystems/vsfloatingsystems)   
  
The one I looked at at the shop in Lauderdale would allow 2 divers to go down to about 60 or 70 feet.....the thing about a hooka type rig, and depth, is that the depth rating is based on the breathing rate of the divers.....Two very good divers that breathe very slowly, may enjoy a 70 foot dive as long as no workload develops....and one or two divers that breathe like vacuums may not get enough volume of air to enjoy much below 40 feet....And obviously one diver will have much more depth than 2 ( no one to share the amount of air delivered with).  
  
REgards,  
DanV  
  
DanV

Making the hooka yourself is crazy. There are far too many mistakes you can make which could either endanger your life, or just waste your money.  
Building your own hookah is neither crazy or dangerous. The hull cleaning industry has been working for decades primarily on home-made hookahs. It is quite simple to put together a safe, reliable hookah rig. The folks at Brownies and the other hookah vendors are not using some special parts for their products that you are unable to obtain. They use standard, commercially available compressors, regulators and hose assemblies. Anybody reading this could easily assemble identical components for their own hookah for much, much less. I've been doing it for 16 years.  
  
But if you'd rather pay $1000-$2000 for a hookah rig that uses plastic fittings for important air hose connections, hey, knock yourself out. :shakehead:

Building your own hookah is neither crazy or dangerous. The hull cleaning industry has been working for decades primarily on home-made hookahs. It is quite simple to put together a safe, reliable hookah rig. The folks at Brownies and the other hookah vendors are not using some special parts for their products that you are unable to obtain. They use standard, commercially available compressors, regulators and hose assemblies. Anybody reading this could easily assemble identical components for their own hookah for much, much less. I've been doing it for 16 years.  
  
But if you'd rather pay $1000-$2000 for a hookah rig that uses plastic fittings for important air hose connections, hey, knock yourself out. :shakehead:  
Abilities of "individuals" to do this safely will mean "some" can accomplish this safely, and some will fail badly. As general advice, to a person who has not shown himself to have an engineering background, or any specific knowledge of the iisues of CO and oil related to engine, compressor and the air going to the diver, I do not feel you can say this is NOT dangerous. Maybe the OP is a rocket scientist for Pratt Whitney, but as I did not pick up that feel, I'll err in the direction of the other side of the spectrum.  
  
Also, $1000 for a rig you KNOW will be safe, does not sound like such a bad deal. IF the money is that much of a problem, he should just work on his freediving skills.....find some good freedivers to mentor him for free till he can do 2-3 minute bottom times on 45 to 60 foot reefs. That should take care of his goal perfectly, for a lot less money. **note** he is not cleaning hulls...  
  
REgards,  
DanV

As general advice, to a person who has not shown himself to have an engineering background, or any specific knowledge of the iisues of CO and oil related to engine, compressor and the air going to the diver, I do not feel you can say this is NOT dangerous. Maybe the OP is a rocket scientist for Pratt Whitney, but as I did not pick up that feel, I'll err in the direction of the other side of the spectrum.  
The OP did not post about putting together a gas-powered hookah. He specifically asked about electric compressors. Further, it does not take a rocket scientist to put together any hookah. One simply has to inspect any commercially available unit to understand this. Hookahs are not complex machines. Yes, care should be used when assembling one and the components used should be appropriate for the task. But it is absolutely possible for the layman to build his own hookah that is every bit as safe to use as (and is, in fact, identical to) any commercially available rig.

hello im new to this site and i want some help on how to make scuba hooka i will be diving in about 30ft of water i just need some help on what kind of compressor i should buyt and fittings and what nots i found these compressors will and on these work .  
  
Sorry if this has already been pointed out. Hookah/surface supplied diving can't be Scuba, which is an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. I have added a very long hose to a set of double Scuba tanks that were left outside a wreak that might stretch the definition, but a floating compressor never qualifies.

I quite agree. Building a hookah is no more difficult than, say, installing a water system or rebuilding a carburettor, and can be a lot of fun if you have reasonable mechanical skills. You don't need to be an engineer, since rule of thumb or copycating will handle any calculations or sizing issues that need doing.  
  
That said, I get a bit nervous when someone posts, often a bit petulantly, asking how to build or service life support gear like this, and it is clear they haven't made the least attempt to any homework first. The most halfassed google search will almost instantly find Keene Engineering, and their site is so thorough that it shows every necessary part and how they go - it even explains the difference between a scuba and a hookah reg and how to make the one into the other.  
  
Oh, its worth noting that Hookahs, even commercial units, are not as benign as one might think:  
Diving risks rise with hookah rigs (http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/aug/15/na-diving-risks-rise-with-hookah-rigs/news-metro/)  
  
Building your own hookah is neither crazy or dangerous. The hull cleaning industry has been working for decades primarily on home-made hookahs. I

I quite agree. Building a hookah is no more difficult than, say, installing a water system or rebuilding a carburettor, and can be a lot of fun if you have reasonable mechanical skills. You don't need to be an engineer, since rule of thumb or copycating will handle any calculations or sizing issues that need doing...]  
  
Agreed. Miscalculating compressor size results in readily perceived depth and performance limits. The greatest risk is the compressor sucking engine exhaust and various flavors of pneumothorax. For the depths relevant to this discussion, a check valve is probably overkill on a downstream demand regulator.

thanks for all the responses i am a certified diver but i wanted to make a scuba hookah because i used one and i like it more than having all the gear on your back. I thought i could save some money making my own . plus its easier for me at least to spear fish.I wanted to make one powered by 12volt marine battery i dont want a gas one for the risk of breathing in fumes thats why i i want electric. I dont know what king of regulators i have to use for this thats what i was hoping you guys could help me with.??I dont have a lot of money to spend or i would buy one from brownies.  
  
All you are getting rid of is the tank. - A hookah rig still requires weights, some sort of attatchment harness, and a regulator. In addition, you are limited to the length of the hose or you are having to drag around a float. I Don't think you will ever get enough power out of a battery to drive a compressor at that volume/pressure, and the whole mess is just to contrived to be any fun. I personally wouldn't be caught dead:( fighting a fish while attatched to a hookah rig of any sort.  
I would just invest in an aluminum 40, rig like stage bottle, and clip it to the weight belt....NO harness, no BC, No 100' hose. - I have done it to collect scallops in shallow water, and it's lighweight, and easy to manage. For those of us who wern't born freedivers, its the next best thing.  
Just don't forget your SCUBA Rules.

I've been using a keene hookah rig now for about 15 years, gold sniping down on river bedrock.  
  
Quite late in coming in here as I've just found this thread, which interests me. If it's of any interest to budding hookah users:  
  
I modified the intake on my keene hookah so that the incoming air goes through a 10" carbon cartridge filter followed by a 1 micron 10" particulate filter. Air always tastes clean, if you know what I mean by that.  
  
I'm pretty sure commercial SCUBA tank filling stations use carbon filters to clean the compressed air, so I feel quite safe even if a 'whiff' of exhaust gets blown up into the intake.  
  
I think hookahs tend to have basic particulate air filtration, I'm probably one of few who have modified the intake of air through carbon for extra safety.   
  
Agreed. Miscalculating compressor size results in readily perceived depth and performance limits. The greatest risk is the compressor sucking engine exhaust and various flavors of pneumothorax. For the depths relevant to this discussion, a check valve is probably overkill on a downstream demand regulator.

If you are finding that all the gear is an issue, you have gotten into the wrong sport. For spearfishing in 30 feet of water it is much easier to free-dive than to tug around a 50 foot(or so) hose off some sort of boat or float.   
  
I don't think you are going to find much in the way of 12 volt compressors that are going to be able to produce enough quick enough to even use a regulator. Not to mention you will drain down a 12 volt battery(yes even a group31 deep cycle) rather quickly and then you are S.O.L.  
  
Oooppss, I just realized after posting this that the thread is about 2 years old now.

It's never too late to post or respond. I have used the dive sled in 30' of water without any problem hunting or sightseeing. Just my experience.

Hi Corey,  
The recreational gold dredging and underwater prospecting world has successfully been using hookah for years. The kit is robust and reliable and as someone else has already suggested, keene engineering are the guys in the 'know'.  
  
By nature, dredging and moving large boulders underwater is very strenuous so any concerns about air delivery, regs, etc., are well sorted. Coaxing bugs out of hidey holes, I think your average keene hookah could handle that ok ;-) My system uses the Thomas T80 compressor unit and works great.  
  
The keene site has a good selection of hookah parts.  
  
From what I read generally, the SCUBA world tends to get a little bit hung-up on the ins and outs hookah, but there is a world of responsible and safe hookah users out there doing all sorts of niche jobs with it :-)

lol....   
i get a kick out of all the knee jerk comments here.  
  
for those that worry about air contamination, have you actually seen the compressor that fills your tank at the lds?   
  
They they are scaled up versions of a standard compressor.. many use a k&N cone type air filter on the intake... that's it..  
  
I do however agree that is is cheaper and less problematic just to use tanks with a hookah..  
  
i run a landscape pool business and we do a lot of pool repairs. I used to pay a diver $75.00 to dive to do simple things like putting screws back in draincovers, etc.....   
  
i ebayed a primary, secondary, tank and 50' of hose for less than $250...  
  
at $4.00 per fill, it has been WAY cheaper than a hookah system. i looked at building one myself, but it was going to be over $500 to make one diy..  
  
i also use it to clean my boat bottom, check and set moorings, etc..

lol....   
i get a kick out of all the knee jerk comments here.  
  
for those that worry about air contamination, have you actually seen the compressor that fills your tank at the lds?   
  
They they are scaled up versions of a standard compressor.. many use a k&N cone type air filter on the intake... that's it..  
  
I do however agree that is is cheaper and less problematic just to use tanks with a hookah..  
  
i run a landscape pool business and we do a lot of pool repairs. I used to pay a diver $75.00 to dive to do simple things like putting screws back in draincovers, etc.....   
  
i ebayed a primary, secondary, tank and 50' of hose for less than $250...  
  
at $4.00 per fill, it has been WAY cheaper than a hookah system. i looked at building one myself, but it was going to be over $500 to make one diy..  
  
i also use it to clean my boat bottom, check and set moorings, etc..  
  
All you need to do is splice 50' of hose between your 1st and 2nd stage and use your existing equipment.

I have heard that if you don't use a unit designed for scuba you are asking for death. Something to do with "oil" or "oil impregnated bearings" or "oil-less bearings". Definitely not a area for trial and error.   
  
Another thing to give consideration to, is that you are on the bottom wearing weights. Eventually the motor will conk out, run out of gas, jam, or stop for some unknown reason (and it will).  
  
You will need to swim the weights to the surface and back to the boat OR leave them behind.  
  
You can wear a scuba unit for a back-up, but in time, you will want the freedom and ease of using just the Hookah alone, with no tank on your back  
  
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I have heard that if you don't use a unit designed for scuba you are asking for death. Something to do with "oil" or "oil impregnated bearings" or "oil-less bearings". Definitely not a area for trial and error.  
  
It is a common misconception that hookah compressors are somehow different than other compressors. They are not. Every commercially available, recreational-level hookah rig is based on a compressor that was designed for another purpose. It is true that these hookahs use oil-less compressors, but these are again, very common and not specifically designed for hookahs. Further, the large diesel compressors typically used in commercial hard hat dive operations are not oil-less, but use a special oil that is not harmful when used in surface supplied air equipment.

It is a common misconception that hookah compressors are somehow different than other compressors. They are not. Every commercially available, recreational-level hookah rig is based on a compressor that was designed for another purpose. It is true that these hookahs use oil-less compressors, but these are again, very common and not specifically designed for hookahs. Further, the large diesel compressors typically used in commercial hard hat dive operations are not oil-less, but use a special oil that is not harmful when used in surface supplied air equipment.  
  
I'm glad that this post was recently bumped. :cool2: I've been doing a lot of research into snuba/hookah diving. I'm not certified and anything i do know now has been from research over the last few days. I'd like to put together a rig, like corey said. Only thing is, i wouldnt be going any deeper than 10 feet. It'd be for repairing the bottom of my pool, and tooling around in it. As well as tooling around in the lagoon at my shore house which is no more than 10 feet deep at high tide. I was going to use a new porter cable compressor i have which is 150psi max 5 gallon tank 3.5 cfm. oilless, with an inline 5 micron filter. and pick up a 2nd stage reg. Apart from a rubbery/plasticy taste from the hose and not using this set up for extended periods of time or that much at all, will i be ok with it? I'm not going to spend 1200+ on a keene hookah system that i'd use less times in a year than i have fingers.

I was going to use a new porter cable compressor i have which is 150psi max 5 gallon tank 3.5 cfm. oilless, with an inline 5 micron filter. and pick up a 2nd stage reg. Apart from a rubbery/plasticy taste from the hose... will i be ok with it?   
  
Never, ever use pneumatic tool hose as breathing hose.

Keep in mind that the T80 compressors sold by Keene are a diaphragm compressor that isolates the air from the rest of the compressor. I started diving in the late 70's with one of those and a 2 stroke lawnmower engine on PVC floats that doubled as backup air. Yep, I used air tool hose and a regular (old second hand) scuba regulator. I would be worried less about inlet air filtration than keeping the CO out of the inlet air. I don't think a carbon filter will save you from carbon monoxide.

Keep in mind that the T80 compressors sold by Keene are a diaphragm compressor that isolates the air from the rest of the compressor. I started diving in the late 70's with one of those and a 2 stroke lawnmower engine on PVC floats that doubled as backup air. Yep, I used air tool hose and a regular (old second hand) scuba regulator. I would be worried less about inlet air filtration than keeping the CO out of the inlet air. I don't think a carbon filter will save you from carbon monoxide.  
  
He's not using a gas-powered compressor, Keene or otherwise.

Never, ever use pneumatic tool hose as breathing hose.  
  
someone on this forum mentioned a food grade quality hose, what is that and where i would i find one? 25' in length preferably.

Just go to your LDS. They will be able to source breathing hose in the length you want.

All this tech info exchange has made me wanna go Hookah diving. I think I will go next weekend

So would a compressor for air tools actually work? Also how do you regulate the IP pressure?

So would a compressor for air tools actually work? Also how do you regulate the IP pressure?  
  
My compressor has a built in regulator thats spot on accurate adjustable 0-150 psi. Wouldn't that serve as appropriate regulation of IP? I see most 2nd stage use a max of 145ish psi.

My compressor has a built in regulator thats spot on accurate adjustable 0-150 psi. Wouldn't that serve as appropriate regulation of IP? I see most 2nd stage use a max of 145ish psi.  
  
If it is adjustable and accurate I don't see why it would not work. The recommended IP is usually 135 +/- 10 psi so it would work. I would assume their is not a huge drop in IP in inhalation. What would worry me is the air quality. I would be worried about rust in the tank and breathing it in. You may want to think about an Apollo bio filter (http://www.apollosportsusa.com/Products/Regulators/Biomicro.htm).

God, this thread is terrifying. I had no idea so many people were bent on suicide.  
  
Think about it, physiologically we need 21% oxygen and a bunch of inert gasses to survive. Hydrocarbons in any form are not inert and they rapidly reduce life expectancy. Hence the requirement for filtration. We breath at 1 atmosphere. 30 ft +/- is another atmosphere. Your compressor must overcome that additional atmosphere. The air hog I am I need 0.55 scfm to survive underwater. If you do not know what scfm is them you are way over your head.   
  
Just because you can't afford a real hooka rig, there's no need to commit suicide. Get a part time job for a couple of months and buy the real thing so that if you do die your family has a real company to sue.

The people contemplating using a standard air compressor as a hookah are using it in shallow water like 10-12 ft. As others have mentioned a compressor in a Hookah was designed originally for another purpose. The Hookah market is not that big.

God, this thread is terrifying. I had no idea so many people were bent on suicide. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.  
  
If you do not know what scfm is them you are way over your head.   
  
Gee, I don't know what SCFM means yet have been building my own hookahs and using them professionally for over 18 years and have 20,000+ incident-free dives on them. Somehow I've managed not to commit suicide.   
  
Could it be that you don't have any idea what you're talking about? :shakehead:

Hookahs are great until someone up top, farts in the breather

Hookahs are great until someone up top, farts in the breather  
  
One of the first jobs I ever did was retrieving a piece of gear the crew of a herring boat had dropped off a pier in San Francisco. Took me about two hours to locate it and when I got back topside, they told me they'd spent the whole time trying to fart into my air intake.

DANG!!!! This is a DIY forum, the answers should be on HOW to do it, NOT not to do it!!!. A some point in time someone, many someones had to do something or we would not have anything to do anything with. Living in caves... fearing the beasts. There are some people who have no vision, no aptitude, no motivation, no adventure in thier lives that end up being the recipients of what the poeple with those skills produce. Go for it OP.