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Scuba Forum / General / July 2004Need 5 to 15 Minutes of Air for Emergency Boat Repair
First time poster - non diver - please forgive ignorance Went fishing in Gulf of Mexico in a 40 ft. boat yesterday and ran into a little problem. Got some rope around the prop and had to go under to cut it out. The one member of the crew who was dive qualified and had gear, moved recently and of course took all his gear so we had no scuba gear on the boat, not even a mask. Well we eventually got it cut out but don't want to have to do it that way again. We will have at least a mask, fins and weight belt for our next trip but I was wondering about some very small "tanks" that contained air and a regulator that I saw some tourists using on a vacation TV show. I think they were flashlight sized and had CO2 scrubbers and allowed someone to stay under for 5 to 15 minutes. I don't really remember. Is there such a thing or am I remembering a James Bond movie? What is the name and cost of these things and where could I read about them? Most importantly, are they safe? We would never use them any deeper than the bottom of the boat.... 2 or 3 ft down to propellers or 5 ft to bottom of the hull, so say 10 feet at the deepest.... just long enough to work under the boat in an emergency. No one on the boat is dive qualified. Thoughts? THANKS!  SignatureLes Stewart Beaumont, TX >First time poster - non diver - please forgive ignorance > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > >THANKS! My advice would be to get someone dive qualified. There are things on the market, but they aren't designed for this purpose, rather for emergency ascents. Even then, they are open to vicious debate. A lot of things can go wrong with the scenario that you are describing and, in my opinion, the knowledge gained from just a basic open-water course would be well worth the expense in terms of safety. > First time poster - non diver - please forgive ignorance > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > THANKS! Take a dive class - 10' is deep enough to cause problems. While the risk maybe minimal and you may not think that 10' isn't deep, the training would be worth your time/life. > Is there such a thing or am I remembering a James Bond movie? Yes, there is. It's called a "Spare Air". Make out your will first, you're going to die. Signature"We're going to rush the hijackers." -Jeremy Glick, aboard United Airlines flight 93, September 11, 2001 How often do you go fishing? You could always just take me along for the ride in case of problems! > First time poster - non diver - please forgive ignorance We all have to learn sometime, no biggee and you've shown intelligence for asking. > Most importantly, are they safe? We would never use them any deeper than the > bottom of the boat.... 2 or 3 ft down to propellers or 5 ft to bottom of the > hull, so say 10 feet at the deepest The scenario you describe is actually some of the most dangerous. If someone takes a breath at just six feet and then holds it coming to the surface, they can severely injure their lungs. You don't say where you are located, but check around for a basic dive course. Where I am at they can be had for less than $200. The course will teach you the safe way to fix the problem and how to maintain the gear. It will also let you get that "emergency" tank filled with air. Think about it - do you want to be stuck on a disabled boat with an injured, possibly dying person because you wouldn't spend $200? Defending yourself in the lawsuit afterwardswill be far more expensive. Ron T Everything you mention exists, sort of, but not in the form you're talking about. There are small systems and there are rebreathers that scrub CO2, but to the best of my knowledge, there aren't any small rebreathers. The best answer anybody can give you is "take a scuba course." Not only will it provide information on how to get the job done safely, it will greatly expand your opportunity for fun on and in the water. Shallow water diving is not all that hard to do right, but it can kill you if you do it wrong. One last warning, at least until you have some kind of contained air source. If you have rear exhausts on the main motors or generator, turn both off for a few minutes before trying to clear such tangles. CO is poisonous, even in an open environment. A lot of people have died doing just what you're talking about. The risk is reduced with diesel, but there's no point in taking any risk when it's your life at risk. Lee > First time poster - non diver - please forgive ignorance > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > THANKS! Thanks all for the good advice. That's what I came here for. Les Stewart Beaumont, TX > First time poster - non diver - please forgive ignorance |
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