Re: Helmets, bells (was: "Bootlegging Real Psubs")

[shawl@torchlake.com (Jonathan Shawl)]

>  I still can't forgive her for not letting me go on
> my open water check out dive at age 12.

Forgive her for everything, your still alive. How old are you now?

> It was fun being underwater with a source of air.

That is why I like my sub sooo much. It has 1 atm air in it.

> Especially something as inexpensive as a bucket and an
> anchor.  Who needs expensive regulators and tanks?

I do!

> Lately I've been thinking of attaching a ball valve to a snorkel.  Then
> connecting a pony bottle filled
> with oxygen to the snorkel with a needle valve.  So when I'm skin diving and
> I want to stay down longer I can give a twist of the ball valve, then hit the
> needle valve and fill up my lungs.

I might be crazy enough to build a sub out of an old propane tank, but I would no
do that.

> In scuba diving classes they scare the
> hell out of you, talking about air embolism (air expanding in the lungs on
> ascent) and build up of carbon dioxide (skip breathing).

We covered this before but I will say it again for the newer members. The reason
they scare "the hell out of you" is because the results of taking air into your
lungs at any depth and then coming up as little as 4 feet can tear your lungs
apart on the inside. Then I tinny air bubble gets forced into your blood stream
and when it gets to your brain it causes a stroke that will paralyze you at
least. They are not making this stuff up, it has happened and that is scary
enough for me!  This could happen even when diving down to a bell 8 feet under.
If you fill your lungs while in the bell and then surface while holding it all
in.
So do I need to say that dirty word? Oh what the heck, BECAREFULL! oops sorry
about all caps.

> But the majority of my diving has been in shallow pools, rivers and shallow
> anchorages on lakes.
> On canoe trips I just can't feasibly lug heavy scuba gear around.  I need
> something compact to satisfy my desire to really explore those rivers.  The
> reason I haven't built this rig yet is because I don't know much about
> shallow water blackout and I want to do more reading first.    Steve

Good idea!
Jon