VOGTLAND OUTDOORS 2021 BUILD a Surface Supplied Air hookah System for under $250 

Much appreciated!

Greetings Thompson & welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! "only video... guess I'm watching it" ??? You LUCKY LUCKY DOG YOU - you got to watch the RIGHT one ! ;-) Only 2 more weeks before it's warm enough to take out, and I'll be adding only a few mods to it WHERE are YOU going to be diving once you put it together? I'M going to diving in DEVIL"S LAKE, WISCONSIN (about 30 min NNE of Madison, WI) again - LOVE that place! Awaiting your reply, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS was looking for a review on it and this is the only video with this compressor and I was intrigued by what you were doing with it so I stick around for the video

Same 😂

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS I'm not a diver just a person that works around the house I would be using it as a air compressor

🤣 That's why i'm here

Hi Jonatan ! it's END-of-summer here in northeastern Illinois (upper midwest USA), so I'm not diving any more this season. I CAN still help you with any questions you might have though . What questions do you have? This summer went smoooothly for me - I never even changed the filter I planned to change ! Let me know what you're facing with your own rig! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

he has the filter on the compressor

The tank could collect condensate and rust. An inline filter is a good idea.

Greetings Redwood and welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! ALL GOOD SUGGESTIONS - thanks for adding to this channel :-) -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Stephen, Good advice - per usual ! Thanks, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings Robert and welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! SHORT ANSWER: HERE is what I ordered last year: www.amazon.com/Neiko-30252A-Water-Separator-Outlet/dp/B002GQ3SUA/ref=sr_1_3?crid=ZAJTU0T4V72&keywords=air%2Boil%2Bseparator&qid=1660612962&sprefix=air%2Boil%2B%2Caps%2C234&sr=8-3&th=1 BE CAREFUL ! START SHALLOW ! (6ft to 8 ft) BE CAREFUL ! CARRY dumbells (instead of a dive belt) that you can simply DROP in an emergency ! BE CAREFUL ! TEST TEST TEST ONSHORE before you use it BE CAREFUL ! Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Hi again Roadstar, Watch all the videos, listen to my recommendations AND my WARNINGS, and read the Descriptions. You sound like you're looking for GUARANTEES on a DIY rig posted on RU-vid; there's NO SUCH THING as GUARANTEES. MARK'S PHILOSOPHY (nothing more than that): SURFACE-SUPPLIED AIR or "HOOKAH" rigs are meant ONLY for that range of depths which are DEEPER than SNORKELING but SHALLOWER than SCUBA. If SNORKELING gets you from 0 ft (surface) to 6ft and then back up... if STANDARD AIR (not "mixed") SCUBA gets you from 20 ft down to 40 ft "receationally"... Then SURFACE-SUPPLIED AIR or "HOOKAH" rigs are meant for that IN-BETWEEN range from 6 ft to 20 ft. MARK'S SAFETY RULE OF THUMB FOR ALL HOOKAH RIGS: DON'T dive any deeper than you can SWIM with only HALF a BREATH - for me that's about 15 ft ! WHAT I MEAN BY THIS: EXPECT your rig to FAIL AT ANY MOMENT, and ALWAYS be ON-GUARD that in the blink of an eye you may have to DITCH your WEIGHT BELT and SPRINT FOR THE SURFACE with LITTLE or NO AIR IN YOUR LUNGS :-O That sounds like you CAN'T possibly have ANY fun if that's how you think but I have TONS of FUN EVERY SUMMER, and so far I've found over $350 worth of lost fishing rods, lost snorkeling goggles & gear, a ring, and several REALLY NICE pairs of RAYBAN SUNGLASSES (one I gave to my youngest daughter, one I kept for myself), so I've already PAID for my RIG! Hope this helps, while reminding you I AM NOT LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE IN ANY WAY FOR ANYTHING IN THIS VIDEO, OR FOR YOU (OR ANYONE ELSE) USING A RIG LIKE THIS. Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings MoFlyBoy ! GLAD you liked the design and see merit in it ! REMEMBER it's only useful down to about 15ft to 25ft !!!! HAVE FUN ! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8ooMvkExy7Y.html

Hi MoFlyBoy ! WATCHED the video you posted to me - ALREADY saw it during the "Research Phase" of my own design. LIKE the guy... LIKE many aspects of his hookah unit (quiet, clean, well-sealed)... EXCEPT for ONE thing: NO TANK :-O. There is a MASSIVE and potentially-DEADLY risk associated with this guy's rig, and even the "Nemo" unit that is increasingly popular... IMAGINE you're 25 ft down and happily sucking on your regulator as you explore the bottom... You exhale fully, begin to draw in your next breath and then... NOTHING :-O NO TANK means that when the BATTERY STOPS your COMPRESSOR STOPS and your BREATHING STOPS - all UNEXPECTEDLY :-O I thought LONG & HARD about that design, even in the Nemo, and found it very much lacking. So when I went looking for MY compressor and came across the HARBOR FREIGHT portable compressor with a 6 GALLON TANK, I knew I'd FOUND my answer, because 6 gallons of air at 125 psi equates to 20 BREATHS which gradually get HARDER and HARDER to draw, so you GET the "warning message" you so very much NEED when you're diving ! Once I'd assembled MY unit, I tested it MULTIPLE times in 6ft, then 10ft, then 15ft, then 20ft, and finally 25ft of water in Devil's Lake WI. Each time the 6 gallon tank made it IMPOSSIBLE to ignore that I had only a handful of breaths left, because with even 5 breaths left, you really FELT the "pull" as you breathed in - TIME TO GET TO THE SURFACE ! That plus a PRESSURE GAUGE on the hose and I felt comfortable diving to 25ft, although I have to say this - in most midwest and upper midwest lakes all the COOL stuff is from 5ft to 15ft of water - deeper than that is often NOTHING not even bottom vegetation ! I'll stick with a design that has a TANK; TANK == SPARE BREATHS == LIFE ! ;-) -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

I made it

Hi ! ANSWER: The Harbor Freight Compressor DIDN'T come with ANY filtration system - this is STILL BEING PERFECTED during SUMMER 2022 ! Watch for more on this - I'll be adding a new filter THIS WEEK ! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS thanks for the info I'll definitely be watching

Greetings Steve! YOU DON'T NEED TO SHIP SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM THE USA TO THE UK !!! I'm SURE you can find a CORDLESS COMPRESSOR - just go to whatever local low-cost-high-value hardware store you've got in your town or the largest town nearby. Then come back & tell us what YOU found over there, as I've got numerous OTHER subscribers in the UK who ALSO are keen to make one of these ! Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Hi Jerry ! ANSWER: Yes - I've actually tried out SEVERAL outlet-side filters so far, and am continuing to try more out this summer and will report my findings & recommendations ! A key Lesson-Learned so far? DON'T use SEALED filters; they're GOING to eventually get wet and need to be opened and cleaned! Stay tuned, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

I wonder what other professional ones use? I’m sort of excited to try my Ridgid battery compressor. At one point they made 9Amp hour batteries. I’m assuming 2 x 9 amp batteries would last a while.I just want to make sure I get lines made for breathing, proper filtering, etc. The one I’d like to have is made by Keene engineering. Pre pandemic it was about $1,300, now it’s almost $1,700 It has 2 pumps like a high/low. The pumps and battery are housed in a sealed molded box with latch down lid. It uses a group 24 deep cycle battery which is good and bad. Good (you can fly somewhere, pick up a battery when you get there, (bad) heavy and you’d have to return it to the store or give it away before retuning. Good point 2 (you can dive deeper, it will support 2 people, etc. it’s tried and true by gold prospectors for years, has a built it large, nylon looking float, etc. I should probably rig mine up safely to test and make sure I can work it all out safely. If I lived near a beach with clear water, no question I’d have one, just not crazy to dive alone, one of the main rules in diving. Look forward to more tests

Greetings Jerry and welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! GREAT to learn you're enjoying this particular series of videos from Summer 2021 - watch for CONTINUED FIELD TESTING & "EVOLUTION" in Summer 2022 ! WHILE I'm FLATTERED you paid ANY attention to MY under-$300 rig, speaking sincerely - if YOU'VE got $2,000 to spend on YOUR rig, I would recommend you buy an ACTUAL NAUI-approved or PADI-approved hookah rig :-O MY DIY unit is for guys who AREN'T in that price range, and who simply are looking for RECREATIONAL hookah unit for snorkeling and diving from the surface down to (say) 20 FEET MOST OF THE TIME. CHEAP and REASONABLY-SAFE FUN - NOTHING MORE THAN THIS ! You & I are in agreement - NEVER DIVE ALONE! The NEXT-BEST thing I can do is to have family MONITORING me on the shore, and watching my buoy, but even that's NOT safe enough; so one mod I've ALREADY added is a Y-splitter on the OUTLET, so I can run TWO hoses from the unit and have a SECOND diver. My identical twin Michael has already done this and field-testing HIS rig (Summer 2021) with his wife, and they had a lot of fun in SE Minnesota lakes :-) Again, watch for more field tests early this summer, I only just got my POOL working last (Memorial Day) Weekend, so field tests start THIS WEEKEND ! Cheerio, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings Doug ! YOU & I ARE IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT... but 5 feet? You may has well simply SNORKEL ;-) I'm at least OK with seeing any SSA (Surface-Supplied Air) aka "hookah" rig operating at that common-but-quirky depth range of 6 ft to around 20 ft. - Surface to 5 ft is best handled by snorkeling with a modest weight belt to get you down quickly; - 6 ft to 20 ft is simply too-deep-for-snorkeling and too-shallow-for-SCUBA (it's bullky); - 25ft and deeper should be exclusively the realm of SCUBA, absolutely NOT SSA. My philosophy is this: - if you can hold your breath for about 20 seconds even while ACTIVELY kicking fins, then SNORKELING is your SAFEST method; - if you go DEEPER than you can ASCEND in a SINGLE breath (that's about 20 ft to 25 ft), then IF your SSA system FAILS you, you're fucked; that is, you're DEAD. Period. The fun and usefulness of an SSA system (DIY or store-bought) is fitting in that middle depth. :-) LUCKILY all the FUN stuff in North American fresh-water lakes is almost ALWAYS 6 ft to 20 ft; after that the water gets DARK (and scary!) AND the vegetation ENDS, so there's NO point in going deeper anyways, unless you're LOOKING for something; and if you're LOOKING for something, it's likely EXPENSIVE, so you may as well spend the money on SCUBA gear and a solid DIVING BUDDY as well ! Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS I just need to work on my boat. It's not deep but I will need some extended time to scrape the bottom. This compressor is perfect, thanks again

GLAD you found this video useful ! ARE you saying that YOU actually BUILT a rig and TRIED IT (dove with it) ?? Tell us about YOUR experience ! -Mark | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings Miranda and welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! SHORT ANSWER: WATCH the VIDEOS ! You'll see that even after 15+ dives, most of them are well beyond 5m - they're more like 7m to 8m, but I've said repeatedly that it's UNWISE to use a rig like this PAST depths of 7m, simply because they're NOT DESIGNED for depths past this - THAT'S the (rightful) realm of TRUE SCUBA ! Lastly, I live in North America (upper midwest, within an hour of the Great Lakes), and in all the lakes around here there's literally NOTHING past the 7m depth mark anyway - ALL VEGETATION STOPS, so all the fun stuff (fish, sunglasses, other swag) are all at depths of 5m, and the entire rig LASTS LONGER at those depths anyway. Thanks for the feedback ! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Daniel - Merry Christmas & Happy New Year ! GREAT ADVICE - I'm already planning on adding this to this summer's "Prototype 03" (spring/summer 2024). This continues to be a surprisingly popular video series I created now almost 3 YEARS ago - who knew?? FYI, I HAVE had a "detach event" during Prototype 01 (summer 2021); as you said IT WASN'T FUN, and I was at a depth of "only" 15 ft :-O I will say this - and I'll continue to repeat it: THIS ENTIRE RIG IS REALLY MEANT FOR "SHALLOW" DIVING - say 6 ft to 25 ft MAXIMUM ! IF you plan on regularly diving BELOW even 20 ft, then you SHOULD be using full-on professional SCUBA EQUIPMENT - NOT this DIY rig !! Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings Siam Alien - you deserve a prize for most ORIGINAL ALIAS ! WELCOME TO VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! THIS video series has been SURPRISINGLY POPULAR since I first introduced it last summer! "mount a cooler in a truck tire"? Hmmm... DON'T need the truck tire (I already bought the fantastic $29 tube WITH a FLOOR), but YOUR suggestion about placing it all in a COOLER (sealed from water) ?? I MUST GIVE THIS A TRY - VERY CREATIVE ! Wait til next year ! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS !

I cannot speak to any DeWalt equipment, but I CAN tell you that over the summer my identical twin brother Michael built my SAME RIG (Harbor Freight 20V 6 gal 135psi tank), and he & HIS wife WERE ABLE TO USE IT CONCURRENTLY at depths of 10ft for about 30 min :-O They added a SINGLE "Y" splitter just outside their hose's air/particulant filter, and then hook 2 different hoses up after that - one for HIM, one for his WIFE. It worked nicely. WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER - WHAT WE'RE DOING IS DANGEROUS IF THE DIVERS INVOLVED ARE NOVICES !!! You could SUDDENLY LOSE THE ABILITY TO BREATH IN A LITTLE AS 2 BREATHS - IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO HANDLE THIS KIND OF SUDDEN "PANIC" THEN NEITHER SSA NOR EVEN SCUBA TANKS ARE SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE AROUND ! NONE OF THIS CAN BE CLAIMED TO BE 100% BULLETPROOF or IDIOTPROOF !! Please keep this in mind ! Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

I just tore down the compressor and there was a ton of what looked like teflon particulate residue inside the cylinder and cylinder head. You should definitely put a filter out the outlet of that compressor if you want to breath from it.

I would get a Polyurethane hose as that is food safe and water drinking safe....but still, give it a mild soap wash.

Do yourself a favor and never run something like this without a proper filtration system. There are multiple things that could come out of these compressors from shrapnel, to dry lubricants to teflon coating. Anyone should be aware of this.

I've been open-water diving a hookah based on this compressor for a few weeks and it has worked well so far, down to 20 feet. I'm still tweaking the system but the compressor definitely has the capacity to supply enough air to that depth. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5m6huJvftLE.html

@@PunkerTFC what kind of time is this thing lasting you? On what size batteries? I want to do the same but want to know if the run time is worth it.

Joel, This is what needs updating in my "Prototype 1.1" rig. In 1.0 I used a simple hose barb connection. In one dive at about 12 ft this POPPED LOOSE :-O In upcoming versions (next season) this will be replaced by SCUBA-quality fittings. I almost certainly WON'T BUY "NEW"; instead I'll hit FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE and buy some local SCUBA parts from some man (or woman is better) who is getting out of the sport. Stay tuned, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greeting Roadstar and welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! SHORT ANSWER: This is OFF-THE-SHELF - no customizations of any kind were made. I think the description for that video contains links back to harborfreight.com so you can find & read all the specs . Reliable? I've had this rig for 2 seasons now, and Season 3 is coming up Memorial Day Weekend :-) So far so good, but I make NO GUARANTEES nor do I claim what I'm doing is SAFE or APPROVED or INSURED. It has worked so far, and I regularly stay down at depths of 12ft to 15ft, and sometimes up to 20ft, but I do NOT recommend going lower, as you're then in the range where industry-proven ACTUAL SCUBA GEAR should be used. It's been a TON of FUN so far. Kind regards, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS yes it looks like it's a great setup...I get a pump for one I am building tomorrow and it should be great also,but yours definitely has more psi and depth potential for sure..anything over 20 is real scary for me at this point.i am building mine to recover an rc boat I lost a few weeks ago..its in a very murky pond down around 15 feet...but I have always wanted to scuba ,so losing that boat may have been a good thing..not sure I will find,but this is the best way I could come up with...thanks for sharing...if I build another one I will definitely look into using a setup like yours..

Fresh, I see you watched the entire video (finally) ;-) But FILTERING IMPURITIES from this NOT-built-for-BREATHING take IS a concern - you are absolutely RIGHT to be wary ! Just remember - this is a DIY and all that this implies! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Hi C's Campbell CHECK OUT my LATEST video - my FIELD TEST this unit in Devil's Lake Wisconsin (actually a total of nearly 2 HOURS of dives using 2 5000mAhr batteries and later 2 3000 mAhr batteries !!! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS when you said nearly 2 hours with two 5ah batteries was that almost 2 hours with those two or are you including the 2 3ah batteries in that time ?

Greetings & Happy Holidays Doug! Remember I built this in early 2021, and prices do change ! You & I are in agreement on a key point though: THIS IS A GREAT SYSTEM FOR A GREAT PRICE ! All you have to do is go look for an off-the-shelf system, and you'll see they START at $1,000 :-O If you're only cleaning a boat, you could simply leave the rig ON the boat instead of in an innertube, but remember to bring a well-tied ROPE over the edge with you ! Q: Why? A: In order to WORK COMFORTABLY under water, you'll likely want to carry a heavier-than-neutral amount of BALLAST WEIGHT. That way you'll always be pulled DOWN so it's easy to reach up and do things like scraping, but this is also damned DANGEROUS because it's HARD to SURFACE when/if you need to :-O Hence have a ROPE you can PULL on, and a weight belt you absolutely positively can DITCH with ONE HAND EFFORTLESSLY. Good luck! WOuld LOVE to see your OWN video of this rig being used !!! Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS I believe I'm going for the DeWalt cordless compressor because the Harbor Freight Bower only has a 90-day warranty. I could use a 110 volt compressor which is much cheaper but I don't want to have to run the engine or generator to support the power supply. I think cordless is the way to go. Thanks again

Hi Doug! The goals of DIY videos like this are to INSPIRE and EDUCATE, but NOT to "DICTATE" ;-) ... Think of these videos like RECIPES: If you follow them to-the-letter you WILL get a GREAT RESULT, BUT... ... if you decide to make your OWN little "tweaks" then you get a GREAT RESULT that is YOUR OWN! And those are the BEST kind of recipe. Me? I follow my (late) Canadian mum Nancy's Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe to-the-letter, BUT... ... I ADD WHISKY (even MOONSHINE) to it, and that makes it "MINE" ;-) Just remember: SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY ! Looking forward to seeing YOU do a "Tour on Doug's Variation on DIY Hookah Rig" !! Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings Albert and welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! Thanks for your reply. There may indeed come a time when I'll experiment with increasing the pressure, but for now it is a best practice in mechanical design to MINIMALLY meet expected operational requirements, and my current has done just that. If I INCREASE the pressure then I also INCREASE the WORKLOAD of the compressor, which SHORTENS the life of a charged battery, maybe from 35 minutes to 15 minutes? Hope you see my point. FIND ME A BETTER submergible PRESSURE GAUGE - that's where I welcome advice ! ;-) Kind regards, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings Charles & welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! SHORT ANSWERS: 1. Yes - I DO still OWN and USE my prototype rig; 2. Yes - DID test it before I used it as a SSA rig; I inflate bike tires, drove all kinds of pneumatic power tools (drills, sanders, nail guns, etc) - it worked GREAT (as EXPECTED!) on everything, and it was so quiet that even when running in a bedroom, if you go 2 doors down to the bathroom, you can hardly HEAR IT; and when I use it DIVING, by the time I'm only 15 ft away from it, I CAN'T EVEN HEAR IT :-) 3. There's NO COMPARISON in VOLUME between this INDUSTRIAL-GRADE compressor and a 12V car unit; I would say that a 12V car unit would take 10 minutes to inflate my standup paddleboard, but it would take this compressor less than 2 minutes. Hope this helps ! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Hi Doug! I shit you not - with 2 5000 mAHr (mill-amp-hour) batteries, I EASILY am getting 48 minutes under, even down to 27 feet in the bottom of Devil's Lake, Wisconsin. I'm CONVINCED that if I stay at only 15 feet (which is where all the FISH are frolicking), then I expect to stay under a total of 60 minutes with 2 x 5000 mAHr batteries. You'll start getting HYPOTHERMIA before you start running out of batteries (air) - at least in North America ! ;-) -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings & Welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS Aaron ! SHORT ANSWER: This unit runs on TWO batteries at a time, and I get a full 45 min dive @ 20-25 ft with those batteries. THIS ALL SAID... BE CAREFUL ! This is your LIFE you're playing with down there, and NO ONE is going to come GET you if your rig FAILS. I just came back from a week in wonderful JAMAICA, and one SAD tale was that I was out fly fishing along the coast with a guide when a POLICE BOAT pulled up. They were speaking to my guide in "patois", but I understood a LOT of it, and what the police were asking my guide was (basically) if he "saw any body parts floating around this morning"... :-O After the police left to continue their searching, I asked my guide TJ what had happened. TJ answered "So sad; 2 men took a "hookah" rig out last night and were diving to 80 feet... ... and NO ONE HAS SEEN THEM SINCE." :-O WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? It means they WEREN'T CAREFUL, and they fucking DIED at 80 ft, with WEIGHT BELTS on, so they SANK to the BOTTOM of the Caribbean, and the only way anyone will FIND them is when the SHARKS begin to EAT THEM and some PARTS start FLOATING to the surface :-| ... I CAN'T MAKE IT ANY CLEARER THAN THAT - BE CAREFUL WITH HOOKAH (and SCUBA) RIGS !!! ONE STRENGTH of MY DIY design is that you've got a 6 GALLON TANK, which WILL begin to take EFFORT when your batteries die... but in reality you're ONLY going to get about 2 or 3 breaths when you feel that EFFORT 'HIT". DON'T BE FOOLISH! LIMIT your DIVES to 75% of the time your rig can handle. WEAR a STOPWATCH and LOOK AT IT CONSTANTLY. ADD a PRESSURE GAUGE to your regulator line and WATCH IT CONSTANTLY - it's only going to start DROPPING when you've got about 3-4 breaths left - HEAD FOR THS SURFACE ! NEVER go below 20-25ft for ANY REASON - IT'S NOT WORTH YOUR LIFE. Hope I'm making my point. I DIDN'T make my DIY hookah rig videos so fools could copy my unit and kill themselves. There's a TON of fun to be found at 12 to 15 feet in any freshwater lake in North America. Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings & Welcome Dave to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! SHORT ANSWER: I live in the NORTHERN MIDWEST of the USA, so ALL diving ENDED in EARLY SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR :-O DID I experience any problems? NO "deal-breaker" problems at all DID I experience any "annoying" problems? YES - several - and here's how I FIXED them: PROBLEM: My FIRST air filter was CHEAP, and got CLOGGED with SAND & WATER on the 1st day; Also, I had INSTALLED it WAY DOWN near my MOUTHPIECE - UNNECESSARY (in fact SILLY) SOLUTION: I bought a DIFFERENT filter that mounts DIRECTLY ON THE OUTLET PORT OF THE COMPRESSOR ITSELF, so it's OUT of the WATER, EASY TO CLEAN & MONITOR PROBLEM: I had a "barb" type fitting between my longer 25ft air hose and the 6 ft length of air hose that came with my mouthpiece & 2nd-stage regulator - AND IT POPPED LOOSE WITH ME AT 10 ft DEEP !!! SOLUTION: I REPLACED THIS FITTING with a PERMANENT ONE PROBLEM: In my "generation 1" unit I thought COILED AIR HOSE was the way to go - THIS WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA ! SOLUTION: I purchase a NEW 25ft length of STRAIGHT, "MEMORY-FREE" air hose, and it's been WONDERFUL EVERY SINCE PROBLEM: AT first I DIDN'T have ANY sort of TANK PRESSURE GAUGE NEAR my BODY while at depth. So when my BATTERIES DIED and I only had 135psi of air in the 6 gal tank ( about 20 breaths) I COULDN'T TELL I WAS "EMPTY" until I had literally only about 2 breaths LEFT !!! :-O SOLUTION: I installed even a $10 dial pressure gauge on a "T" fitting just 5 ft from my mouthpiece, so I can see it ALL THE TIME. NOW when the tank pressure starts to DROP BELOW 100 psi (about 6 breaths) I CAN SEE THIS RIGHT AWAY AND BEGIN PREPARING TO SURFACE SAFELY ! That's it BE CAREFUL ! ALWAYS DIVE WITH A BUDDY ! WATCH EACH OTHER CONSTANTLY ! ALWAYS WEAR a DIVE BELT YOU CAN DITCH ! NEVER GO DEEPER THAN "1 breath" from the surface (25ft) - IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK !!! ENJOY ! - Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS thank you so much for the response

Hi Dave, Did you manage to find the Bauer compressor in UK, if so where ? Thanks Steve

Greetings PayMe! 1/4 is a nice compromise: - any NARROWER and the actual volumetric air flow (even under pressure) is too small; - any WIDER and you get good flow, but the HOSE ITSELF becomes STIFF, HEAVY and UNWIELDY. Nope - 1/4 inch has been working NICELY so far! Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS So here is a idea back at ya first 25ft coiled and 25ft strait. coil at compressor side..

PayMe... I TRIED the COILED hose too, thinking it would be a god-send... ... it turned out to be a NIGHTMARE :-O It was FOREVER getting TWISTED, so that ultimately a 25ft COILED hose ended up being about 10 ft of USEABLE hose, and it STILL was constantly getting twisted even around my feet. TURNS OUT that the absolute BEST host was the SOFTEST, STRAIGHTEST hose I could find. How did YOUR experience with coiled hose go? FYI, you DON'T need 50 FEET of hose - remember you're only 15-20 ft DOWN, and your rig FLOATS, so you DON'T need to carry around 40 ft of hose you DON'T NEED... Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

I'm saying a small coil first just to take away any tugging like maybe a 10 ft coil and a 25ft

Payme, Feel free to try all these methods; I'm only sharing what happened to me - ANY "coiled" hose ended up being far far MORE TROUBLE than you can imagine, and offered absolutely ZERO benefits. Long, supple, straight, lightweight - THOSE end up being what truly WORKS for a hose - and ONLY 25 ft is all that's required, NO more or you're carrying around UNNECESSARY length. -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings & Happy New Year Callum ! Believe me I HAVE given this some thought, but I've concluded that this would exceed the "Design Boundaries" Let me explain... For ME the design was all about trying to fit (only!) that range of depths between 6ft and 25 ft below the surface MAXIMUM - NO MORE THAN THIS. The Design was also meant to let you dive for a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 45 minutes - otherwise (at least in North America) diving at depths of 20 ft put through not one but TWO different thermoclines, meaning it's easily 60 deg to evern 50 deg at those depths; staying down without even the thinnest of "shortie" suits for more than 30 min would be unwise... Finally, the Design was for a SINGLE person, not multiple. Put all MY design criteria together and you have the very design I've arrived at. That said, if you consider using a LARGER, MORE POWERFUL compressor, IMHO you're actually OVER-designing it - and that can get you into TROUBLE. WHAT WOULD YOU DO with all that extra power? The LIKELY answer is that you'd dive DEEPER (UNSAFE!) or LONGER (UNSAFE) :-O Something to ponder. Please be careful in your own designs. You DIDN'T HEAR IT FROM ME that using a more powerful compressor is a good idea. Respectfully, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS I have no clue about this stuff. I feel like the companies are ripping people off at $600+ for their compressor battery powered snorkel, when a compressor can cost $20 and i've seen lifepo4 12v 12-AH go for $60. Thanks for the info.

Greetings Callum ! I think you & I feel the same way - some of the "professional grade" SSA/Hookah units (like NEMO) sell for $900 and even more... yet they don't even have an air tank for a "reserve" - and speaking candidly that scares the HELL out of me ! IMAGINE you're at a depth of 25 ft and exhaling your current breath, expecting to take the next one... ... and THE BATTERY DIES, and NO BREATH IS COMING :-O . 25 ft is nearly 2 BREATHS from the surface - what the HELL do you DO ??? I honestly DON'T know if I would make it, especially if I were wearing a WEIGHT BELT for neutral buoyancy. I DON'T know if I could DITCH the weight belt and make a BURST for the surface with less than 2 cups of already-used air left in my lungs... ... yet these manufacturers want over $900 for their rigs. The unit I put together ISN'T trying to be the CHEAPEST rig out there - it IS trying to be the MOST AFFORDABLE-WHILE-BEING-SAFE rig out there. AND when you're not DIVING with it, you can USE it around the SHOP ;-) Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

It is a steel tank.

you're overthinking this....a filter will help, you don't want large particles in your lungs, your lungs are capable of handling and removing small particles to a certain size...the point of the filter is to trap nauseous gas or particles that will cause you to have a cough reflex.

You & I are in AGREEMENT ! :-) -Mark

Greetings Shangwei and welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! SHORT ANSWER: It's a BAUER brand from HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS: www.harborfreight.com/16-gallon-135-psi-20v-brushless-cordless-air-compressor-tool-only-57394.html HERE is a pretty close RYOBI EQUIVALENT on AMAZON: amzn.to/3SEsgbe Make sure you use one with a TANK - it'll provide you a precious few additional breathes that you'll need once your batteries are empty and you're still down at 5 to 6 m of depth :-O . BE SAFE BE SMART DON'T BE STUPID DON'T TAKE RISKS ALWAYS DIVE WITH A BUDDY NEVER DIVE ALONE DISCLAIMER: YOU ALONE are responsible for ANY and ALL decisions you make regarding DIY diving equipment. Neither VOGTLAND OUTDOORS nor Mark Vogt are in any way responsible (in whole OR in part) for ANY decision you make or its consequences. Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings "Five" ! ANSWER: - compressor: 20 lbs - rest of gear: about 5 lbs (really!) - weights: about 8 lbs (I'm about 25 lbs overweight, so I need 8 lbs in my hands as I dive) ============================ Total: 33 lbs - 2 trips from wherever you parked BETTER? TWO GUYS DIVE, so TWO guys make ONE trip, and they BOTH get to dive for about 45 minutes ! Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Fresh, Hmmmm... spear fishing? In ILLINOIS ??? I wish I were that lucky. Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

CHECK OUT my latest video with the BUILD LIST !!!

Greetings Bill and welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! WELL-UNDERSTOOD ! - ALL "utility" compressors have this SAME WARNING. My project ISN'T intended to be any more than a DIY alternative to the far-more-expensive-maybe-even-safer-"air-quality"-wise-but-LESS-safe-because-they-all-LACK-TANKS hookah units available out there :-O ... Please watch the video(s) as I experiment with various FILTERING SYSTEMS on the OUTLET side of this compressor in order to mitigate (but I WON'T claim to ELMINATE) the risks involved in using ANY Surface-Supplied Air (aka "hookah") rig. Even THIS summer (2022) my field testing CONTINUES on BOTH the FILTERING and the HOSE, because I'm ever seeking to improve improve improve on this design ! Lastly, please know I'm TOTALLY RECEPTIVE to SUGGESTIONS on outlet filtering systems and superior air hose choices - what have YOU learned in YOUR experimentation so far?? This could be a useful dialog ! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS thank you sir! appreciate the clarification and insight into the DIY tankless setups. i have some basic repairs to perform in the deep end of my swimming pool, so found your video very helpful. my research of "breathable" air compressor systems showed how costly these type systems are. thanks again and i'll keep watching

Greetings again Bill ! No matter WHAT path you take, remember this: There is HIGH MERIT to a hookah system which includes a STORAGE TANK ! I cannot stress this enough. I see DANGER in hookah systems which ELIMINATE any form of a tank, instead relying on (fallible) electronic circuitry to somehow alert you when you're 25 FEET UNDER WATER (read "MORE than a SINGLE BREATH back to the surface!). I mean... WHAT IF that circuitry FAILS? At least with a TANK you'll FEEL the "pull" when you've got about 2 to 4 breaths remaining, and that's you're FINAL "get the hell back to the SURFACE" that DOESN'T rely on any circuitry at all :-) Just something to think about. Looking forward to hearing about YOUR rig! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings Linius! SHORT ANSWER: Yes - I HAVE taken my rig down to 27 ft; I COULD go DEEPER, but there's NO WISDOM to diving deeper with an SSA rig vs a SCUBA rig ! LONGER ANSWER: SSA rigs by their very design are meant for a fairly specific RANGE of depths: - DEEPER than you can dive using a SNORKEL; but - SHALLOWER than you can dive with a SCUBA rig THIS translates roughly into a range of 8 ft to 25 ft COULD I take this rig DEEPER than 25 ft? Yes, but 2 things would need to happen: 1. I would need to advance to each new depth GRADUALLY and CAREFULLY, diving for at least 30 minutes at each new depth (eg 20 ft, 25ft, 30ft, 35ft); and 2. I would need a REASON to dive to those deeper depths. The REALITY here in NORTH AMERICA is that most fresh water lakes are really really BORING at depths greater than even 20 ft; all the weeds DISAPPEAR, the bottom becomes EMPTY and DEAD and DEVOID even of FISH, so WHAT's the POINT of getting deeper? The ONLY lake I've been in that was "interesting" beyond 25 feet is LAKE MICHIGAN, and it's DAMNED COLD below 20 ft :-O... BEST RULE OF THUMB FOR WORKABLE DEPTHS OF AN SSA RIG: DON'T dive any deeper than you can SURFACE from on a HALF-BREATH ! Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings ABCABC and welcome to VOGTLAND OUTDOORS ! I AM NOT DISAGREEING WITH YOU... Hence all of the CAVEATS and DISCLAIMERS I've posted on every one of these videos ! That said, here's some MORE stuff to think about... Go check out some of the "professional" hookah systems - in particular the ones that are under $1,000 and in particular the one super-popular one. Note that it DOESN'T have a RESERVE TANK AT ALL :-O Then ask yourself "what happens when I'm at a depth of 25 feet, breathing oh-so-CLEAN air... ... and the compressor suddenly STOPS DEAD. NO reserve tank with 6 to 10 more breaths to get me to the surface - instead just 25 feet of I-should-have-purchased-a-system-with-a-TANK water you need to swim through, and likely only AFTER you've already EXHALED all your air because you THOUGHT you STILL HAD A NEXT-BREATH :-O ... All Surface-Supplied Air (aka "Hookah") systems have design weaknesses. Mine is no exception. But when my battery dies and I'm at 25 ft, I'LL still have a handful of breaths to get me to the surface... ... and I won't care whether or not that air is clean ;-) Out of the thousands & thousands of people world wide who have enjoyed this project, you are one of only about 4 people who are utterly against it. No, that's NOT an argument stating the design is perfect, but it IS something to think about. Hope you don't smoke (cigarettes or cigar or pipe or pot) and are STILL coming at ME about "bad air" - that would be hypocritical of you ;-) CONTINUING THIS CONVERSATION IN A CONSTRUCTIVE DIRECTION, HOW might you IMPROVE on this design? ARE their add-on filters which COULD filter out off-gassed chemicals like Teflon and other coating ingredients common to "hobby carpenter" compressors? Your constructive input is WELCOME. Cheers, -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings DeepSeaWrath, Your feedback is appreciated, though I have to ask - what is your impression of ANY SSA system? There are literally THOUSANDS of them out there, and far & away the LARGEST consumer of them are RESORTS, where killing a paying customer is a BAD thing. So IF they're SO bad, WHY are they SO popular, and why are we NOT seeing all the deaths you seem to hint at??? ;-) "Get a couple of cylinders" ?? The WHOLE POINT of an SSA system is that it's for people who DON'T have ready access to COMPRESSORS or CYLINDERS, so again, I'm not sure of the logic of your suggestion. I'm Advanced SCUBA (NAUI) rated as a diver (only down to 80 ft, that level), and we had it beaten into our heads that conventional SCUBA rigs can KILL you too, so again, what's your point here? Like many other enthusiasts, I've carefully assembled tested and demonstrated an AFFORDABLE, PORTABLE rig for CAREFULLY diving to depths (15-20 ft) that a common SNORKELER only WISHES they could dive at and NOT have to come up for air. YOU want to suggest using a SET of SCUBA CYLINDERS to go diving at 15 ft ?? I'm not sure people are willing to cough up $1500 so they don't have to come up from 15 ft for air ;-) ... Thoughts? -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS I appreciate your innovation and ingenuity. And I appreciate you looking out for the common person. And what you are doing is safer than say some pearl divers in Indonesia. HOWEVER all I am saying is diving is inherently risky even in 4 feet of water. And homemade contraptions are not worth risking peoples lives with to save a few bucks. My background: been padi/naui recreational diver since 1993. And a commercial diver since 2006, currently an ADCI surface supplied air diving supervisor. My impression of air ssa? I prefer it. I don’t like being limited on air. Although I have not used any recreational systems. Before using them I would make sure to check the air quality by getting it tested every 6 months. There are companies that do this inexpensively like TRI air testing inc. I recommend you do this as well. Which is what these resorts are probably doing. most likely their insurers require it. “The whole point of an SSA system is that it’s for people who don’t have ready access to compressors or cylinders”?? I too am not sure of your logic. You have a compressor people have ready access to. I would prefer to see people use a diving gear that has been actually tested and approved. Compressors and cylinders manufactured for diving are readily available and some are quite affordable. I can make a hookah setup using rented cylinders and purchased secondhand diving equipment for under a couple hundred bucks and it would be way safer. Cylinders are great for SSA. I can make a setup on the road in any city in the US. Do it all the time. And they come with an air quality certification so I’m good with osha. And I still monitor for contaminates. A few bottles will be plenty for a diver at 15ft for hours. Much longer than your batteries. Those are my thoughts. Again not bashing your idea. Just need to let people know that they need to do their own research and take in the consideration that this isn’t the safest way to go under water. And drowning in a pool or under your boat could be easily and affordably be avoided by a little training, and using the certified equipment properly, and ensuring your air source is contaminate free even under heavy load.

Hi DeepSeaWrath! There are 2 ways a conversation like this can go: 1. nicely; or 2. badly I think you understand what I'm trying to say here, and am pleased to think you & I have gone down Path 1 :-) ... Your suggestion about TESTING the air quality is VERY valid, and one I WILL explore when I ready my system for use in the spring ! And I'll also be exploring various types of FILTERS I can use on the outlet toward making the exiting (breathed) air as safe as possible. In the world of aviation there is an annual fly-in named OshKosh that is filled with plane-making enthusiasts, all building EXPERIMENTAL planes while often learning to fly :-) ... Paragliders, Powered Parasails, the list goes on. People LIKE "DIY", in spite of the risk. I'm no different, but I DO try to exercise all due caution, and I DO accept constructive criticism when it's offered in good spirit. Yours was :-) Stay tuned in the spring ! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS stay safe. I’m available for questions.

DeepSeaWrath, HERE's a GREAT question to ask which leverages YOUR greater experience in the area of Air Quality.. Q: WHAT might be some GOOD available-via-retail FILTERS to add to my rig? Thus far I've been only seeking filters for removing moisture and particulates, but your recent posts have me convinced there are OTHER substances I should be concerned about filtering out as well. Thoughts? -Mark

Hi V8 Marc - cool avatar ! YOU & I ARE IN AGREEMENT - what we're doing is DANGEROUS. ALL "diving" is DANGEROUS. I'VE had comparatively MORE expensive rental gear FAIL ON ME - NOTHING is "foolproof". BUT... ... IF you read my PREVIOUS posts and watch all my PREVIOUS videos on this topic, you'll see I'm quite CAREFUL and very VOCAL about recommending WHAT situation an SSA (Surface-Supplied Air) rig is for, what it's most-certainly NOT for, and how BEST to use it to have fun with MINIMAL danger... SNORKELING is useful for surface to about 6 ft, provided you're in good shape and have a weight belt to achieve barely-neutral buoyancy... SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) is MOST useful for diving and remaining at depths of 20ft to 60ft; deeper than that you often need more advanced gear in order to stay at-depth for longer than (say) 20 minutes :-| ... IN-BETWEEN these 2 "operating zones" is that weird depth of 6ft to 20ft: - TOO DEEP to continuously SNORKEL; it takes longer to get down and up than the time you're DOWN; - TOO SHALLOW to "gear up" with SCUBA and WEIGHT BELTS and TANKS and such; but - PERFECT for SURFACE-SUPPLIED AIR like a HOOKAH unit :) Q: WHY does MARK recommend (and I'm NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING GOING WRONG) a max depth of 20 ft? A: When diving in FRESH WATER LAKES in NORTH AMERICA, 5ft to 20ft is where ALL THE INTERESTING STUFF IS, AND 20ft is about the DEEPEST you can ascend in ONE BREATH. Again... ALL of this is DANGEROUS, so we have to approach is INTELLIGENTLY. NONE of us have UNLMITED funds to buy space-exploration-quality gear. But we CAN have "reasonably safe" fun on a budget, while still putting together an SSA rig which might NOT be fabricated from the BEST materials, but it DOES have a 6 GALLON TANK to ensure that even when the POWER STOPS, you'll STILL have some air left to surface. USE YOUR HEADS - Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

Greetings Darry ! NICELY DONE - I watched several of your DIY build and dive videos - treasure hunting is ADDICTING to me as well ! I also noted that YOU ordered nearly the SAME FILTER that I ended up with; the FIRST one I bought SEEMED like a small, compact one - but I quickly that if it got ANY sand inside it, there was NO cleaning it, so I'm using the SAME style as you purchased. I'm curious - what's the TANK capacity of (gallons or liters) of your compressor's tank? I'm also curious if you can HEAR it from under water. I spent a fair amount of time driving around to ALL the local hardware stores literally TURNING ON each & every oil-less compressor I could find, in order to see which one was QUIETEST - THAT's how I ended up with the BAUER brand available at HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS. Even at the surface you can BARELY hear it from even 10 ft away - it's AMAZING. GLAD you found my own videos useful - WATCH for more in the spring! -Mark Vogt | VOGTLAND OUTDOORS

@@VOGTLANDOUTDOORS the tank capacity is 2 gallons and it turns back on at 90 psi from 120 and it takes me 11 breaths to fill from 90 psi back to 120 psi and can barly here it under water as you can see in my test vid im going to treasure hunt the shore of lake superior next week stay tuned have a blessed day

no if the pressure in the hose is higher than the pressure at the depth of water

Hose can't collapse while pressurized.

I'm with the other guys; 100+ PSI at the outlet end means the hydrostatic pressure (yep - it's got a NAME) at a depth of 22 ft WON'T be able to collapse the line. Cheers, -Mark