Modern scuba diving gear should ensure the safety and comfort of the diver. Do-it-yourself scuba diving is quite possible. However, for this it is necessary to know the principle of the equipment, its device and working resource. Consider this topic in more detail.
Device
If you decide to do scuba do-it-yourself, you should know what it consists of. For the device to work correctly, it must have several basic elements:
- One or a pair of cylinders with compressed respiratory composition, containing 7-18 liters.
- A regulator consisting of a lung machine and one or more gears.
- The buoyancy compressor, which is a special inflatable vest that makes it possible to adjust the depth of immersion.
- Pressure gauge. It has a signal that operates at an air pressure of 30 atmospheres.
Do-it-yourself fire extinguisher scuba
For the manufacture of such a device, an acid fire extinguisher tank is required, designed for a pressure of 150 bar, with a capacity of 5 liters. The following manipulations are carried out in several stages:
- The valve is turned to a round shape, screwed into a special T-shaped fitting equipped with a charging valve.
- A pair of duralumin plates fastened together are fastened on it.
- As a reducer, a recycled second stage of a similar element of an oxygen chair is used (it functions from 8 bar).
- An improvised safety valve is being prepared, the diameter of the membrane should be reduced using two plates.
- A box of a gear valve (1.2 mm cross-section) is made, a fluoroplastic cushion for the same element.
- The pulmonary machine is pulled together by bolts.
The cylinder is fixed with duralumin clamps on the back of fiberglass. We can assume that the mini-scuba, made with their own hands, is ready.
The unit under consideration is reliable in operation. Among the main disadvantages, corrosion of the gear housing from duralumin in salt water is noted. Silicone grease helps to solve this problem. The average weight of the assembled equipment will be about 9.5 kg.
Second option
In this case, the device is made of a two-liter cylinder receiver from a fire extinguisher. The device is fastened in the chest area, instead of the regulator, a homemade pneumatic button is used to mechanically supply air for inhalation. The tank has a check valve that closes the air compartment when the hose breaks.
Since there is no gearbox, scuba gear is used at a limited depth. The membrane is pressed against the valve seat by the action of a spring. When the lever is pressed, it rises and the air mixture is breathed in. The exhale goes into the water through a special valve. Air is supplied from the surface by means of a welding cylinder (volume up to 40 liters), to which a pulmonary machine is connected. The pneumatic button can be fixed on the hand, which will make diving more convenient.
Another fire extinguisher model
This do-it-yourself scuba gear can be made from a 1.5 liter fire extinguisher cylinder. The unit is equipped with a manual air supply system for inhalation, there is a pneumatic button, gearbox and valve. A cylinder from a fire extinguisher (1.5 l) is used.
The reducer includes a pipe placed in the nozzle from the fire extinguisher. It houses a non-return valve made of plastic, pressed against its seat with compressed air and a spring. A case with a membrane and a stud is screwed onto the tube. The reverse side is equipped with a lever, which is activated after pressing with a finger. Air passing through a nozzle with a diameter of 2 millimeters is inhaled, and exhaled through a valve. The cargo belt can be made of lead or duralumin tubes. It is equipped with a homemade buckle with a quick lock.
DIY scuba gear from a bottle
To make this device you will need a pump sprayer, a flexible plastic hose, a diving tube, a bottle.
The production of the apparatus is as follows:
- The first step is to remove the limiter available in the sprayer. This will increase the output of the air mixture.
- A hose is put on the top of the sprayer, the connection is sealed with silicone or hot glue.
- A plastic bottle cap is mounted below the underwater tube, in which it is necessary to make a hole in advance along the diameter of the hose.
- The hose is inserted into the prepared socket and carefully sealed.
The bottle interacts with the pump sprayer and is filled with an air mixture. For example, a 330 ml reservoir is filled in about 50 swings. This is enough for 4 full breaths. Larger containers require load reinforcement, since they tend to float when filled with air. To remove the mixture from the bottle, just press the spray button.
Gas cylinder scuba diving device
Do-it-yourself scuba diving can be made from gas cylinders. Below are the stages of work:
- Cylinders up to 22 liters are used as the main tank. Alternatively, you can take two tanks of 5-7 liters.
- Next, you need to prepare a reducer comparable to the pressure of the tank.
- The reducer is connected to the cylinder, the pressure in it should be 6-10 bar higher than the environmental indicator.
- A hose with a pulmonary gun is connected to the gearbox.
- Then connect the regulators. Their number depends on the intended tasks. For example, the planned diving will require a primary and a spare element.
- You can also put a buoyancy compensator, which will increase the safety of scuba operation.
At the last stage, you should fill the balloon with air mixture, check the operation of the entire device. It is advisable to carry out the first dive to a shallow depth to make sure that the unit is in good working order.
In conclusion
The above describes how to make scuba do-it-yourself from improvised materials. In principle, there are no particular difficulties in this. Depending on the tasks, you can make an almost professional model designed for great depth, or a simple scuba gear from a bottle for shallow dives. When deciding to make the device yourself, remember that safety is first and foremost. Therefore, after assembling the structure, be sure to check it for leaks and proper operation of all nodes.