Need more time UNDERwater.....

T

tfiore

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
33
I know this is a strange question, but here goes.....

I recently moved my boat from land storage to a wet slip in a fresh water lake here in Virginia. (lake Anna if you know of it) My boat now seems to grow some brown slime on the hull from the waterline down... the entire hull all the way to the bottom...

This slime comes off pretty easily with a sponge or brush, but it takes a while to do it. I've been doing this with a mask and snorkle lately- but I don't hold my breath very long and it takes many, many trips back to the surface to gulp some air. I don't really feel like bottom painting and I'm trying to avoid pulling the boat out of the water once a month to wash the hull....

So here's the deal... doesn't anybody make some kind of small oxygen tank (like the "back-up" tank scuba divers keep around) that could be used for this purpose? I'm not scuba certified, and don't plan to be. I just need 10-15 minutes underwater- no deeper than 3-4 feet.

Any ideas?

:confused:
 
T

twintrades

Petty Officer 1st Class
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May 7, 2008
Messages
305
Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

What about a garden hose ?? Fasten it to the side of your boat and cut your snorkel to fit over the end of it. Seal or ductape.

Just an idea.....
 
T

tfiore

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Messages
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Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

twintrades said:
What about a garden hose ?? Fasten it to the side of your boat and cut your snorkel to fit over the end of it. Seal or ductape.

Just an idea.....
Click to expand...

yeah, I thought of that.... and tried it.... didn't work out very well. I should have known better considering what I do for a living.... could have been in "stupid boater tricks"

When you try this- the hose quickly fills with carbon dioxide that you exhale with each breath. When you take a breath IN, you are simply breathing back in the air you just exhaled. After a few breaths you start to feel like you are suffocating... because you are..

great idea- but didn't work out.

Next???
 
T

twintrades

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

Nawwww I mean use it like a snorkel tank. Breath in with the hose out with your nose. That way you never rebreath your air.
 
Bondo

Bondo

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70,524
Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

Ayuh,.... Instead of a longer Snorkel,....
Get a Longer Brush,+ stand Beside the hull...
 
T

tfiore

Seaman Apprentice
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Jun 21, 2009
Messages
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Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

twintrades said:
Nawwww I mean use it like a snorkel tank. Breath in with the hose out with your nose. That way you never rebreath your air.
Click to expand...

Hummmmm... I could try that.

Thanks
 
S

scubadoo73

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Joined
Apr 28, 2009
Messages
45
Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

I am a diver and yes they do make a little tank as a spare it's called "spare air"
they are not cheap tho
any dive shop should have one check out the web site
http://www.spareair.com/
 
T

tfiore

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
33
Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

scubadoo73 said:
I am a diver and yes they do make a little tank as a spare it's called "spare air"
they are not cheap tho
any dive shop should have one check out the web site
http://www.spareair.com/
Click to expand...

I'll check that out. Thanks. Do you have to be scuba certified to purchase and use something like that?
 
C

calvinman

Seaman
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Oct 26, 2006
Messages
66
Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

Lol

I am suprised you can suck any air in, the water preasure on your lungs should prevent this at any depth at all.

You can get a neat little brush that attaches to any broom handle. The brush is in a bow tie shape and has shorth stiff bristles. Probably available from any commercial cleaning supplies place, should make short work of your slime.

By the way how big is your boat.

Calvi
 
T

tfiore

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
33
Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

calvinman said:
Lol

I am suprised you can suck any air in, the water preasure on your lungs should prevent this at any depth at all.

You can get a neat little brush that attaches to any broom handle. The brush is in a bow tie shape and has shorth stiff bristles. Probably available from any commercial cleaning supplies place, should make short work of your slime.

By the way how big is your boat.

Calvi
Click to expand...

Calvi-

I wouldn't think there would be much water pressure at all at just 2-3 ft below the surface. I'm looking around to try different brushes that can be attached to a broom handle.

My boat is a 26 ft Crownline (266 CCR). There is a lot of hull under there to clean....

Thanks.
 
Lion hunter

Lion hunter

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Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

After watching Mythbuster try to open an electric car window 3ft under water I am convinced there is a lot of pressure. They measured it at around 250lbs
 
C

calvinman

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Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

The pressure is 1 psi for every 27 inches of depth(or is that every 2.7 feet?)

But 1 psi is allot if you are trying to expand your lungs against it as that is multiplied by the square inches of your chest area to get total force. It would probably be like having a piano of your chest.

Calvi
 
D

Daley

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jun 30, 2009
Messages
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Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

Out of curiosity, is a lift out of the question so the boat isn't sitting in water all the time? What about a good wax-job on the hull (when it IS out of the water) to make the gunk not stick as well? Just my two cents.
 
slasmith1

slasmith1

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Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

I know you said you were against the idea but this is exactly the situation that a good ablative bottom paint was made for.
 
JoLin

JoLin

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5,146
Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

Sorry to be the dissenting voice here, but seems to me that using scuba-type gear of any kind without scuba-type training of any kind is a very bad idea. False sense of security and all, ya know?

People panic when something goes wrong and they don't have the experience/training to handle it. Yeah, I know the water's only a few feet deep, but I'd be inclined to figure out a different way.
 
tashasdaddy

tashasdaddy

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51,019
Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

we use to take the boat into the shallows, and just take a long handled deck brush, and do the hull. about 10 minutes, everyone gets out and helps. also using the boat more cuts down on the growth.
 
T

tfiore

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Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
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Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

Daley said:
Out of curiosity, is a lift out of the question so the boat isn't sitting in water all the time? What about a good wax-job on the hull (when it IS out of the water) to make the gunk not stick as well? Just my two cents.
Click to expand...

I waxed the hull right before she went into the slip. Maybe the slime would be worse if I hadn't waxed it- but it hasn't prevented the problem.
 
T

tfiore

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Jun 21, 2009
Messages
33
Re: Need more time UNDERwater.....

Thanks everybody for all the great ideas. I can't use a lift at my marina. I'm still trying to avoid the bottom paint- although in the long run that might end up solving the problem. I'm going to look for a long handled brush that might help me to get most of it- then maybe just some "touch-up" with a mask and snorkel.

Thanks. I'll keep you posted.
 
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