“The scuba
compressor is an important
tool for us,” the captain of a charter
boat that caters to divers told us recently. “After
all, who wants to get down to 120 feet and begin
breathing oil because of a faulty scuba compressor?” A
good supply of clean air is important when working
or playing underwater, and the source of this
air is the scuba compressor.
There are really two kinds of scuba compressors.
Most recreational divers do not need either one.
If a person is only going to make a few dives
a year, he or she is money ahead to simply have
the local dive shop fill the air tanks. For avid
divers, there is a low-pressure scuba compressor
that can be floated on a flotation ring or operated
from the boat. This scuba air compressor has
a length of hose, generally 60 feet or less attached
to it. The diver simply hooks up an airline and
breathes directly from the compressor. The most
common compressor is the kind used by dive shops,
commercial divers and charter boats. These are
high-pressure compressors used to fill dive tanks.
These compressors will generate air pressures
of 3,200 to 5,000 pounds per square inch.
There are a number of differences between a
scuba compressor and other air compressors. Most
scuba air compressors develop much higher pressures
than other air compressors. For example, a scuba
compressor will compress air to 3,200 or 5,000
pounds pressure per square inch (psi). The standard
air compressor found for sale in department stores
may compress air to 150 psi. The second major
difference is the quality of the air pumped through
the compressor. The standard department store
compressor compresses air into a holding tank,
where it can become stale or unfit for breathing
purposes. The scuba compressor pumps air through
an efficient air filtering and cleaning system,
giving the diver high quality air to breathe.
Scuba compressors are expensive pieces of equipment
and may be beyond the budgets of most recreational
divers. The high-pressure compressors used to
fill tanks retail for approximately $3,000 and
more. The smaller compressors to which divers
will hook directly will retail for $1,500 and
higher. It takes a lot of $3 - $5 tank fills
to justify the cost of either one of these scuba
air compressors.
Dive
shops, salvage boats, charter boats and other
commercial divers are all users of scuba
air compressors. Other important users of
these machines are hospitals and medical facilities
that need a ready supply of breathable air. Well-built
and reliable scuba compressor are a must for
these businesses as the lives of too many people
depend upon them.
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