What is the advantage of Direct Drive surface supplied air unit?

In compressor design, simple is better. The Brownie's Third Lung™ Direct Drive units don't have belts and pulleys. Fewer components mean even fewer maintenance concerns. More importantly, the Direct Drive compressor can handle high RPM's and produce more air. Our older compressors had to be stepped down by way of a pulley, as they handled only half the rpm's that the engine generated. The result is a unit that can provide an extended operating depth for multiple divers.

The Brownies 280 and 390 look a lot alike. What are the differences?

The 280 and 390 Direct Drive Third Lungs™ use different compressors and have differing number of diver set ups. The 280 is a single head compressor system on a 4.5 hp Robin Subaru that can support 2 divers from 70-80 feet or 3 divers to 45 feet (with an Add-A-Diver kit). Its main advantage is that it's only 48 pounds-- about the same weight as a single tank SCUBA rig. If the divers must carry a system over a great distance to get to their entry point, the 280 would be very attractive.Overhaul is anticipated from 500 to 800 hours of operation. The 280 is a good choice for a recreational diver.

The more active hookah diver would be well advised to select the F390, a twin head compressor with a 4.5 hp Robin Subaru. The 390 is a double piston system set up for 3 divers to 90 feet and produces enough air for 4 divers to 60 feet (just need an Add-A-Diver kit for the 4th diver). The 390 only weighs 55 pounds and is the workhorse of the Brownies' line. It is the perfect selection for the diver looking to get the highest possible performance from a hookah system.

True, Brownie™ diving is almost as easy as snorkeling. The freedom of swimming unencumbered by SCUBA tanks will certainly remind you of snorkeling or free diving. Still, whenever you breathe compressed air while under water, you are operating under a different set of rules. Training is required for everyone who uses the Brownie™ unit. Brownie's™ now includes FREE online hookah training with the purchase of any floating, electric or battery powered hookah system. Click here for more information.

There are other options for training including a traditional open water SCUBA certification course or a Recreational Hookah Diver course . The latter course was specifically designed for Recreational Surface Supplied Air Diving through the joint efforts of both Brownie's Third Lung™ and the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). Courses involve about 30 contact hours and can be completed in as few as 5 days depending on available scheduling time for both instructor and students. With proper training and proper maintenance of equipment, hookah diving can be extremely safe. Brownie's Third Lung™ has been accident free since it's inception in 1969.

Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine sponsors a section on their website filled with "Lessons for Life." This Training & Safety page details incidents that could have been avoided with proper training. If you are in doubt as to whether you should dive without training, please take a look at this site. Your safety is very important to us.

Obviously, your use of a Third Lung™ to dive in overhead environments will be limited. Only slight penetrations are possible, and they should never be attempted without a back up air source. If you have evaluated a dive site and have been able to determine that a Third Lung™ is appropriate, you can add additional hose lengths to increase your linear penetration range. Always be aware that hookah diving follows different rules than SCUBA; make certain that your air hose is free from potential entanglement or damage.

The Third Lung's™ advantage is that it is easy to find your way back out. Just pick up your hose as you exit from the overhead environment. If you use your Third Lung™ in an overhead environment, you should always carry an alternative air source, such as the Brownie's™ Egressor™ System. Some situations would also lend themselves to placing a safety SCUBA rig in reserve, a common practice in any overhead diving scenario.

You might be surprised, but there is less water resistance in towing a Third Lung™ than in swimming with a full set of SCUBA gear. Considering that most Brownie™ dives are shared between two or three people, swimming with a Third Lung™ is very easy. Conditions can increase the drag; windy days may make towing more noticeable. Many people simply drift dive on days when the wind is a bit strong, allowing the surface unit to gently tow them along through a dive.

The Brownie's Third Lung™ rides well on waves and is even built to take a splash. If conditions are suitable for safe recreational diving, the Brownie's Third Lung™ will handle the waves. Breaking waves near shore, however, are a different concern. A breaking wave in the surf zone or a large wake from a boat could potencially flip the unit, so the user must seek safe operating areas as part of their pre-dive checklist.

If you are diving from shore, a hands-on transfer through the surf is essential. If you are diving from a boat, take special care in placing the Brownie™ over the boat's transom and into the water. Lowering the unit straight into the water ensures a safe launch. When in doubt, consult the owner's manual for proper launching procedures.

In the unlikely event that your unit does flip emergency maintenance procedures are available for download.

The dive is over.

Seriously, should the compressor develop problems during a dive, the diver might first be alerted of the air disruption when he or she no longer hears the gentle tapping created while the compressor is running. The tapping channels down the hose to the diver. If the divers do not notice the cessation of tapping, breathing becomes restrictive at first, followed by an out of air situation. In either case, the diver must begin an immediate slow ascent to the surface. While free ascents from shallow depths are relatively easy, they are not without risk. Too fast an ascent can result in an pressure injury to a lung. Our recommendation is to have a back up Egressor™ System for each diver. The Egressor™ is hardly noticeable and rides in a handy sleeve in the small of the back. It provides a very small back-up SCUBA reserve for emergency situations and well as a quick response to items dropped over-board, verifying anchor location, hull inspection, prop clearing, pool mainenance, and much more!

Brownie's™ hoses run off of the compressor unit in stages. First, a 10-foot heat hose cools the air as it leaves the compressor. A 60-foot common hose connects to the heat hose, leading to a split that supplies the 20-foot diver's hoses. This system allows the divers to swim apart but keeps them within 40 feet of each other. All hoses use sturdy, reliable Quick Release Swivels™ (QRS) that reduce air interruptions caused by hose kinks. The hoses may all be attached to each other in line, allowing a single continuous hose length of 100 to 140 feet.

If that is the way the customer wants it, that's the way the customer gets it. No arguements, no additional cost. But there is a method to our madness. Not only do our customers prefer a single common hose leading off of the compressor, there's a solid performance reason behind the design. More hose does not create better performance. More hose equals more resistance (or work for the compressor), more buoyancy (more lead is required for the divers to wear), more hose management (just a distraction that gets in the way of your fun) and more weight to lug around. Another key point is that the divers stay within 40 feet of each other. We think that it is a lot safer than being able to separate by more than 100 feet.

The single shared hose eliminates these problems. While others might tell you that separate hoses provide better breathing, be wary. We still dive the common hose without ever noticing increased breathing resistance, and we are happier that we have eliminated the hassles that additional hoses create. Here at Brownie's Third Lung™, we can configure the hose on your personal diving system any way you want it-- but we'd suggest that you try the single common hose before modifying your Third Lung™ to use multiple hoses from the compressor.

Because different people breathe differently. It would be misleading to state that a system "truly" or "without a doubt" supports a certain number of divers to a definite depth. While we could quote one "best depth" rating, in the real world people breathe at different rates. The mechanics of determining maximum depth are not complicated: the deeper you dive, the less air you get from the compressor. That's why we use ranges. We want you to know before you buy.

While we make bottles that attach to a Third Lung™, they are not reserve tanks. Instead, they are accumulators designed for commercial application. A reserve tank is a back up air source, while an accumulator simply allows the diver to work a bit harder at times. Sometimes, with exertion, the diver can over-breathe the compressor's capability to produce air. The accumulator allows the diver a little extra air for short bursts.

The Egressor™ System, or some other pony bottle/SCUBA backup, is the safest insurance against an out-of-air emergency. The Egressor™ System's Drop Weight Cummerbelt™ fits comfortably around your waist and and provides you with both a weighting system and an emergency air source. The Egressor™ System is the best possible backup for your family during their hookah dives.

Most likely because you don't dive in South Florida or the Caribbean. Here, in our backyard, the Brownie's Third Lung™ is commonplace. You'll see them in use by recreational boaters and on live-aboard yachts. Some of the best lobster hunters in the Caribbean swear by their Third Lungs™. On the west coast, recreational surface supplied air diving is relatively new, but taking off.

Unfortunately you were not informed accurately. It is true that hookah diving does allow you to dive for hours on a single tank of gas and alleviates the need for filling tanks between dives, but you must always follow your dive tables when planning your dive.

hookah diving systems produce compressed air on the surface and pump it down to the divers. With SCUBA tanks, the air is compressed on the surface while the tank is being filled. Regardless of where or when the air is compressed, it is still compressed air and it is still being breathed at depth. Therefore it is important to know the same risks and gas laws that apply to SCUBA diving also apply to hookah diving. Only certified divers that follow decompression tables and understand the risks involved should be doing any kind of diving. If you are not certified or are unclear about some aspects of diving please contact your local dive store and sign up for an open water SCUBA class or a refresher course.

BETTER PRODUCT + HIGHER QUALITY + LOWEST PRICE POSSIBLE = BEST VALUE!!

Brownie's Third Lung™ has been in business and manufacturing hookah diving systems for over 35 years. Our attention to detail, the top quality materials used, workmanship, and technology advances are only a few of the reasons that Brownie's™ has become the leader in the industry. Often times our competitors try and slash our good name or our product by making false statements. The truth of the matter is that the superiority of Brownie's Third Lung™ really speaks for itself. Please take a look at the exclusive features page to get a glimpse of the many components that make a Brownie's Third Lung™ stand out from the others.

The intake filters that are supplied by the compressor manufacturer are plastic housings with only a piece of felt as the filtering media. They only filter dust, not carbon monoxide, water or carbon dioxide. They do not provide an additional safety margin or relevant benefit for either the diver or the machine while at sea. Also, the intake holes point directly up, where rain and water spray may easily enter. This position allows the felt to become wet or damp and may lead to interior damage to the compressor. The felt filters may also mildew if not changed, posing a potential health risk to the diver.

We take the felt filter housings completely off. We eliminate the dust catcher in favor of a cap that keeps rain and seawater from entering the compressor's air intake while reducing air intake restriction to a true minimum. The results show with our unmatched performance.

Air is taken in high through the remote intake "snorkel/intake staff" The exhaust is low and exits the engine in the opposite direction being towed. The engine fan, designed to cool the block, further creates an air buffer between the exhaust and the intake.

Brownie's™ compressors are tested and meet the same grade air (E) required for scuba. Brownie's Third Lung™ furthers the detail by adding a DRY snorkel cap to the remote intake.

How much maintenance is required on a Third Lung?

Everything you need comes with the Care Kit. While the system is running, hose the unit and hoses, etc. down with fresh water, following owner manual instructions. Attach the air gun to the heat hose and dry the Brownie™ quickly and easily. Next, use Corrosion X® to lightly spray the engine (not the compressor). When everything has dried, store your unit in a cool dry place. You may put Stabil® in the fuel tank for short-term storage, but for long-term storage you must drain the gas out of the tank as well as the carburetor. The regulators should be serviced yearly by any full service dive shop. Follow the engine owner's manual for maintenance requirements for the engine.

Actually, neither statement is true. The manufacturers of oil-less compressors do not have a specific design for diving or for construction. How the oil-less compressor is utilized varies, just like any other light engine. For instance, a gasoline engine might be used to run a lawn mower, a go-cart, or in our case a Surface Supplied Air diving system. It's still the same engine. The same is true of the oil-less compressor. It has a myriad of uses. Please don't be misled. None of the manufacturers of oil-less compressors used in the recreational dive industry certify these compressors as air breathing or for diving.

Brownie's™ adapts its oil-less compressors to withstand the harsh marine environment as well as to provide the same quality air as required for SCUBA (Compressed Gas Association Grade E). Don't believe claims that one oil-less compressor is a diving compressor while another is not. Ask for printed test results. It either meets the criteria for air quality or it doesn't.

The metal fitting's swivel capabilities are limited at best. We used them for years until we developed the plastic Quick Release Swivel™ fittings. These QRS fittings are sturdy, will not accidentally disconnect and reduce kinks with their swivel action, even under pressure. The plastic fittings have several additional benefits over metal fittings. Metal fittings will oxidize quickly in the marine environment. Brownie's Third Lung™ QRS fittings will provide years of trouble-free use. While it is possible to break a QRS fitting, they are inexpensive and can be replaced easily with a wrench. Metal fittings can bend, making it impossible to fix yourself, especially if out at sea.

The Brownie's Third Lung™ cases are manufactured of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and will provide a lifetime of protection to your unit. The fact is, we've been using these cases for years. We stand on our successful record of real-world use.

All of our Third Lung™ units take up much less than the equivalent weight and space required for two SCUBA divers planning two dives. The storage case is 24"L x 18"D x 20"H and a gear bag is 31"L x 14" diameter. The 280 weighs only 48 pounds, and the 390 weighs only 58 pounds. With such compact dimensions, your Brownie's Third Lung™ can easily stow on any size boat.

Does the "divers-down flag" follow all the legal specifications?

Brownie's Third Lung™ follows all of the legal specifications for "divers-down flags" as required by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Law Enforcement.

1. The flag must be square or rectangular. If rectangular, the length must not be less than the height, or more than 25 percent longer than the height. The flag must have a wire or other stiffener to hold it fully unfurled and extended in the absence of a wind or breeze.

2. The flag must be red with a white diagonal stripe that begins at the top staff-side of the flag and extends diagonally to the lower opposite corner. The width of the stripe must be 25 percent of the height of the flag.

3. The minimum size for any divers-down flag displayed on a buoy or float towed by the diver is 12 inches by 12 inches. The minimum size for any divers-down flag displayed from a vessel or structure is 20 inches by 24 inches.

4. Any divers-down flag displayed from a vessel must be displayed from the highest point of the vessel or such other location which provides that the visibility of the divers-down flag is not obstructed in any direction.

For more information on Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, please visit www.floridaconservation.org.