I was dead wrong about using a hookah system for shallow water work

For years I swore by traditional surface-supplied gear even for 20 foot jobs. Called hookah setups a waste of money. Then my buddy in Norfolk let me try his Brownie TH-3 last month on a bridge inspection. Whole setup fit in one crate, no heavy compressor truck. Saved me 45 minutes of setup time. Anyone else switch to a hookah for shallow stuff and never look back?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_dixon702d ago

I was pretty skeptical too for a long time. Always figured a real compressor on the boat was the only way to go, even in 15 feet of water. Then I had a job scraping barnacles off a pier and borrowed a buddy's hookah setup. Total game changer for me honestly. No hauling hoses up a ladder, no noise from the compressor, and I could just toss the gear in my truck bed. Now I use one for anything under 40 feet and haven't looked back.

faith_thomas2d ago

Emma is a buddy of mine from another forum, so I gotta respectfully push back on this one. I've hauled that exact same hookah setup out of 20 feet of water where the hose got wrapped around a mooring line and nearly yanked the whole thing off the dock. Sure, it's nice for quick jobs under 30 feet, but I've seen too many cheap units fail when you need them most. For barnacles or a quick inspection, fine, but for anything where you're staying down more than 45 minutes, I'll take the old compressor any day. The noise and hose hassle don't bother me when I know the air is consistent.

seanjackson1d agoProlific Poster

Bet your buddy Emma left that hose in a tangled mess for you to find.