I have done the same thing, not sure about your out of date cylinder, I priced hose(you really need 8mm or 1/4 inch, very hard to find joiners for the 10mm air breather hose) and regulators, to save hassle I ended up buying one of these,www.diveimports.com/shop/index.php

You talk about buying a hooka hose and using it on scuba tank ....BAD IDEA ... the scuba hose will need to be high pressure , not too sure on hooka but pretty sure they are not going to pump out 120 bar pressure , think they are more low pressure / high volume .

the hose and fittings you would need would cost a packet.

buy a hooka or get the tank tested and use it as designed and buy one of the hull cleaning setups .

If you have a first stage regulator on your scuba tank (and you will, they all do) then it's not high pressure air going to your second stage regulator. There's only ONE high pressure hose that comes off a scuba regulator and that goes to your contents (pressure) gauge. It's the only one that needs to be high pressure to give a true reading. The others are normal hose.

DrRog said..
Also, issue of how to keep it from dragging out the side of your mouth.

You wear a harness with a fixture to attach the hose to and any strain on the long hose is taken by the harness rather than pulling the mouthpiece out.

I'm a scuba diver too, but for boat maintenance, you can't beat the simplicity and convenience of a Hookah. While there's the upfront cost of the compressor, figure out all the money you'll save in tank refills and schlepping gear back and forth to/from your dive shop over the years. Also, it's great to know you _always_ have compressed air on board whenever you need it, e.g., whether it's to unfoul a prop or just go exploring underwater.

I purchased a 12V DC electric model (Airline's Model 12V160-3) over a petrol model because I didn't want to carry extra fuel. The electric system is also quieter, less smelly and lighter, weighing in at only 10.5 kg.

Why bother using scuba or hookah when a wet suit, and snorkel does the job. After all we are not talking about the QE2 but a 25 footer.
I do my Adams with two lengths of old halyards, one port one starboard of the keel from bow to stern, and two lengths across, front and aft of the keel.
Up and down, with the snorkel gear l go, and in few hours it is done. If you do it often enough, as you should, only takes an hour. The ropes give plenty of grab points to pull yourself up and down. No flippers or lead either but l wear a boot, hood and gloves for sure.
I dive, so l got the gear but could not be bothered setting up for such short time. In winter use the 7mm suit in summer 3mm.

I scuba dive too and I'm an active snorkeler too. I agree that setting up scuba gear for a short job is more trouble than it's worth, but setting up the Hookhah is trivial. Clip leads to battery. Attach hose. Turn on compressor switch. Done.

With a Hookah (or other dive gear for that matter) you can stay underwater continuously - no constantly having to surface to breath then dive down again. I would say you're at least twice as productive, so you can get the job done in half the time. Also, there are other underwater jobs that really benefit from being able to stay underwater until you're finished - such as un-fouling a prop.

I used to make do without a Hookah, but now I own one, I would not leave home without one.

Yeah. That is all understandable. If you got a smallish yacht - mine is a 28 with 1.47m keel - and l am not pressed for time, the snorkel 'll do.
I use a soft or medium scrubber from Bunnings, $3.60 ea.

I use a snorkel at the moment, but the problem is here moored in a river system we get about 20mins of slack water(neaps) & about 5 mins during spring tides, It just about kills me....its dangerous & could quite easily drown....& I already have most of the scuba gear.
Suffered a set back in the plan this week however, got the old tank tested(no problems), then took it to the scuba shop to get a tank air fill....could not do it!!, these tanks (this one is 1987 build) have been taken out of service, so now need to get a new tank

BlueMoon said..

I use a snorkel at the moment, but the problem is here moored in a river system we get about 20mins of slack water(neaps) & about 5 mins during spring tides, It just about kills me....its dangerous & could quite easily drown....& I already have most of the scuba gear.
Suffered a set back in the plan this week however, got the old tank tested(no problems), then took it to the scuba shop to get a tank air fill....could not do it!!, these tanks (this one is 1987 build) have been taken out of service, so now need to get a new tank

Same here. I am in a strong tidal river. Twenty minutes is plenty for most jobs on the bottom at the mooring. Just need a bit of careful planning. I sometimes run a rope from the bow so I can hold my self in the tidal stream to scrub the side. At the prop its not such a problem as I hold the shaft with one hand. The hookah is secured in the back of my catamaran tender so in a worst case situation when the current runs harder than I can swim I could pull myself back by the hose.

I do hear that BlueMoon got his tank test money back and has returned to the drawing board!