That 30 foot dive at the Port of Houston taught me to never trust a new hookah rig

I was doing anode replacement on a dock piling near berth 14 last October when my surface-supplied air started tasting like exhaust. Buddy on deck said the compressor was brand new, straight out of the box from a supplier in Louisiana. I surfaced feeling lightheaded and my chest was tight for two days after. Has anyone else had a new compressor throw oil mist into the line without warning?

2 comments

2 Comments

brookes3715d ago

Yeah I had a similar thing happen with a used compressor I bought off a guy in Mobile. Turned out the oil separator gasket was blown and it was pumping straight oil vapor into the hose. I nearly passed out at 20 feet. After that I started cracking the drain valve on the new rigs for a solid 30 seconds before each dive. Let that initial puff of mist blow out into the air. Also switched to a food grade silicone oil, seemed to cut down on the taste and the tight chest feeling.

faithf7715d ago

Oh man @brookes37 you just reminded me of the time I got a nasty lungful of burnt oil off a rental compressor in Key Largo. Tasted like I was licking a greasy muffler for three days straight. I still crack the drain for a solid 45 seconds before every dive now, even if my buddy thinks I'm being paranoid. That food grade silicone oil tip is gold though, I switched to that last year and my gear doesn't smell like a mechanic's garage anymore lol.