Bubble silencer???

Hi friends,

I heard about bubble silencer. I heard that it is placing on regulator where air outflow. It breaks the air into pieces and silences the bubble sound. So it is very useful for uw photographers. I am wondering about how it is like and how it works. Can anyone tell me about this apparatus? And pic of this apparatus?

Thnx a lot.

I have not heard about such a "tool".

When I am shooting I exhale through my nose. That way the bubbles "fizz" out through the skirt of my mask rather than coming out in a blast through the regulator.

I think that I get much closer and scare critters a lot less that way.

I have not heard about such a "tool".

 

When I am shooting I exhale through my nose. That way the bubbles "fizz" out through the skirt of my mask rather than coming out in a blast through the regulator.

 

I think that I get much closer and scare critters a lot less that way.

I thought I'd read of one once - it was like a soft rubber 'snorkel' that connected to the outflow vents and carried the bubbles over your shoulder to the aperture. It actually did the opposite of what you said - let the bubbles combine into a big one rather than lots of them, thus reducing the air/water/air boundaries created that resulted in noise. Plus it moved all the bubbles to behind you....

Bet it looked pretty silly though, and I don't want to think about what it did to the work of breathing....

Start diving a rebreather would be the pratical advice :-)

There is some small and fairly trustworthy ones on the market now.

Start diving a rebreather would be the pratical advice :-)

There is some small and fairly trustworthy ones on the market now.

I took the classes and dives, made a few more , and that word "fairly" finally got really loud in my head. Sold my Dolphin and am ok with "fairly trustworthy" oc.

Just like making good quality images, as opposed to just snapping pictures underwater. It requires some time and dedication before rebreathers become the tool you wished for.

A hundred hours or so, then you have a decent idea what a particular unit can do for you.

But it's not for all, OC is much easier.

Aqualung (aka US Divers) have brought out a rework of an early double hose regulator that vents exhaust air behind the diver's head. It's called the Mistral. More info at the links below:

Aquanaut NZ website: Mistral regulator

Aqualung UK website: Mistral regulator

The Mistral looks so retro cool, but it suffers from the old 2nd stage in the back problem: head down hard breather - mouth piece above the 2nd stage tends to free flow. Not mention, but I do, what happens when you surface? And, well the price? $900 USD.

If you are interested in doublehose regulators, Issue 2 of the Underwater Journal has a review of Aqualung’s Mistral, as well as rebuild part for vintage doublehose regulators so that they can work with your current BC's power inflator, SPG and Octo.

We also did a story on rebreathers, which is focused largely on the KISS CCR in the third issue of the Underwater Journal.

Both (UWJ-issue2.pdf and UWJ-Issue3.pdf) are available (free) for download in the back issues button.

I tried for a couple of dives, putting various bit of foam plastic in the output ports of my regulator, to try to get the sound down from a roar to a fizzle. But I was never able to make any difference. The air just flowed along whatever was the top most edge, and right out. I guess I needed much smaller foam...??

I love the idea. OC simple, and just a little quieter. Somebody figure it out, and I'll buy one.

I would suggest trying pantyhose. I've never tried it but when I certified on a dolphin, the instructor said some people put pantyhose over the SCR's outlet valve to break up the few bubbles the system does release. perhaps it would work over an OC second stage outlet too??

that reminds me - i meant to try that on OC years ago...

What about that foam that's used in fish tanks? Isn't it's exact purpose is to break up an incoming stream of air into smaller bubbles and spread it out over some area? It might fail under the volume of a typical exhale, but it might be a good place to start since it's easy to find a cheap.

Those fishtank airstones are stiff, and hard bonded ceramic granules or something. I wonder if you could make it and form it inside your regulator's exhaust channels.

Would that be enough?

I tried putting soft foam rubber in the reg exhaust channels. Once in the water, the air just forces it's way up over the top the foam, and bubbles out loud as ever.

You have to glue it in, at least to the top, to get it to work.

This would be SO COOL!