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Hookah Diving Systems


The Scuba Doctor has an excellent range of complete Hookah diving systems (also known as Surface Supply Diving Systems). Hooka dive systems are an alternative to tank based scuba diving and allow descending underwater for extended periods of time with air supplied from the surface.

Hookah diving systems typically consist of a battery or petrol-powered air compressor that delivers air, through a long hose called a down-line, to the diver under the water. Hookah diving does not require the use of a BCD or a first stage regulator. Divers wear a harness, which is the attachment point for the down-line and optional weight belts. Divers use a second stage regulator that's specifically designed for use with a hookah system. A traditional scuba regulator will not work.

Hookah Dive System Types

There are two types of hookah dive systems: Dynamic and Static. A Dynamic system uses an air compressor to deliver air at the correct pressure. It has a holding or air reserve tank that provides constant pressure. As the air leaves the tank, more air is added to maintain the pressure. The compressor can be fixed or floating, and petrol or electric. A Static system uses a cylinder of compressed gas (often a scuba tank) as the air source.

A fixed compressor is placed on a dock or on a boat while in use. Floating means that the air source is on a floating platform that the diver pulls along with them.

Petrol vs Electric Hookah Dive Systems

Hookah systems are available in both petrol and electric-powered versions. Petrol systems typically power a higher output compressor, allowing one or two divers to dive and breathe easily. Most commercial hookah diving systems are petrol systems. Petrol systems do require more maintenance than electric versions. They're also a bit louder.

The more 'green' electric systems require less maintenance than petrol systems. They can be recharged on the boat, are quiet, easy to start and less prone to corrosion.

Electric units are more suited to families and fun, plus boat owners wanting to do some underwater maintenance at shallow depths. The petrol units are better suited for cray (lobster) and abalone hunting, plus commercial diving applications.

Please read Introduction to Hookah Diving for more information about things you need to consider with a hookah diving setup.



Kelp Beds Reef Drift

Drift Dive Drift Dive | Boat access Boat access

Abalone Dive Site Crayfish Dive Site Drift Dive Site Inside Port Phillip Open Water Rated Reef Dive Site

Depth: 10 m (33 ft) to 21 m (69 ft)

Kelp Beds Reef Drift is conducted on the flood tide over a macro cysts kelp forest in Lonsdale Bight between Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff. This dive site also makes a great slack water dive, with depths ranging from 10 to 21 metres.

During the drift dive you will encounter large fronds of kelp with broken sandstone reef, often home to the Southern Rock Lobster (Crayfish) and Abalone. During the summer months, big schools of large Yellow Tail Kingfish can be seen, or large schools of Old Wives.

The Rip & Tides Warning: Always keep an eye on sea conditions throughout any shore or boat dive within "The Rip" (aka "The Heads"). This is a dangerous stretch of water, where Bass Straight meets Port Phillip, which has claimed many ships and lives. Please read the warnings on the web page diving-the-rip before diving or snorkelling this site.

Abalone Dive Site
Abalone Dive Site
© Mark Norman, Museum Victoria

Divers have the opportunity to catch Abalone at this dive site. Remember your catch bag, legal abalone tool, current Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence, and abalone measure. Please abide by all current fishing regulations if you intend to catch abalone.

See article-catching-abalone for practical abalone hunting advice from The Scuba Doctor, plus melbourne-abalone-dives for a list of other Abalone dive sites near Melbourne.

Crayfish Dive Site
Crayfish Dive Site | © Ian Scholey

Divers have the opportunity to catch Southern Rock Lobster (aka Crayfish) at this dive site. Remember your catch bag, current Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence, rock lobster measure, and cray tags. Once you get back to the dive boat, or shore, make sure you clip the tail and tag your Crayfish as per Fisheries requirements. Please abide by all current fishing regulations if you intend to catch crays. See article-catching-crayfish for practical cray hunting advice from The Scuba Doctor, plus melbourne-cray-dives for a list of other crayfish dive sites near Melbourne. For tips on cooking your Crays, please see article-cooking-crayfish.

Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) country
Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) country

Traditional Owners — This dive site is in the traditional Country of the Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) people of the Kulin Nation. This truly ancient Country includes the coastline of Port Phillip, from the Werribee River in the north-east, the Bellarine Peninsula, and down to Cape Otway in the south-west. We wish to acknowledge the Wathaurong as Traditional Owners. We pay respect to their Ancestors and their Elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge Bunjil the Creator Spirit of this beautiful land, who travels as an eagle, and Waarn, who protects the waterways and travels as a crow, and thank them for continuing to watch over this Country today and beyond.

 

Kelp Beds Reef Drift Location Map

Latitude: 38° 17.008′ S   (38.283469° S / 38° 17′ 0.49″ S)
Longitude: 144° 39.584′ E   (144.659729° E / 144° 39′ 35.02″ E)

Datum: WGS84 | Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 09:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-04-29 12:50:58 GMT
Source: GPS
Nearest Neighbour: Hot Spot, 275 m, bearing 39°, NE
Depth: 10 to 21 m.
Dive only on: Flood.



DISCLAIMER: No claim is made by The Scuba Doctor as to the accuracy of the dive site coordinates listed here. Should anyone decide to use these GPS marks to locate and dive on a site, they do so entirely at their own risk. Always verify against other sources.

The marks come from numerous sources including commercial operators, independent dive clubs, reference works, and active divers. Some are known to be accurate, while others may not be. Some GPS marks may even have come from maps using the AGD66 datum, and thus may need be converted to the WGS84 datum. To distinguish between the possible accuracy of the dive site marks, we've tried to give each mark a source of GPS, Google Earth, or unknown.

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