The final piece of equipment we need to make Ocean Song a self-sufficient dive platform is a scuba compressor. It will allow us to fill our own tanks. We expect our compressor to be delivered and installed within the next two weeks. Once we have the compressor our scuba diving setup will be complete. Although we will not have to pay for air fills, we really won’t be saving money because the cost of the compressor represents hundreds of air fills. It will be more convenient, allow us more flexibility, and we will be able to dive in more remote locations – those are our goals.

We will use the hookah kits primarily, but not exclusively, to scrub Ocean Song’s bottom. The air hoses are 50′ long and each has its own regulator. The hookah will draw air from our tanks which will remain on deck. The hookahs will allow us to do shallow dives without donning full dive gear. We can use the hookahs to do shallow recreational dives directly around the boat as well. Lots of cruisers use hookah kits for bottom maintenance and shallow dives.

Once we have the compressor installed, we will look for a good weather window to start heading south. Our cruising and diving destination for sailing season #1 will be the Bahamas!