Pipe Mask Pictures (as promised)

[Crispin]

They're late I know, and i'm having problems with the digital camera, but here in glorious technicolour are some pics of my pipe mask, it's been to -38m, and hopefully will go deeper this weekend in Nice.......



In the first pic look closely at the hole punched with a paper punch, thats where the pipe goes....

[Crispin]

heres another of the same......

[Crispin]

heres the mask with the pipe.....

[Crispin]

and another.......

[Crispin]

It's fixed with silicon at the moment and is prone to leaking, but I have some more glue in the pipeline (scuse the pun) and once thats in i'll let you know how it goes.....

[Longfins]

Crispin,

There is a great deal of difference in compliance between your mask's silicone, the glue, and the hose material. I recommend you try some kind of 'hard' joint instead where the silicone mask around the hole you punch is mechanically compressed so it doesn't leak.

A possible solution is to use a 'barbed-stem-to-male-thread-fitting', which may be found at your local hardware store, or an industrial catalog like McMaster-Carr's. (mcmaster.com, see item 5454k42, may be too small.)

1. punch a hole in your mask slightly smaller than your threaded fitting.
2. push the threaded fitting through the hole from the outside (ocean-side)
3. get a nut with corresponding threading and tighten it down, compressing the silicone mask in between so the mask itself acts like a gasket
4. attached appropriately-sized hose to the barb outside
5. attach hose to mouth - voila

Just my 2 cents.

Peter

[Crispin]

That's fantastic Peter - i'm on a mission to get one made up now ASAP!!!!!!

thanks for that!

[Erik]

Brilliant! So now you would wear this with a nose clip, correct?
Longfins' idea about the fitting makes good sense too.
Cheers guys,
Erik Y.

[Crispin]

Its 22:45 here now, at 8am tomorrow, i'm going to go and get the part, when I get home from work tomorrow i'll post the pics of
version 1.2!!

(providing I get the part)

It's like christmas all over again!

[Longfins]

Crispin,

Are you modifying a Seal mask so you can equalize it? Why not just go to Diveinn and get a Sphera mask for cheap? The masks are identical save the nose pocket on the Sphera.

Is there a reason you want to equalize the mask independently from your ears? Do you prefer a nose clip?

Sorry, should have asked these questions before. D'oh!

Peter

[Crispin]

Peter,

Yes, the "object of the game" is to guarantee hands free equalisation.

I can equalise hands free most of the time, but I sometimes get a little bubble of air stuck in my sinus - right between my eyes....gets v.painful v.quickly if you miss clearing it.

I've used sphera masks no problem - bar the above, but to have the noseclip is a real luxury.....

So hence the pipe.....

[Pekka]

that pipe equalizer looks funky, I just thought as so many of the people on these forums are interested in nose clips....have you ever tried to plug your nostrils with your upper lip?? I can do it so can my sister and that works fine when freediving...hands free equalization...try it out and you just might be lucky enough to have noseclip right under your nose allday everyday...

[Crispin]

Yeah I can do it Pekka, but I wouldn't want to trust it to guarantee my equalisation every time (if that makes sense).....and when you go deep you really don't want to get it wrong - trust me....


As for the mask this weekend, I didn't get the right parts to do it, so I used my samurai instead and relied on Eric F's mouth filling method....worked just fine.....the right parts should be waiting for me at home today, so i'll make a mask tonight and post some pictures.....

[Crispin]

Back to the top for info.....

[strauss]

My PipeGoggles are partly inspired by Wal’s design.

Took me about 10 minutes and cost less than 5 bucks, excluding the goggles.

I used:

• AquaSphere Kaiman Goggles
• 4mm plastic tubing (windscreen washer system part, available from auto store)
• “T” connector (windscreen washer system part, available from auto store)
• Rotating leather punch. Ensure the punch is “hollow”.
• Set of pliers
• Scissors

Method:

• Punch 3mm holes toward outside of each lens. Sharp edge of punch on outer side of lens.
• Trim ends of tubes on an angle, like the end of a hypodermic needle.
• Gently pull these ends through the 3mm lens holes with a set of pliers.
• The hole should be slightly smaller in diameter than the tubes. This way the tubes will be “constricted”, making them water and airtight.
• If hole is too small, make larger by carefully inserting and twisting punch.
• Trim the pointy end off so you don’t poke your eye out,
• Attach “T” connector and mouthpiece
• Trim all tubes so that the “T” connector sits just above your upper lip
• TEST!

The advantages I can see of this design are:

• Theoretically, an even distribution of air to each eye
• No glue required
• Simple

Tested them to -5m, no leaks. Now I just need to get a noseclip!