Full Face Mask

[trekkindave]

Against all safety and risk of death replys..

***warning warning warning*****
***Do not attempt to try****


I was wondering if anyone had ever successfully DIY'ed a full face mask????

I think it would be interesting to see someone make one.

I was thinking that if you could some how attach a reguator to a firefighting SCBA mask that you could DIY something.


***Improvising life support equipement may kill you***
***do not attempt****

[divepapi]

Originally Posted by trekkindave

Against all safety and risk of death replys..

***warning warning warning*****
***Do not attempt to try****


I was wondering if anyone had ever successfully DIY'ed a full face mask????

I think it would be interesting to see someone make one.

I was thinking that if you could some how attach a reguator to a firefighting SCBA mask that you could DIY something.


***Improvising life support equipement may kill you***
***do not attempt****

I was thinking about borrowing an SCBA from work and trying it, but I've heard the regulator is not meant for SCUBA...

[Duckydiver]

Now what would your FD think about reenginering their equipment for such purposes.

Ok, Ok.. For real, where would one get an adapter to go from regulator mouthpiece opening. to that twist lock on an AV 3000. for instance

[CFDAlden]

I read somewhere that a SCBA mask would not make a decent SCUBA mask. Not because of the regulator, but because of the curved facepiece. Something about distorting your vision underwater.

I did a firefighter survivability course one time where they teach you how to float / swim in full bunker gear should you fall into a pool / river / lake / body of water. You CAN breath from the regulator, but it is NOT meant for it. The regulator will function long enough to get yourself to safety, but not for an extended period of time.

I don't remember how things looked for the brief period of time I was underwater in the pool.

[Crimediver]

A scba can be used for diving but it is easier if you place the regulator at the end of the airhose near your chest to minimize the pressure differential. The curved facepiece will distort your vision and their is no noseblock to equalize.
SCBA masks such as the Interspiro can be retrofitted to be used u/w.
The Ocean Reef is an example of a FFM that started out as a gas mask and was later turned into a SCUBA FFM.
In WW2 gas masks were turned into surface supplied dive masks to be used in salvage operations in the Red Sea by Cdr. Edward Ellsberg with pretty good success.

[trekkindave]

Do you think the hose where the SCBA regulator supply would hook into the 1st stage reg on the dive setup?

[cummings66]

There's more to it than just hooking a line up. The conversion isn't complex but it is necessary. I know the interspiro masks get converted quite a bit, in fact a buddy of mine uses a converted one.

[Duckydiver]

Ya know, in retrospect, its probubly easiy and safer just to but a commercial made FFM. and with the cost of regs and retrofitings, propobly not much more expensive.

[Crimediver]

That depends. I have seen some Interspiro SCBA's go cheap on eBay. I have seen some converted for about 100 bucks. At one time there was a glut of flat facepieces selling cheap as divers switched over to the Gill or ambient pressure valves. A lot cheaper than paying 600 bucks.
Besides, price is not the issue. This is the DIY forum. Doing it DIY makes you feel like you got one over on the system.

[cummings66]

Yes, the conversion is not expensive and the masks can be had cheap. Well worth doing.