All Sea Breathe units are designed with reliability and simplicity in mind; the pumps have minimal moving parts and extensive use of high quality components have made these units extremely reliable. Breakdowns are next to never happening. (This is from 15 years of experience)

Sea Breathe requires (float unit) a sealed deep cycle battery. These batteries fall into two categories, Gelled Electrolyte or Absorbed Glass Matt (AGM). These batteries are ideal for the application cause they will not leak when tipped or damaged. Deep cycle is important as it allows the maximum number of charge cycles from the battery. The optimum size is between 30-40 amp hour capacity, the limiting factor will be the physical size (to fit the float unit) and also weight may be a factor especially air travel is a consideration. If you plan to air travel make sure your choice is approved or labelled with the approval. The batteries above are normally used in wheel chairs or scooters and are quite commonly available. Deck units can run from a 12 volt boat or auxiliary battery, be careful not to drain your engine start battery. . The maximum size of battery that can fit into the floating unit housing are 5 1/2" by 8" by 8"., or 130 mm by 190 mm by 190 mm (including terminals). Also, the battery is placed into the housing on its side, so the 5 ½" dimension is it's height.

The Sea Breathe compressors are engineered to resist corrosion and can handle very humid conditions. The floating units are of course suitable for use in fresh or salt water and are sealed against severe splash and spray. The deck units are not affected by operation in the rain but they are not intended to be swamped by sea water, as this could shorten the life of the compressor. If this does accidentally happen the pump should be flushed with fresh water as explained in the owners manual. Note that the deck units should always be tied to the boat or deck to make sure they are not pulled in to the water. If you see your deck unit go down past you while diving you probably did not tie it on properly and it would be wise to surface soon..

Sea Breathe incorporates a unique variable pressure system that allows the air pressure to increase as the diver descends. Thus if you are at shallow depths, i.e. cleaning your boat hull, the pressure (and hence the current draw from the battery will be minimized., approximately 12-14 psi. When the diver descends to say 20 feet the pressure will automatically adjust to about 20 psi. This feature ensures that there is the minimal drain on the battery during the dive, which of course increases battery duration.

Sea Breathe's 12 volt systems are all very quiet, when used in close proximity to other boaters and divers this will not cause a nuisance.

With the deck units the standard hose length is about 45 feet from the compressor to the diver. There is 15 feet of hose between the compressor and the air reservoir (which floats on the surface) and 30 feet of hose from the air reservoir to the diver. The floating units have 5 feet of hose from the compressor to the reservoir and 30 feet of hose from the reservoir to the divers. Note that if you have only one diver on the double diver unit the two hoses can be combined to give a total length of about 55 feet after the air reservoir. Note that the extra hose length does not increase the depth of the dive but gives greater lateral distance from the compressor. This can be useful for hull maintenance or cleaning etc, particularly on a larger boat. For special applications the length of the hose can be considerably increased if needed. Contact Sea Breathe to discuss your needs.

The Sea Breathe system was first developed over 15 years ago and has an excellent record of safety and reliability. There are several features of Sea Breathe diving that make the activity safer than scuba or other types of surface supply. The dive depth is limited to 25 feet which keeps you out of the decompression tables, as you can stay at this depth for several hours before decompression (bends) would be an issue. The unit floating on the surface gives a clear indication to others of your location. The extra large air reservoir allows several breaths of air if the unit should be switched off. Also, the reservoir provides a comfortable float for the diver when at the surface. The secure attachment of the diver to the surface (by the hose) prevents "uncontrolled descent" which is one of the main causes of mishap with novice divers. There are no fumes from the compressor to get sucked in to the compressor air intake.

Most people are positively buoyant and would therefore have to expend energy to stay submerged. By adding the correct amount of weight you can adjust your buoyancy to be only slightly positive so that your not wasting energy to stay submerged. This allows you to relax and enjoy your dive. Note that it is worth spending the extra minutes before the dive to check that you are wearing the correct amount of weight. Pocket type weight belts are very convenient and allow you to change weights easily. You must make sure that the weights you choose are easily removable and are not attached to the primary Sea Breathe regulator waist belt.

Sea Breathe incorporates a unique inflating air reservoir, which provides several benefits for the diver: The reservoir dampens all pulsations from the compressor. It provides a large air reserve if the compressor is switched off or fails. It is a comfortable float for the diver when at the surface. Minimizes the pressure drop if two divers take large breaths of air simultaneously. Note that Sea Breathes' large inflating reservoir folds completely flat for storage. Competitor's rigid reservoirs have a smaller air volume but take up 20 times more space than the Sea Breathe reservoir when not in use.

The two-man unit can be used for one man easily, this will not increase the allowed depth though, it is still 25 feet. Experienced divers can use a combination of the hoses to allow a deeper dive. (check with Sea Breathe)

Sea Breathe uses a 12-Volt heavy-duty oil-less diaphragm type compressor that provides clean breathing air for the diver and is extensively upgraded to operate in damp conditions. Internal parts are anodized, stainless steel or Teflon coated. The pumps are rated for hundreds of hours running time between servicing.

If the flotation chamber deflates on the Float model the unit will still float, this is not enough for steady dive flotation but will allow you to return to the boat or beach.

The battery runs down slowly so there is no sudden loss of air at the end of the dive. When the battery is approaching full discharge you will notice a slight reduction in the available air volume, but there will still be several minutes of dive time left. Note that once the air supply has become noticeably low you should not try to extend the dive time by "sucking" hard on the regulator. This will only tire your lungs.

If the unit is mistakenly turned off while diving, the air reservoir will provide ample air for several additional breathes while rising to the surface.

On both the floating units and the deck units the cable connections to the battery are identified by color (Red - Positive, Black - Negative),. The deck units will not suffer if the battery cables are connected backwards. The cables of the floating units should be connected with the correct polarity as these models incorporate a blower for air-cooling. The blower will run in reverse if the polarity is wrong, which will adversely effect cooling and could cause the temperature switch to shut the unit down.

The battery recharge time will depend on the type of battery, the characteristics and capacity of the charger, the amount of charge remaining in the battery and the capacity of the battery. A good charger with a capacity of around 10 amps should be able to get a 34 amp.hour battery to around 90% charge in 3 hours. Note that most battery manufacturers recommend a slow charge (over night) if possible, in preference to a fast charge. This will ensure the maximum number of charge cycles from the battery. Sealed batteries should always be recharged using a regulated charger to avoid damage through overcharging. The regulated chargers have become very common with the increasing popularity of Gelled or AGM type batteries and are readily available in most parts of the world. Sea Breathe can supply suitable chargers if needed.

This will depend on how you intend to use the Sea Breathe. The standard 34 amp hour battery for the floating units will allow about 1 hour run time. The deck units will run for much longer from the boat "house battery" If you need an extended run time remember, it is often easier to handle two small batteries rather than one large one. Many battery manufacturers now incorporate handles in to the battery design. This can be a convenient feature. Rental operations will normally have ample batteries and recharge them over night with a slow charge.

Sea Breathe units come complete with, manuals, hoses, air reservoir, belts and regulators. You need to supply the battery, water, and diving gear.

We take pride in providing the best dive units possible, we feel we are second to non and want you to compare and make the wisest choice. Our company philosophy has always been to provide quality, value and safety. Prices will be competitive and still the quality will be unmatched by any of our competitors!!