Picture you, with family or friends,
in a gear-free, setting; escaping the
mundane, the pressures, AKA: the norm;
safely linked to the surface while exploring
a spring, chasing lobsters, searching
for artifacts, capturing memories on
film. |
| By
working with a major compressor manufacturer,
Thomas Industries, Inc. of Sheboygan,
WI, we re-powered and reconfigured an
existing technology and tweaked it for
our niche market. The result is the
sole distributorship of the only direct-drive,
compressor/engine assemblies made for
the diving market by a world-renowned
company.
True;
compressors and engines can be joined
in-house, and purported to be "for
the diving market only", but our
coup is that Thomas Industries, with
50 years dedicated experience, assembles
our unique air/power units, using expertise
and equipment that is difficult, at
best, to duplicate with any real precision
by those trying to copy our designs.
With our close association with Thomas,
the customer is assured of comprehensive,
world-wide warranty and service
at hundreds of locations. Our customers
can deal directly and very often locally,
with factory trained experts on repair
and maintenance issues.
The
copies however, being reassembled from
parts, carry no such assurance. The
only warranty is what they can offer
in-house and at a single-location. For
other comparisons, please see our "Hookah
Comparison" page.
This
information is offered as a warning:
If the single-head, direct-drive compressor
is powered by a 2.5 HP Honda, or the
double-head is powered by a 4 HP Honda,
get a signed affirmation that the original
compressor manufacturer will honor full
warranty. The Air Line can make that
affirmation through its signed agreement
with Thomas Industries, Inc. as sole
distributor of the compressor engine
assemblies we designed for the diving
market only.
Surface-supplied
air eliminates the need to wear (and
carry) a boatload of Scuba gear. Wouldn't
it be nice to have the freedom of snorkeling
with the luxury of breathing underwater?
- Purely rhetorical.
It's
one thing to talk about The Air Line's
hookah advantages over Scuba in certain
instances, but where's the proof? It
seems as expensive and cumbersome as
Scuba.
Comparison
is based upon three conservative sets
of Scuba with two tanks each, against
the Air Line's Model AL-R260 as a three
diver package.
Click
here for a caution about copies, knock-offs
and wannabes
APPLES
TO APPLES |
|
Compare |
SCUBA |
AIR
LINE |
| Initial
cost: |
$3,300 |
$2,192 |
| Run
time per fill |
1
hr. per tank |
2
hrs. per fueling |
| Cost
per hr. per diver: |
$3.00* |
9
cents** |
| Operating
cost for three divers x 2 hrs. |
$18.00* |
54
cents** |
*Cost
of transport to fill station
not included.
**$18.00 of gas @ $1.45 would
provide 200 total hours underwater.
(Not a typo. Three people on
an Air Line diving four hours
each weekend, would dive for
17 WEEKENDS as opposed to one
DAY on Scuba) |
ORANGES
TO ORANGES |
Space
and weight. The following
compares the same equipment
as it would appear neatly
organized on deck, before
being strewn about in preparation
to wearing. |
|
Compare
|
SCUBA |
AIR
LINE |
| Total
weight |
360# |
80# |
| Organized
deck space |
20
sq. ft. |
5
sq. ft. |
Shown
is any gas powered model in its storage/travel
case with three complete diver sets,
deflated float, staff and flag in
the roomy gear bag. The bag is also
holding three full sets of snorkel
gear with room to spare. (Storage/travel
cases are identical for all models)
All
Air Line products, are rated for compliance
with breathable air standards of The
Compressed Association of America.
(Please see Frequently
Asked Questions)
Some
things to do that give Air Line an edge
over Scuba:
- Photography
(no encumbering gear, with looong
operating times)
- Metal
detecting, artifact or fossil collecting
(particularly at remote sites)
- Shell
collecting or crawfishing (a lobster's
worst friend)
- Sail
or motor cruising (without a tank
fill compressor)
- Air
Lifting (Model AL-C360 will support
diver and an air lift)
- Boat
maintenance (no tank to bang the gel
coat)
- Golf
ball retrieval (either professionally,
or for someone with a terrible slice)
- Get
drop-out divers back in the water
(there are a LOT of them)
- Give
youngsters a totally safe dive experience
(not to mention oldsters and the handicapped)
- Use
cover as a cocktail table (this one's
a stretch)
|
