This might provoke some discussion...

No, this is not something I'm planning on doing. It's just a "what if?"

When diving in salt water, I like to keep dives under an hour. Anything longer and I get terrible cottonmouth. Long freshwater dives are okay, because you can always swish your mouth with the water (stay upstream of buddies with p-valves), but that doesn't work too well with salt water.

We all know that the air in your cylinder has had virtually ALL the moisture removed from it. This is necessary to prevent rust or corrosion buildup inside the cylinder. Breathing this very dry air is what causes the cottonmouth.

Apollo makes a device that adds moisture before the air reaches the second stage, but those I've talked to that have used it say it doesn't work very well.

Consider this: What if one were to remove the cylinder valve, pour in an ounce or two of distilled water, and then fill it with air. Then, after making your dive or dives, you remove the valve, pour out the water, and dry the cylinder with a commercial dryer (I have access to one).

I wonder if this would add any moisture to the air.

On second thought, I might try this after all. Surely no damage could be done in just a day or two.

Any thoughts?

Russell

[DeWayne]

Seems like a lot of effort involved there, what with the need to dry the tank afterwards. Why not just take down a small hydration pack? When you start getting the cotton mouth you can take a sip or two. It does take a bit of practice to keep from drawing saltwater into your mouth, but it can be done.

[jammer]

Well I tell you what I have a Boi filter and I love it Plus when I dive salt water I dive my old faithful Sherwood Oasis and it also has moisture retaining fins inside the second stage. But yes I highly recomend the Boi filter it works fine for me and realy keeps me from getting cotton mouth. The only reason I do not use it in the cave system is of course the failure point. But if I dive peacock or shallow system I dive the Oasis and if I dive Ginnie then I go to the Apeks.

[Tegg]

with all that work, you might as well just dive with a camelback velcroed to one of the tanks and simply put some good tasting orange gatorade in it... grab a drink whenever you need it and then simply stow the tube in a bungee...

all done... I do this for my >3hr dives in freshwater on my deco bottles. Works perfect and tastes good too...

[normblitch]

Seems like a lot of effort involved there, what with the need to dry the tank afterwards. Why not just take down a small hydration pack? When you start getting the cotton mouth you can take a sip or two. It does take a bit of practice to keep from drawing saltwater into your mouth, but it can be done.

I've heard anecdotaly that some Tech folks in S FL are taking CapriSun packets on long deco SW dives...I have a box of 'em, but haven't tried that yet.

Personally, I've learned to take VERY small sips of SW to avoid Cottenmouth...

Norm

[normblitch]

Well I tell you what I have a Boi filter and I love it Plus when I dive salt water I dive my old faithful Sherwood Oasis and it also has moisture retaining fins inside the second stage. But yes I highly recomend the Boi filter it works fine for me and realy keeps me from getting cotton mouth. The only reason I do not use it in the cave system is of course the failure point. But if I dive peacock or shallow system I dive the Oasis and if I dive Ginnie then I go to the Apeks.

Jammer,

While I do adore my Sherwoods, I've never really noticed any moisture generated from that...

Do you have a link/sourcing on the Boi filter??

Norm

[FW]

Rust forms pretty fast, unless you are talking abut 80s. If you forget to dry it out, you can kiss the tanks goodby.

Whatever you do, don't dive cold water like that. It will freeze up in minutes

I like DeWayne and Tegg's solution better

[John L.]

Hey Russell,
I was a divemaster for a lot of years, and the trick I did was to suck on a jolly rancher hard candy. Tuck in in the corner of your mouth and it helps tremendously. There's something about the tartness that keeps your mouth moist.
John

[Jay]

Capri packs work OK, but depends where you deco because you do get a slight amount of the environement in.

You all seem to be missing the point. I have one of those SCUDA things (self contained underwater drinking apparatus). I bought it in the Keys back in the eighties, but never got around to hooking it up. It's easier to just keep dives under an hour.

It's all about the "science experiment" thing. Would water in the bottom of the cylinder put moisture back in the air?

DeWayne, you know it's not about the time and effort thing. Time is the one thing I have in abundance.

And I don't think distilled water in a steel cylinder would cause damage in one or two days.

Inquiring minds just want to know.

Russell