With tankless diving systems, or surface-supplied air systems, inexperienced divers and casual vacationers can explore more of the underwater world without elaborate training, certification, or a major gear investment.
When you want to go beyond the capabilities of snorkeling but you feel overwhelmed by the idea of scuba diving, tankless diving is a great compromise. There are some limitations for tankless diving, but it’s a much easier pastime to try out casually.
So what exactly is tankless diving and how does it work? We’ll cover all the basics, considerations, and gear requirements to get started.
Traditional Scuba Diving vs Tankless Diving
In traditional scuba diving, you wear your scuba-tank air supply on your back and breathe air using a regulator. In tankless diving, your air supply is delivered through a hose from a pump on the surface, so you don’t have to carry a tank or worry about running out of air.
Mostly, preparing for traditional scuba diving excursions involves many hours of training and hefty scuba gear investments. Even if you go scuba diving with an outfitter, it’s still wise to invest in your own mask and regulator setup to ensure a proper, comfortable fit.
Scuba Diving vs Tankless Diving: Differences in Diving Gear
Traditional scuba diving requires a significant amount of diving equipment. You can expect to use the following scuba gear for each excursion and have it serviced after use:
- Scuba Mask
- Regulator
- Dive Watch or Dive Computer
- BCD Vest
- Pressure Gauges
- Scuba Tanks
- Wetsuit and Fins
- Safety Equipment
Tankless diving systems use one floating air compressor for a single diver or multiple divers, so they require far less equipment from each individual diver. A tankless diving system includes:
- Portable Air Compressor
- Float Tube or Raft
- Filtered Hoses
- Regulators
- Power Source
Divers using tankless diving systems will still need scuba or snorkel masks and fins. Diving in some locations is easier with weight belts and wetsuits, but the breathing part of the process is vastly simplified.
Training and Safety Considerations
Scuba diving can be a dangerous sport even with the proper training. Whether you prefer shallow water dives, deep dives, open water, or overhead conditions, you’ll need to specifically train for each setting and contingency.
Tankless diving is much easier to do without formalized training. After a quick orientation session with a dive outfitter, you can start exploring below the surface in a matter of minutes. Because you’re breathing through a hose, tankless divers can’t dive in deeper water, so the most dangerous scuba concerns of gas equalization and speed of ascent aren’t an issue.
Who Is Tankless Diving For?
Tankless diving is a great option for anyone who wants to explore reefs, lakes, and oceans. Men, women, and children of all ages can quickly and safely get started with tankless diving. There’s not a lot of heavy equipment to carry, no math calculations to perform, and very few safety considerations to stress over.
How Do Tankless Diving Systems Work?
A tankless diving system uses an air compressor floating on the surface of the water to supply breathing air to divers below through air tubes. Air compressors are gas operated, battery powered, or electric. This allows you to choose which type of air compressor works best for your location and needs.
The air compressor pulls air from above the surface and sends a fresh supply through the tube to the divers below. Divers use regulators to breathe the air. As long as you stay in the range of your air tube, you can spend as much time as you like below the surface without health concerns.
What Do You Need to Get Started With a Surface Supplied Air System?
If you think you’d like to try tankless diving, the easiest way to get started is to contact a dive tour operator who offers tankless diving excursions. Your tour operator will teach you about the equipment. You’ll have the added peace of mind of learning to use it with an expert present.
Once you feel confident practicing tankless diving, you can invest in your own surface-supplied air system. There are kits of all varieties available that can support from one to four divers.
Here are some systems we recommend, with options available for all types of divers and budgets:
- Air Line Model R260-4 Hookah
- Brownie’s Third Lung Sea Lion 3.0 Battery Powered Diving System
- Air Line Model R360XL Hookah with 100′ Hoses
- Brownie’s Third Lung Deluxe Floating Hookah
- Brownie’s Third Lung Deck Mount Electric 250
- 110E260 Electric Powered Unit by Air Line
When you own your tankless system, it’s as easy as traveling to a location, starting up the compressor, hooking up the hoses and regulators, and diving below the surface.
