19 replies to this topic

[Trimix2dive]

Did this last year. Lots of fun.

Anybody else done it?

Or with anything else on fire?

[ScubaDadMiami]

If I am not mistaken, these add a lot of pollution relative to the light they provide. Haven't seen them used since the old James Bond movies. Where did you find these?

I just use my light.

[ScubaHawk]

They pollute the water, do not provide a focused beam and you can't turn them off. No thanks.

[Brinybay]

I tried to google them but can't find anywhere that they are readily available. Lots of info on HOW they work, but I also want to know exactly how much and what type of discharge in the way of pollutants or contaminants they produce. As far as I can tell, it sounds like something that would be novel, but not too practical.

[AliKat]

Unhappy fish and lots of fun...hmmm, two things I wouldn't expect to see a diver put in the same senten

[captsteve]

if it wasnt for the pollution factor, it would be really cool to dive a wreck at night and drop the flare around it? at least the visual effect seems cool in my mind........

[Dive_buddy]

Don't quote me on this as I may not recall very well, but... Part of what makes U/W flares work is the use of Magniezum. As Magniezum creates it's own O2, it is virtually impossible to put out (that's why it burns under water). All I learned about them was you do not want to get your face in the updraft (the rising cloud of smoke and gases) as you stand a chance of burns, and it is really not a good thing to breathe in (if you can manage that under water).

As for where to get them, I'd guess you could find them sitting right next to a wooden crate that has long, slender, clyndrical objects, wrapped in a reddish, oiled construction paper. If you notice, as you pick one of these things to look at it, that it is "sweating", you will also notice that you will have a headache in about 15 seconds. Please resist, at all cost, the urge to drop, or throw the object down. As you could possibly blow the box of under water flares to heck and gone. Instead, very gently set it down, and walk softly away, and go get yourself a nice Shockwave II or something like that.

In other words, I think the advent of the sub-aquatic flashlight has pretty much made the underwater flare a thing of the past.

Enjoy.

Edited by Dive_buddy, 03 February 2006 - 11:31 PM.

[Brinybay]

...
In other words, I think the advent of the sub-aquatic flashlight has pretty much made the underwater flare a thing of the past.

Enjoy.

I tried googling them some more, can't find them for love nor money. A buddy of mine well versed in that sort of underwater stuff said he hasn't seen them in 25 years. Where did Trimix find them?

[Dive_buddy]

...
In other words, I think the advent of the sub-aquatic flashlight has pretty much made the underwater flare a thing of the past.

Enjoy.

I tried googling them some more, can't find them for love nor money. A buddy of mine well versed in that sort of underwater stuff said he hasn't seen them in 25 years. Where did Trimix find them?

I told you, right next to the box of dynamite.

Edited by Dive_buddy, 03 February 2006 - 11:30 PM.

[ScubaHawk]

Magnesium doesn't actually create it's own oxygen but is burns hot enough to strip the o2 molecules out of the water to keep going. So you can say it creates it's own oxygen out of the water. (Nerds rule!)

[captsteve]

kids playing with matches!..........

[6Gill]

A machineshop that a co-worker used to work had an incedent involving magnesium.It appears a chunk being machined caught on fire(dull tool) and dragging it out of the shop and burying it in sand till it burnt itself out was the only option avalible.

Eric

ps-potasium can be alot of fun to....

[captsteve]

i knew of someone who was melting lead and there was some magnesium in the lead. they got burned badly.........

[Twinklez]

Back in California the boys and I often camped and rode ATC's at Glamis (sand dunes near the AZ border that run down into Mexico.) At night everyone gathered at Competition Hill to race. People would bring the blocks from dead Volkswagens because they were made of magnesium. They would use them to make huge bonfires because they burn so bright.

[mechanical31]

Actually I machine and turn magnesium regularly and dry chemical will smother a fire. Had to once or twice At first I thought it was Halon, but that was when I almost burnt the plant down with a dielectric oil fire

Edited by mechanical31, 07 February 2006 - 09:46 AM.