skin diving

Hitch a ride
on this scuba
sea tow
By RICHARD HANSON

• COSTING LESS THAN $25 or so, this simple

tow is basically just a 12 x 24-in. stainless-steel
aircraft oxygen tank containing a 1/6-hp. motor
and a 12-v. battery. No machining is required.
You can assemble the whole thing with common
tools, plus a small amount of welding.
The sea tow will run for several hours on a
single charge, and has a speed of 2-3 mph which
can be increased or decreased by varying the
pitch of the homemade prop. To keep costs
down, many common materials are used in the
construction. For instance, handles are made
from 1-in. conduit; an automobile horn button
serves as the switch and the stuffing box is as-
sembled from easily obtainable plumbing fittings.
Begin by cutting the end off the tank, using

A surplus oxygen tank and a 1/6-hp. motor, which is

also available through surplus outlets, are the main
components of the sea tow. Powered by a 12-v. bat-
tery, it will run for hours on a single charge
skin diving
A sheet of rubber mounted over the battery prevents
accidentally bumping terminals on hull during re-
moval. Carrying handle is made from 3/8-in. stock
sea tow, continued
either a hacksaw or a saber saw with a metal-
cutting blade. Grind off the bands about 3/4-in.
back from both sides of the cut, so that you can
install the two iron bands which form a grooved
seat for the end cap. Next, pour liquid rubber
into this groove to act as a gasket.
Place the battery base as close as possible to
the motor base. To prevent the terminals from
touching the tank when removing the battery, cut
a small sheet of rubber from a discarded inner
tube and use adhesive to mount this on the inside
of the tank over the terminals. If it's an auto-
mobile battery, secure all wires to terminals with
small hose clamps, and be sure to use spillproof
caps. Ideally, the battery should weigh about 40
lbs., since this will allow you to add extra ballast
to balance the unit for easier guiding.
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Place spacers under the motor if this is necessary to
achieve correct alignment. Locate the battery tray as
close as possible to 1/8-in. motor base
The horn-button switch should be mounted on
two 3/16-in. nuts welded to the handle. Run one
wire up around the handle and through the %-in.
pipe to a motor terminal, then seal this through-
hull fitting by filling with liquid rubber. A short
length of wire from the other switch terminal
should be grounded to the handle at the switch
base. Cover the switch and handle with a loosely
wound layer of plastic electrical tape, and brush
several coats of liquid rubber over this taped
section to make the switch watertight yet oper-
able.
A word of caution: When charging or dis-
charging, a battery produces highly explosive
hydrogen gas, so double-check all hull connec-
tions to make sure everything is sealed tightly,
and don't smoke near the unit. Wait an hour
before installing the battery after charging.