The Whys of Air Line Direct-Drive Hookah

QUALITY! GLOBAL SERVICE! U.S. MADE! MARINE-FRIENDLY! LOW MAINTENANCE!

"Every leader needs a follower, else you would just call him a guy out for a stroll." (Either Descartes, or a bartender named Bubba)

The Air Line-only, compressor features.  When you shop, and we hope that you do, the information in the following section should be critical in your evaluation.

These features are common to all gas-powered Air Line compressors. Study them carefully, there may be a quiz.

An Acrylic Electro-coat of the housing, head, vented cover, valve plate and piston rod top: all the places that will be directly subjected to the effects of a salty environment.

The aforementioned vented compressor cover accomplishes two (maybe three) very important things: 

1. Heat dissipation through the large vent, which is aided by a shaft, cooling fan. Operating temperature of the bearings is reduced by 50 degrees, a significant factor in service life. 

2. After the dive day, the bearing and rod can be rinsed with fresh water to remove salt deposits, without any disassembly. Our detractors claim that the vented cover encourages intrusion of salt. But think about this: A compressor will generate heat, which must, somehow, be exhausted. All compressors have at least slits for that purpose. Salty air WILL intrude. If you can't easily deal with washing it out, you can expect eventual failure. 

3. I can't think of #3 right this moment, but in the meantime remember that The Air Line is the only company offering these features. And, worth repeating is that these extraordinary, all U.S. made, compressors are backed up, GLOBALLY, by Thomas Industries, the largest compressor manufacturer in the world.  

By working with  this industry giant, The Air Line re-powered and reconfigured an existing technology, proven in the construction industry, 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. (Note stress on "only") With our close association with Thomas, you are assured of comprehensive, worldwide warranty and service at close to one thousand locations. (Think about that when you're traveling) Our customers can deal directly, and very often locally, with factory trained experts on repair and maintenance issues. This, however, is a rare occurrence as the compressors have features, proprietary to The Air Line that keep them in service. The "worldwide warranty" thing is significant not just in availability of service, but it certainly should tell a story about quality.

This is probably as good a time as any to answer a question that  is often asked:  Who has the most experience in the business? Brownie's Third Lung started in 1969. The Air Line started in 1999. So who has the most experience? Easy----The Air Line. No, put your calculators away while I explain: The Air Line introduced Direct-Drive machines in May of 1999 after a year of research and development. Realizing the coup, Brownie's came out with a model in August. Since so doing, a virtual revolution has taken place to where pulleys and belts have gone the way of the hula-hoops (Although mine is still in very good working order despite the fact that I can no longer get into it). So the truth of the matter is that The Air Line is, indeed, the oldest, most experienced in this advanced technology. BUT, with a significant difference: The competitor's models are copies, very often made with Taiwanese parts. (Buy two and you get egg roll)

The Quiz: Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?

A. Elvis Presley.

B. A bartender named Bubba.

C. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

(If you chose "C" you may want to rethink your visit to Utah.)