Hi Guys - I tried posting this a few times
before and I guess it didn't work ( I am having a little trouble breaking in a
new computer). If this ends up posting about six times at once, major
apologies.
As far as fire extinguishers go, the Dry powder
kind ( rated ABC ) usually contain Monoammonium Phosphate, Ammonium Sulfate,
Mica, talc and the dreaded "nuisance dust" ( whatever the heck that is
- oh wait, my house is full of it).
The product is sprayed out as a powder, not a
gas. The ammonium products are the nastiest to breath and can cause
pulmonary irritation acutely, leading to coughing, etc. Mica and Talc will only
kill you in the long run by making you more susceptible to pulmonary fibrosis (
a condition where the lung tissue becomes abnormally rigid and doesn't work ).
Probably the amounts that one would contact in 1 episode would not be sufficient
to induce the long term stuff ( plus, of course you're trapped underwater in a
smoke filled bubble - the long term stuff might not be so
important).
Provided you don't have emergency
air/oxygen (BIBBS) the next best choice might be to have a simple dust mask next
to the extinguisher. This will prevent the inhalation of the irritating
chemicals until you can surface.
The powder should also be washed from
skin surfaces as soon as possible, because it too can be an irritant.
Halon, as already mentioned, is an inert gas
that works by excluding oxygen and is a very poor choice if you plan on being
able to continue breathing.
CO2 could also work, but is fairly messy and
again, woks by excluding oxygen. It would not have as much of the lung
irritation though. Again - emergency air would seem to be the best
choice.
The squirt bottle approach may work, and at any rate when you finally
surface after the fire, you could always claim that the stain in the front of
your pants is only spilled water...
I will, however, defer to the experts who
actually have a boat.
Sincerely,
Greg