Entrepreneur Larry Mann said he purchased a welder and began working on Fresh Air Exhaust’s first boat exhaust pipe in his Westlake driveway in 2004.[/caption]

In 2003, Fresh Air Exhaust founder Larry Mann was producing wake surf boards when he heard carbon monoxide poisoning was dangerous for wakesurfers. He said he was skeptical CO levels were a problem for boaters and concerned the sport of wakesurfing would be threatened.

“I test[ed] the levels, and within 30 seconds I could see how high the carbon monoxide was,” said Mann, who has recorded CO levels of 1,126 parts per million on a boat.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CO is immediately dangerous for one’s health at 1,200 ppm.

After a friend died from CO poisoning while boating, Mann said his focus changed from protecting just wakesurfers to the health of boaters. Mann said he discovered people who sit in the back of a boat are exposed to the highest concentrations of CO.

“I’m also a chiropractor, so I have an inherent desire to help people stay healthy,” he said. “That’s part of
my motivation.”

Mann said he began working on the first boat exhaust pipe in 2004. Three months later, the product was in the hands of the CDC and the U.S. Coast Guard. The testers found the boat pipes reduced carbon monoxide levels around the boat by at least 90 percent, he said.

“[Boat manufacturers and sellers] don’t like talking about carbon monoxide,” Mann said. “Safety does not sell nearly as much as fun add-ons.”

He said that after a high school-age girl recently drowned on Lake Travis with high levels of CO in her system, Mann’s product gained attention.

Fresh Air Exhaust accepts custom orders and stocks pipes for popular boat types. Mann’s wife, Julia, said the company has shipped pipes throughout the world, from South Africa to Israel.

“I love what we do because of the product we have,” she said. “If we can save just a few lives, [we can] help people enjoy their boats.”