Do you have a photo of a bottom camera?

[Unclejake]

I only need to put the counter ballast on, then it is finished.

Including the camera and counter ballast, the rig will weigh about 7.8kgs.

 

[Unclejake]

Interesting to see you try to keep things light weight, with plenty of holes

I mainly tried to keep the weight low on the camera boom, but there is only so much I can do with the gear and materials I have. I made no attempt to reduce the weight of the counterballast boom - for obvious reasons.

The main error I made was placing the end of the descent line in the centre of the terminal ballast. I think if I had anchored the descent line above the terminal ballast I would not have needed so much counterballast.

I am not certain yet, but I think there will be 1.2kgs of counterballast to match the camera, and camera cradle weight

 

[jome]

Isn't there a bit of an increased risk of entanglement with this huge "anchor shape" running up next to a counterweight going down? Not much drifting needed for them to catch each other.

I wonder if you could build a "fuse" in it that when it is yanked up with force, the whole thing folds down for better streamlining.

Other than that looks cool!

 

[Unclejake]

The risk of catching the CB line is indeed increased with the camera rig jome.

I couldn't think of a collapsing arrangement that would be reliable enough for FIM or in a choppy sea.

The event organisers will make their best judgement once they see the camera system. I had only a few weeks to dream it up and build it in my spare time so it will not be perfect, but it leaves Wellington in 48 hours and I only finished it tonight. No doubt it will be back for modifications! :t

Thanks for the kind words. It has been an interesting exercise.




EDIT: I should point out that I am not an engineer, nor am I a freediver. I just know some freedivers who sometimes ask me to do some stuff. I have fixed a couple of rusty cars, but before that I hadn't used a welder...... and I still haven't seen even a photograph of anyone else's bottom camera. Too late now :king

 

[chrismar]

There's 6m separation and very little current. The counterballast chosen is not prone to sailing.

I don't think there's any more risk of snagging with this rig than others that have been used at international competitions.