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Freediver Hook-On and Forget System

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

AltSaint

Pipe and Flippers
Dec 29, 2002
380
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This is a safety device that Howard Jones at Freediver has been trialling. It's a rapid deployment SMB-like device that a safety diver actuates. The freediver wears a simple ( but robust ) wrist strap that can quickly be hooked on.

I was a guinea pig for this last w/e at HMS Dolphin, and dragged myself down to the bottom with 9KG of weight ( no wetsuit involved ). My rescuer connected me and inflated within seconds. You can see on the attached graph how quickly I surfaced - with less weight, it would have been shorter.

The 40 second bottom time was not the time it took to attach, it was a pre-rescue 'chill time' my rescuer thought I might enjoy :)
 

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Afraid not. I was just helping out with the tests. I can tell you what it looks like, though. It's similar to a DSMB with a 40 cl cylinder attached to it. The other bit is the strap attached to the freediver's wrist. That's it in a nutshell.
 
Freediver Safety Device

Hi guys,
Tought that following url might be usefull regarding that safety device U want to test : it's in fact a French engineer which has already thought over such safety device. You know how business works in france, not a single diving manufacturer gave him a positive echo ...

http://www.jp-petit.com/dangers/danger_eng/apnea_eng/lifejckt.htm

Please let me know if the safety device is later manufactured, I would one of the very first to buy it !

Best regards!
 
i dont know anything about engineering, but if this device works I think i would buy it. clearly, a functional safety device is in high demand in the freediving/spearfishing world.

I just have one concern. would it be possible to change the 120 second inflate time? as some divers logg longer dives than 2 min i think this is necessary. of course, some divers logg shorter dives too and might benefit from a, say, 90 second inflation time.

Erik
 
The FHOF only takes 2-3 seconds max to inflate. The time before the ascent was a) me descending, and then b) waiting for my rescuer to finish his cup of tea

I could be wrong about this, but I thought Howard at http://www.freediver.co.uk was going to be selling these soon. I had a look in his online shop last week and didn't see it, but I only looked briefly and could have missed it. You could always mail him, or leave a message on his guest book ( he often answers those ).
 
The FHOF only takes 2-3 seconds max to inflate. The time before the ascent was a) me descending, and then b) waiting for my rescuer to finish his cup of tea

I could be wrong about this, but I thought Howard at http://www.freediver.co.uk was going to be selling these soon. I had a look in his online shop last week and didn't see it, but I only looked briefly and could have missed it. You could always mail him, or leave a message on his guest book ( he often answers those ).
 
Freediver Safety Device - FAQ ?

Hi AltSaint,

Just a few questions due to my poor english :duh :
- In "a rapid deployment SMB", what does SMB stands for ?
- What does "FHOF" mean ?

- In the Safety Device you've tested, how is it inflated ? Through that wrist connection ?

Wouldn't it make sense to get the inflation started through 3 different ways :
- By the freediver himself (ie. he still has to be conscious ...) through the wrist lock
- By a remote radiocommand hold by your safety buddy up on the surface (ie. the freediver is unconscious, and his buddy doesn't have the time or skill to pick him up at the bottom ...)
- By a depthmeter set up to inflate if freediver goes below a certain depth (ie. usefull if freediver is unconscious and no one is watching him ...)

Ludovic "Yes you can dive in Paris !"
 
SMB=Surface Marker Buoy. To be precise, its a DSMB, where the D means 'Delayed'. Other people call them 'safety sausages' as they're shaped like 1.5 metre long fluorescent suasages.

FHOF=Freediver Hook-On and Forget

The device inflates via a small cylinder attached to the sausage. ( The freediver doesn't carry this - a safety diver does. )

It's always possible to improve on a good design. This does what it does quickly and efficiently. It will be used in the forthcoming Cyprus Open Classic 2003, and be giving a lot of us more confidence. :)
 
Lanyard

I see we have to provide ( and manufacture ) and wear our own lanyards in this comp too.
Any insight on how to make one, especially the wrist strap ?
Does the lanyard line share the 26mm diameter ring on the wrist strap or is it independantly anchored to the strap reserving the ring for the ascent device ?

I see the rules says it must be between 30cm and 1m long. Could 1m ever end up being too short ?
Do you think the Carabiner at the end of the line attaches to their attachment on the line or directly onto the line ?
Can one predict any potential hanging up of the carabiner on the line ?
Drag ? Should there be a swivel to avoid twisting of the line causing Carabiner lock-up drag on the line ?

My mind boggles at this latest development ...

Skin.
 
I've only recently found out about the lanyard requirement ( since I did the FHOF test ), and I haven't looked into how the lanyard needs to be made. I'm keeping my eyes open on the Freediver guest book, as it appears to be one of the hot topics there at the moment.
 
Lanyards

Hi,

I am going to mail a photo of my lanyard, which I had made in Nice, to Howard of Freediver tonight, it is to be put onto the Freediver website soon. It's of the design they use there and consists of a lightweight carabina, braided climbing rope and a very stiff slipknotted loop for your wrist.
 
Lanyards for AIDA competitions

Her is a picture of the lanyards developed by the freedivers in Nice and Marcus Greatwood of No Tanx. If anyone needs more info, just ask.
 

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The length of the lanyard is a max of 100cm.

can this be a stretchable material,
so it can give way to another 50cm or so ?

So standard its 100cm, and when pulled it can go to 150cm ?

Herman
 
Simon's rope is climber's rope - it has a tiny bit of 'give' in it, but its not elasticated like bunjee rope.

I can't see that you'd be able to put enough tension on bunjee cord to stretch it, or why you would want to in the first place.

The less you are aware of it, the better.
 
Lanyards

Hi all,

I include an extract from the AIDA rules on lanyards. I agree it is a little confusing but if the photo of my lanyard is copied then you should have no problems at the event as the same picture of the lanyard is now up on Freediver.co.uk so if they think it's ok then it's ok. They are after all the organisers.

The rope I used is non strechable, it is simply a good quality braided climbing rope that is not longer than 100cms.

The carabiner is a 600Kg lightweight alloy one and being so light it has the advantage of not "leading" you down the line (unless of course you descend very slowly indeed) It is a delight to use as it trails behind you and guides you even with eyes closed.

The knots are at the wrist end, a tightly tied hangmans noose (see the attached picture on how to tie) and at the carabiner end, simply an overhand knot tied using a looped end instead of the more normal single end.

I hope this helps on what is becoming quite a complicated subject.

**********************************************


A safety lanyard anchor is mandatory for all depth events.
The safety lanyard binds the freediver to the warm-up line or to the official line. It is made up of:

A. A carabiner without screws in which the opening (minimum 15mm) is big enough to allow a carabiner to be placed and hooked to the cord without difficulty. The "finger" of the carabiner must function normally, in other words, opening with little pressure and closing automatically

B. A semi-elastic or non semi-elastic link between 30cm and 100cm in length, made up of a material designed to not make knots (i.e., a cord, or a cord sheathed with plastic).

C. A wrist band which cannot be removed inadvertently, which includes a ring having an interior diameter of a minimum of 26mm for athletes wearing the lanyard on the wrist, OR a belt other than the weight belt, which can not be removed inadvertently for those wearing the lanyard on the waist, the belt holding the lanyard must be situated higher then the weight belt.

In this last case, the freediver will still wear a wristband, which cannot be removed inadvertently, including a lanyard ring of an interior diameter of a minimum of 26mm.
The lanyard will be systematically checked by the jury and must not be removed by the competitor during the performance, unless necessary, or he/she will be penalized.
The monitoring depth gauge must be worn on the wrist opposite to that carrying the lanyard, if the lanyard is being held to the wrist.
The organizer will ensure that the safety divers are equipped with the necessary materials in order to implement a rapid resurfacing system of the freediver with the aforementioned wristband, without having to resurface alongside the athlete experiencing difficulty.
 

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Lanyard made out of Surf leash ?

Hi everyone,
If you want a strechy bungee, with a neoprene wrist strap, you'd just better check any good surf shop and ask for a leash (ie. the twisted plastic bungee that links the surfboard to the surfboarder's wrist or ankle).

Hope this helps all the Cyprus competitors !
:D

Le Baron Noir "Yes you can freedive in Paris !"
 
Simple enough

Your photo does not include a 'lanyard Ring' with internal diameter of 26 mm etc..

How would you best incorporate this in your lanyard design ?


Skin
 
Apologies Herman, about my comments regarding stretchable cord. I didn't think being stretchy would be of any use, but a monofinner told me a couple of days ago that it would. He's used a lanyard before - I haven't....

Also, when I said:

Originally posted by AltSaint
The less you are aware of it, the better.

what I meant was that you probably don't want to be concious that the lanyard is there when you are diving, not that you shouldn't know how it's made etc.

Never mind the cord, I'm tying myself in knots ;)
 
Hello!!

Bravo and thank you for your safety device it's a good thing for us. I have some questions...

1) Why not use a bigger aluminium-made carabiner? it is not heavy, the opening is bigger and you can use an automatic-closed one like this:
21_0241437.jpg

this device NEED training to be open but the security is quite better. ;)

2) how much CO2 is need to inflate the device?

3) you could insert a cyalume in your device for dark spots... :cool:

Thank you,

Damien

P.S.: sorry for my english:(
 
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