Platinum-Iridium alloy is pretty fun too. The SI standard metre was made of it until they started defining it in terms of waves of light.
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How to build a neck weight ?
- Thread starterApnea_Addict
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Thread Status: Hello
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I do exactly the same as Benny - blow for all you're worth. Its the only way to get the lead shot to pack down nicely inside a stretched tube. Its also good lung resistance training!
Can't comment on the use of gold, or tungsten etc. Bling just ain't my style.
Can't comment on the use of gold, or tungsten etc. Bling just ain't my style.
As I already wrote - much simpler and more efficient than that, and achieving much higher resulting density, is mixing the lead shot with water. Even if you pack the lead shot with a compressor, you never manage to get all the air out, hence it will considerably reduce the density. In contrary, using water makes that simple and effortless, achieving a smaller neck-weight for the same weight.
Resurrecting this thread - IF you choose to use the inner tube and lead shot method (not my preferred method, but popular nonetheless), I have heard that using a compressor (even a tire pump at a gas station) will stretch the tube nicely and allow for more lead to be inserted in the bottom of the tube. I have seen some done this way and it does work out better.
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Nitrogen and a set of refigeration guages is what I use, works well.
I'm curious about wetting the lead. Would that let it pack down better when also using gas to blow up the tube? Trux?
Last suggestion, use a double layer of tubing. Just as easy and much more abrasion resistant. Keep your pool manager happy.
Connor
I'm curious about wetting the lead. Would that let it pack down better when also using gas to blow up the tube? Trux?
Last suggestion, use a double layer of tubing. Just as easy and much more abrasion resistant. Keep your pool manager happy.
Connor
I just held mine up by the open end and wiggled it a bunch, the tube stretched out and I was able to fit the rest in. Because it stretched quite a bit I put a second tube around just in case.
I've since gone to a chiclet style neck weight though as I like being able to adjust depending on my depth.
I've since gone to a chiclet style neck weight though as I like being able to adjust depending on my depth.
I'm also heavily pro-chicklet, as I keep having to add weight as my lung volume increases over time and I'm able to hold more air for dynamic events.
In the last 6 mos, I've over doubled the weight of mine! I've had to add weight 4x and each time, instead of rebuilding it from scratch I just electrical tape some more lead onto the existing core structure. I believe Aharon refers to them as neck-anvils.
Just today I added another lb - but because I ran out of chicklets I just slapped a 1 lb "sea pearls" regular weight belt chunk of lead onto it.
I'm going to have to get creative / artistic
If I have to add much more, while still retaining the good current hydrodynamics!
Sure is a hell of a lot easier, quicker and cleaner than having to open, empty and re-build a lead-shot / inner tube neck weight from scratch - not to mention cheaper. Just buy some lead and tape it on!
Besides, I'd probably have to use a motorcycle inner tube to fit that much shot into a hydrodynamic weight while keeping the sides of the neck thin enough not to interfere with good streamlined arm position.
In the last 6 mos, I've over doubled the weight of mine! I've had to add weight 4x and each time, instead of rebuilding it from scratch I just electrical tape some more lead onto the existing core structure. I believe Aharon refers to them as neck-anvils.
Just today I added another lb - but because I ran out of chicklets I just slapped a 1 lb "sea pearls" regular weight belt chunk of lead onto it.
I'm going to have to get creative / artistic
If I have to add much more, while still retaining the good current hydrodynamics!
Sure is a hell of a lot easier, quicker and cleaner than having to open, empty and re-build a lead-shot / inner tube neck weight from scratch - not to mention cheaper. Just buy some lead and tape it on!
Besides, I'd probably have to use a motorcycle inner tube to fit that much shot into a hydrodynamic weight while keeping the sides of the neck thin enough not to interfere with good streamlined arm position.
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Rubber under tension does not last, especially when exposed to UV light for long periods of time. I use lead shot for the mass and sew a tapered tube from fabric. It does not trap air and the water can drain to let it dry. I can custom shape the tube to hold as much weight as I want so I'm not limited to sizes of bike tires. My fabric neck weights last a long time, and they are not much more work to make than doing it the other ways outlined in this thread.
Revan, can you decribe the way of tapering you go for?
I do use lead shot filled bike tube but i don´t stuff it at all. Instead i keep it long and thus heavy enough and wrap it two to three times around. You get a super comfy, perfectly all around distributed weight like this, which is soft, by being soft on one hand and by not moving as "one" mass on the other. With a 3 times wrapped around roadbike tube you get for example a good kilo neckweight for freediving warm waters.
I do use lead shot filled bike tube but i don´t stuff it at all. Instead i keep it long and thus heavy enough and wrap it two to three times around. You get a super comfy, perfectly all around distributed weight like this, which is soft, by being soft on one hand and by not moving as "one" mass on the other. With a 3 times wrapped around roadbike tube you get for example a good kilo neckweight for freediving warm waters.
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There's always the long / skinny tube that's wrapped around the neck and crossing like an "X" across your torso.
I've seen a video where Linda from Dahab had one and also have seen one show up locally to a pool training session.
The advantage I suppose is that you have more length to fill with lead and it is also "ideally" placed over your lungs to counteract their buoyancy, without having to use the neck as a cantilever.
In theory you'd likely need a bit less lead for this placement.
I've seen a video where Linda from Dahab had one and also have seen one show up locally to a pool training session.
The advantage I suppose is that you have more length to fill with lead and it is also "ideally" placed over your lungs to counteract their buoyancy, without having to use the neck as a cantilever.
In theory you'd likely need a bit less lead for this placement.
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I cut 2 pieces of fabric that have the general shape of a smile with 180 degrees angle from end to end.
It looks a lot like the smile on this emoticon, but hook the ends of the smile a little more. They are about 1.5 to 2 inches wide at the ends. The tapering has to do with the volume I want to make for the lead. My 6 pound weight is probably 4 to 4.5 inches wide in the center of the smile. I sew these together back to back, leaving the ends open. The only hard part is inverting the tube to put the seams on the inside. I use a wire rod to pull the tube through itself. I use a short nylon strap to sew the female side of the clip into one end. Stuff the free fabric edge inside the tube before sewing to avoid fraying edges. Fill the tube with lead shot, and sew the male end of the clip in the other end. It should be almost full when the tube is relaxed at 180 degrees. When you bend it around the full 180 degrees to form the loop it will tense up and form a semi-rigid hoop. Take some time to play with the amount of lead in the tube to get the rigidity to feel right before sewing the last strap and clip into the weight.I have also made an 8.6 pound conformable neck weight. Its shape fills the gap between your head and shoulders like a fairing for better streamlining. This one was a real pain to make though and it is not adjustable in weight. I use my hoops a lot more. I have 3, 4 and 6 pound hoops. Between those I can mix and match to accommodate just about any conditions I've come across from recreational diving (both free and scuba), to CWT and DYN with various suit configurations.
When making my 1st neckweight I found that filling the bicycle tube with water is good for testing the tube sealing - to make sure no water gets in or out. Tape on its own wouldn't stop water leakage, nor did 1st attempt at gluing the bicycle tube. What helped was filling the tube ends with glue (about 5cm) and holding them in plastic vice for several hours, then taping them. Its important to do this part well to avoid spilling lead contaminated water all over swimming pool.
I followed the advice on http://enjoyfreediving.com/2011/03/06/making-a-freediving-neck-weight/ as its very simple. 26x2.1 inch bicycle tube is good for a 2.5kg neckweight for beginning. I used 40mm plastic buckle.
I followed the advice on http://enjoyfreediving.com/2011/03/06/making-a-freediving-neck-weight/ as its very simple. 26x2.1 inch bicycle tube is good for a 2.5kg neckweight for beginning. I used 40mm plastic buckle.
After few dives with classic bicycle tube neck weight I found that I don't like it too much and decided to make a different version. I tested it for few months and it proved to be very comfortable, so I'm sharing the concept with you guys.
Advantages:
1. Weight is lying gently on your back on large surface, instead of hanging on your neck
2."Straps" around the neck are really thin (2mm), so you can very comfortably swim in classical monofining position.
How to make it (video shows paper model, which I did as well in the beginning to adjust all the sizes):
1.prepare a sheet of lead (2-3mm thickness works perfectly) - Make its weight is right
2.cut in two places
3.fold it trying to be as close as possible to your back shape (neck "straps" will fold naturally while you swim)
4.(important) - wrap your weight nicely with elastic rubber tape for increased elasticity
5.glue some 5mm neoprene for 2 reasons
- to make it even more comfortable
- to have "open cell" skin contact keeping weight in place (not sure what kind surface would work with wetsuit - never tried).
Good luck
Advantages:
1. Weight is lying gently on your back on large surface, instead of hanging on your neck
2."Straps" around the neck are really thin (2mm), so you can very comfortably swim in classical monofining position.
How to make it (video shows paper model, which I did as well in the beginning to adjust all the sizes):
1.prepare a sheet of lead (2-3mm thickness works perfectly) - Make its weight is right
2.cut in two places
3.fold it trying to be as close as possible to your back shape (neck "straps" will fold naturally while you swim)
4.(important) - wrap your weight nicely with elastic rubber tape for increased elasticity
5.glue some 5mm neoprene for 2 reasons
- to make it even more comfortable
- to have "open cell" skin contact keeping weight in place (not sure what kind surface would work with wetsuit - never tried).
Good luck