Weight Harness

[Andrew@Rockface]

Based on the design by Longfins (http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=50512&highlight=soft+harness). Bicycle innertube (26" x 1.5"). Two plastic clasps from an old Rucanor rucksac. Several heavy duty cable ties. 5KG of birdshot. Total cost around £10.50.

Not perfect but cheap and easy to drop.

 

[Andrew@Rockface]

Damn piccy didn't appear!

Anyway, imagine two bike innertube weightbelts joined across the sholderblades by cable ties so they end up as a figure 8. If anyone has any ideas why I can't upload images let me know

BTW I also made a regular weight belt and will post an image when I figure out how to do so.

 

[naiad]

Maybe the file size is too big? I once had that problem with posting images. If you have Microsoft Office Tools, open the file in Microsoft Office Picture Manager and resize it.

I'll try to explain better if you don't understand.

Lucia

 

[Andrew@Rockface]

Maybe the file size is too big? I once had that problem with posting images. If you have Microsoft Office Tools, open the file in Microsoft Office Picture Manager and resize it.

It's not the file size. I've gone down to 10k and 299x157 and it still didn't work. Tried changing the jpeg type to progressive. As a last resort I even tried changing the file type to bitmap and gif - still didn't work

I'll try to explain better if you don't understand.

Understood although I don't tend to use Microsoft products for much. IrfanView is much better for graphic resizing etc.

Foxfish says Stephan may be doing some maintenance, so maybe that's it. I'll try again tomorrow.

 

[naiad]

I think it is the maintenance. There seems to be a problem with uploading attachments and Stephan is looking into it.
[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?p=596196"]MAINTENANCE: DeeperBlue.net Forums Upgraded[/ame]

 

[Andrew@Rockface]

Trying again...

Also got a weight belt. Same principle but with a larger clasp (a rucsack cheststrap buckle). Let me know if anyone wants images of that one as well.

 

[Magpie]

Looks good mate, do you find it stays in position ok without a chest strap?

I'd be interested to see some pics of the belt too.

 

[Andrew@Rockface]

Looks good mate, do you find it stays in position ok without a chest strap?

I'd be interested to see some pics of the belt too.

Not tested yet but hopefully this weekend if the weather's decent. It's reasonably tight around the shoulders (you just keep adding cable ties until it's snug) so it shouldn't move. I'll post pics of the belt when I get home.

Oh, and I modified it last night. Slipped 3" strips of tube over the loose ends and cableties (near the buckles). Looks very nice now. Still need to figure a way to cover the cableties on the backpart.

 

[Magpie]

You could just tape over the ties. Electrical tape works surprisingly well underwater, especially if you put a dott of superglue under the end, or duck tape or something, or even better, amalgamating tape.

 

[Andrew@Rockface]

You could just tape over the ties. Electrical tape works surprisingly well underwater, especially if you put a dott of superglue under the end, or duck tape or something, or even better, amalgamating tape.

Nice idea. Way back when I used to have a job making the wiring looms that go inside vending machines. You wrap the wires around a pattern (some were huge and you'd be pulling 10's of kilo's of wires around the pattern) and then tape the individual wires together using insulation tape in a spiral with a 1/4 inch overlap. If I've still got the kanck it could look pretty good on the harness. Cheers.

I was thinking about wraping the whole thing in some sort of fabric/netting. I think as long as it's stretches and drains water easily it could look pretty nifty.

 

[Magpie]

Could do, but I would have thought one of the benefits of using rubber innertubes is that they grip your suit a bit and so are less likely to slide around when diving, wrapping it in fabric would make it slip more. So thats another reason to try amalgamating tape as well!

 

[Andrew@Rockface]

You're right. Didn't think of that Looks like it's a trip around the diy shops.

Next: a diy float of some sort. Wonder how that spray foam will react with a kids plastic rugby ball

 

[deep thinker]

Cant see why that wont work, infact I think it might work pretty well. The rugby balls are normally made of pretty hardwearing plastic or u could maybe use a inner of a proper ball, ull have to figure out a way to attach your line in such a way that it wont tear out though, maybe a plastic tube going through your 'mould'

 

[naiad]

Some threads about floats...
[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=52346"]Making a float[/ame]
[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=62233"]Best float choice[/ame]
[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=64519"]What do you use for a float?[/ame]

Lucia

 

[Andrew@Rockface]

Cant see why that wont work, infact I think it might work pretty well. The rugby balls are normally made of pretty hardwearing plastic

That's what I thought. Nice thick plastic else the wind would be blowing them every which way during a pass

or u could maybe use a inner of a proper ball, ull have to figure out a way to attach your line in such a way that it wont tear out though, maybe a plastic tube going through your 'mould'

Like you say, I could then stick a pipe through - flag at the top weight/anchorline at the bottom.

My wife always frowns at me when I get the spray foam out as I've a habit of getting it everywhere. I even managed to glue an eyelid shut once

 

[Andrew@Rockface]

Cheers Lucia. I'll check them out.

 

[Spinal Tap]

I made the exact same thing using Longfins design. I found that I was very top heavy. I took 3lbs of lead shot and make them into ankle weights. Luckily, I have enough shot for several belts and made a conventional (around the waist) belt that I like alot.

 

[Andrew@Rockface]

I made the exact same thing using Longfins design. I found that I was very top heavy. I took 3lbs of lead shot and make them into ankle weights. Luckily, I have enough shot for several belts and made a conventional (around the waist) belt that I like alot.

Hopefully the (2kg) belt I made should help, else, like you say I can make some ankle weights. We've got a good gunsmith 8 miles away that does bulk birdshot and I've got 1 innertube left. The weather over here is pretty awful at the moment so I've got my fingers crossed that it's going to pick up for this bank holiday weekend - 3 days off, woo hoo!

 

[Andrew@Rockface]

Well, I finally got around to testing the harness (and as it turns out, the weight belt). Got into the water from shore (Falmouth, Cornwall, crappy vis of around 3 metres - water full of churned up weed) wearing my 5/3 Ripcurl steamer, Beaver Atomic low-vol mask, Very old Typhoon snork and very, very old Typhoon Surfmaster II Jetfins. Discovered I was bobbing like a cork and realised I'd left my weights on shore Shouted to number one daughter to fetch them. Easy to put on, even without undoing the clips. Didn't go too deep - around 8 metres - as there were loads of weekend boaters buzzing far to close to shore. The harness (5kg) didn't move around at all and, because all the weight was around my shoulders, aided my dives. At the surface I found my arse was floating too much so swam back to shore and asked Freya (#1 daughter again) to bring the belt (2kg). This worked perfectly - arse was finally submerged neutral at around 5 metres.

All in all I was very happy with the harness and belt. Neither moved at depth. Both were very comfortable; in fact I forgot I was wearing them. Trim was excellent though I still thing a kg on each ankle would be useful. Spent around 3 hours in the water with a half-hour break at 1.5 hours. According the my wetsuit free wife and kids the water was pretty cold, but the ripcurl was nice and snug.

Changed my fins to my new Omer Millenniums for the second dive. Excellent fins. Comfortable and very easy to use. As for sea life: loads of spider crabs, a few pollack, loads of wrasse and the usual swarm of eels.

I'd recommend the weight harness and belt to anyone. Comfortable, good trim and cheap