where can I get neckweights?

[Ricochet]

Ahh, thanks man. That looks like tons of lead to compensate the buoyancy of Toms supersized lungs

I guess I'm going to massacre one of my disused softbags for some nylon.
If someone looks for me, follow the trail of blood splashs and shredded fabrique snatches to sewing machine!
:hmm

 

[octopus]

Bigger tube is about 1.5kg (mountain bike) and smaller one is about 0.5kg (racing bike). I hope you can work out dimensions from the photo if you need them. You could have two big tubes on your neck (I need only one for the pool. I use smaller one for negatives). If you can find solid piece of lead, you can increase the amount of kgs that you can fit around your neck (I think Alun uses something like this?). If you need more kg than that...get married as someone suggested.

If you do not know how much weight to put in...determine at what depth you want to be neutral (with full lungs, packed or empty...the way you do your dynamics)...and then try to find amount of weight that'll help you achieve it (bring weights so you can make increments of say 0.5kg or if you are really fussy - 0.25kg). You do not have to move, keep the weight in your hands...it is good enough.

Use glue specificaly for tyres (tip-top is good one). I used to leave clamps overnight.

You can buy lead at fishing gear shop, but I found it better to buy weight pockets for scuba filled with shot-lead.

The difficult bit is stiching velcro tape. It is not good glued...it peels off eventually. On one side you put velcro (at least 5-6cm length) and on the oposite side you have to put some material, so fishing line does not cut through the rubber. Then you spend next 2-3 hours stiching and swearing.

It is good quality end product. I used it and abused it for couple of years, in the pool and in the seas around the world. They are still like from the day one.

Hope this helps.

 

[Polorutz]

now... for the fun part... what is the "regular weight" of the thing?

2kg? 3kg? 1kg?

 

[octopus]

Take 1kg in your hand, fill (or empty?) your lungs as if you are going to do your dynamics, dive down to depth you normally do it (2m?3m?) and see if you can stay there without moving.
If sinking, try next time with 0.5kg. If going up, try 1.5kg.
The weight that makes you neutral under wanted conditions will be your "regular weight".

 

[jome]

Just some guidelines to get you started...To get your first trials in the right ball park.

-For people that don't pack, most commonly I see 1-2kg
-For people who pack a little, 2-3kg
-For huge packers, usually 4-5 kg or even more (by the size of it, I'd say Tom Sietas must have close to 10 kg)

Of course this is highly individual for each person.

The optimum weight is usually surprisingly big. A lot of times I see newcomers strap 0.5 - 1 kg on their neck, I guess because "everybody else has them too". But within months, when they "get it", it will be over 2 kg.

By "getting it" I mean of course finding the perfect balance and the importance that has. It does not matter how big your weight is, what matters is balance. It takes some time and experimenting to find the right balance, and it will even change as you progress (you learn to fill you lungs, you body fat may change, etc)

I have 6 normal 0.5kg weights and a completely normal weight belt that I give people when they want to find their balance. It's easy enough to add or remove weights, it goes on your neck well enough and you can keep track of how much is actually there. When they know how much they need, they go to a local hunting store and get some coated lead pellets (the kind used to fill shotgun shots) and build their own. It couples as a perfectly good neck weight as well. No need for glue or destroying inner tubes. Granted it does not look as cool as the 6kg monster I usually use

One trick you can use to fit more lead into an inner tube than normal is that you blow air to it once it is filled with lead so that it stretches and "packs" the lead tighter (of course you first seal the other end with for example a knot). If you still have the valve intact, you can use a bicycle pump. Another good source is a scuba tank. I used lungs, but nearly passed out This way I was able to fit about 4 kg in a single weight (mountain bike inner tube).

Just be warned that such a construction may rupture, especially after the rubber ages and you end up with 3 kg of lead pellets in the pool. To prevent absolute disaster, I have wrapped mine with several layers of duct tape.

For my next construction, I'm thinking of mixing the lead with some kind of adhesive, so even if it does rupture, it does not spread all over the pool...This would prevent the "black water leaks" as well (which is not such a problem with coated pellets)

 

[subaquaticus]

Just some guidelines to get you started...To get your first trials in the right ball park.

-For people that don't pack, most commonly I see 1-2kg
-For people who pack a little, 2-3kg
-For huge packers, usually 4-5 kg or even more (by the size of it, I'd say Tom Sietas must have close to 10 kg)

Of course this is highly individual for each person.

The optimum weight is usually surprisingly big. A lot of times I see newcomers strap 0.5 - 1 kg on their neck, I guess because "everybody else has them too". But within months, when they "get it", it will be over 2 kg.

By "getting it" I mean of course finding the perfect balance and the importance that has. It does not matter how big your weight is, what matters is balance. It takes some time and experimenting to find the right balance, and it will even change as you progress (you learn to fill you lungs, you body fat may change, etc)

I have 6 normal 0.5kg weights and a completely normal weight belt that I give people when they want to find their balance. It's easy enough to add or remove weights, it goes on your neck well enough and you can keep track of how much is actually there. When they know how much they need, they go to a local hunting store and get some coated lead pellets (the kind used to fill shotgun shots) and build their own. It couples as a perfectly good neck weight as well. No need for glue or destroying inner tubes. Granted it does not look as cool as the 6kg monster I usually use

One trick you can use to fit more lead into an inner tube than normal is that you blow air to it once it is filled with lead so that it stretches and "packs" the lead tighter (of course you first seal the other end with for example a knot). If you still have the valve intact, you can use a bicycle pump. Another good source is a scuba tank. I used lungs, but nearly passed out This way I was able to fit about 4 kg in a single weight (mountain bike inner tube).

Just be warned that such a construction may rupture, especially after the rubber ages and you end up with 3 kg of lead pellets in the pool. To prevent absolute disaster, I have wrapped mine with several layers of duct tape.

For my next construction, I'm thinking of mixing the lead with some kind of adhesive, so even if it does rupture, it does not spread all over the pool...This would prevent the "black water leaks" as well (which is not such a problem with coated pellets)

very interesting...

but how are you clad ?

with a single swimming suit or wit a wetsuit ? how thick ?

 

[jome]

I used the 6 kg (6.4kg actually) neck weight last season, when I didn't have a wet suit in the pool.

Now I wear a 1.5mm elios suit and had to add 2 kilos on a belt to find a good balance, a total of 8.4 kg, when packing full.

But as I don't usually pack full anymore, some 3-4 kg is enough...

 

[subaquaticus]

I used the 6 kg (6.4kg actually) neck weight last season, when I didn't have a wet suit in the pool.

INCREDIBLE !!! ??? it means that you only have a swimming suit ??

Aren't you confounding with 6 pounds ???

 

[jome]

Heh, believe me, I'm talking about kilos None of that imperial stuff for me thank you.

I don't think that's such a big one, most heavy packers I know use at least 4-5 kilos...

 

[Ricochet]

Damn it, I use 5 kilos with 5mm suit...

:hmm Where the hell is that compressor... I really need some serious lung stretching! Or does packing rule out any technical aid?!

 

[Roland]

The picture BennyB posted is not Tom's back weight. I have seen it in action many times and like everything it has its pro's and cons but it's a great invention. Personally I use a neckweight. They are not for sale as far as I know so I make my own.

My neckweight is made of:
- A inner tube of a (mountain) bike
- A buckle like those used on the hip belt of a backpack
- Nickled softlead
- Ducktape or sportstape

Everyone has is own way of making a neckweight but mine is:
I cut the valve off the tube and "weave" one end of the rubber tube through one part of the "buckle". I tape off the end that sticks out about 5-10 centimetres. Then I fold the end against the tube so it is tightly connected to the buckle. Then I fill the needed amount of softlead in the other end of the tube. Next I roughly cut the rubber tube to its size and "weave" the open end through the end of the other half of the buckle. I then fit it to my neck. Next I cut off excess tube, leaving a piece of 5-10 centimetres to stick out. I tape the end, fold it against the filled tube and tape it against it. Then I cut off 2 pieces of tube and slide them over the buckle onto the tape so the tape is no longer visible. This last part is to avoid things like a hair getting stuck in a piece of tape or something accidentally pulling at the end of the tape.

You can find the buckle at a sowing shop where they sell zippers, buttons, etc. For lead use nickled lead to avoid "black water" running out of your neckweight, which is actually poisonous :yack . You can buy packets of softlead at a dive shop and cut them open. Adjust the size of the rubber tube you use to the weight you are making.

If you swim with and without wetsuit you might concider making 2 weights. One to use without suit and one to add (so you wear 2) to compensate for the extra buoyancy of the wetsuit.

It is always difficult to describe how you make something but I hope the description helps.

 

[Ocean Girl]

CAUTION ! your ankle weights for gym are not suited to water use !

if you use them in water, they will probably will tear down and tou will lose your lead in the water occasioning a terrible pollution... Lead is toxic...

thanks for the advice guapeton

 

[subaquaticus]

guapeton

que significa ? you should add this word to the Glossary...

Freediving Glossary

 

[subaquaticus]

I am trying to improve my DNF but the pool in which I train is a 50m one, I cant possibly swim the whole thing while relaxing due to the fact that I always end up floating in the surface...

Where can one purchase a neckweight or how do you make one?

Just go there : Décathlon Paris Wagram and ask Anne-Romane :girlie or Nicolas at the scuba diving department ;

there you can buy 3 or 4 pairs of ankle weights (0.500 kg per ankle weight) ;

the cost is 9 € per ankle weight but I was able to obtain, thanks to my innate bargaining skills, 10% discount, which makes 8.10 € per ankle weight...

A 3 kg neckweight would cost you 6 x 9 € - 10% = 49.60 € !!!

Of course it is more expensive than the do-it-yourself solutions with the bike tyre... but :

1. it is SAFER (much less risk of losing your lead in the pool, lead is very TOXIC !! :waterwork

2. it is more comfortable.... and you can use it in constant weight ! You can't use a bike tyre in constant weight...

 

[jome]

Just go there : and you can use it in constant weight ! You can't use a bike tyre in constant weight...

How so? been using one all summer with great success...And so have most of my countrymen.

 

[subaquaticus]

How so? been using one all summer with great success...And so have most of my countrymen.

Congratulations ! Then the Finns are more intelligent than the Swedes...

Neckweight for CWT

Hi,

I am trying to make a neckweight suiting Constant weight.

There are 2 main problems to overcome that is not present in dynamic apnea:

1. When relaxing lying on the back I dont want the weight to hang on the neck avoiding the strangeling effect, I want to use 2,25kg.

2. When in vertical position on the descent, I dont want the weight to move down to the chin, I want it to be at the base of the neck...

Not easy.

I have a solution with a rubber strap around the breast that puts the weight in position but there may be other solutions.

Martin Stepanek seemed to have a solution, check his 80m CNF-video, maybe this is the best???

Have you thought about this problems? Do you have a good solution to share?

Why don't you try following system : a pair of ankle weights (2 X 0.500 KG) tied together ; put this around your neck... it is quite comfortable... lying on your back there is no strangling effect since the contact of the ankle weights with your neck is soft....

with head down it is at the same time sufficiently tight and sufficiently soft to be comfortable... it moves a little bit along your neck but it is no problem...

you can add a second pair of ankle weights around your neck and then you have 2 KG ....

I was granted 50 points DB reputation for my suggestion ...

I made the same suggestion to Jean-Michel Pradon (see picture) one month later on the occasion of [ame=http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=61482]Calanques' cup[/ame] and he semt glad with it...

 

[jome]

Well, all I can say is it's just a normal neck weight made form inner tubing and I haven't had any problems with it so far...About 4kg and deepest dive to 48 m.

 

[octopus]

Well...I could anticipate some difficulties when doing CW with bike tyre...inflated. :hmm

 

[subaquaticus]

Well, all I can say is it's just a normal neck weight made form inner tubing and I haven't had any problems with it so far...About 4kg and deepest dive to 48 m.

but how can you adjust the size of your tyre so as to avoid to move your neckweight when head down...

 

[BennyB]

The picture BennyB posted is not Tom's back weight. I have seen it in action many times and like everything it has its pro's and cons but it's a great invention.

In theory it looks great as it's compensating where the most buoyancy is, but you're right it has it's pros and cons. I experimented with 3 pounds on my neck and 3 on my waist as I was too buoyant around my waist, however it didn't work as well as expected. In the end, about 6-7 pounds on my neck and none on my waist kept me neutrally buoyant and in a horizontal position. Go figure. Of course you have your good days and bad, and some days I am very much more buoyant than others. Need to stay away from "buoyancy" foods.... no baked beans before training :ban