Anchors...

[NadMat]

... so I was in West Marine on 620 for work today and thought I'd look at anchors and their pricing so as to better decide which of the numerous anchors I run across diving are worth marking and pulling up.

They have a very large plow type anchor (used for anchoring large houseboats according to salesperson at West) that is well over a grand :11:

I need to find and recover a couple of those and pay for a Coz' or Keys trip.

Also, small SS folding anchors cost a few hundred bucks.

the little mushrooms that LM likes to paint are about $20

the danforth style are around 30-90 depending on size and materials.

Any plow anchor seems to be a couple hundred

Now I need to find the little marker balls with line and weight at a good price so I can just free them and mark them for retrieval after the dive from surface.

Heck, If'n I find a few plows I could even afford a can light

 

[Voodoo Reef]

Some one lost an anchor, so there have got to be people out there looking to replace it.
Must be some kind of a market for used anchors. Maybe you could spice up the deal with a free lesson on knot tying.

 

[chrispete]

Now I need to find the little marker balls with line and weight at a good price so I can just free them and mark them for retrieval after the dive from surface.

I've heard rumor that Academy has those critters for cheap in the fishing section.

 

[NadMat]

I've heard rumor that Academy has those critters for cheap in the fishing section.

I heard that too

I guess I will have to head by and see what they are like tomorrow sometime and see if I want to take one to lake for a test this weekend Hope to be diving Mansfield sunday morning.

 

[kiselt]

Hey Matt,

what time are you gonna try & be there?
Maybe I could meet you out there & become an official swamper...
I NEED to be a swamper...

 

[Lake Travis Scuba]

Matt - recycle empty water bottles with string attached as your markers. Tie the string around the bottle neck and feed a long length of string in the bottle, screw on the lid and you have a great marker. When you get in the water, fill em up with water to eliminate their buoyancy and add air when ready to float em. A good way to recycle and mark your finds.

 

[NadMat]

Hey Matt,

what time are you gonna try & be there?
Maybe I could meet you out there & become an official swamper...
I NEED to be a swamper...

I intend to be out there about 9 to dive with riana. we could catch a dive after if you wanted. I'll probably have to run and pick up a rental tank between dives.

Matt - recycle empty water bottles with string attached as your markers. Tie the string around the bottle neck and feed a long length of string in the bottle, screw on the lid and you have a great marker. When you get in the water, fill em up with water to eliminate their buoyancy and add air when ready to float em. A good way to recycle and mark your finds.

Thanks Robert, I'll give that a try as well. for the smaller anchors, the line would be strong enough to retrieve them from surface once freed from rock or stump prison. If
I find one big enough to need more I'll dive and recover with float bag.

 

[Guba]

Matt, here's a marker I use when salvaging anchors (and other items). It's one of those "bang sticks" one often sees used at athletic events, etc...
I simply attach a length of heavy nylon cord to it, roll it up, and put a couple in my bc pocket. A small puff of air (how much depends upon depth), attach the free end to the target, and let it go. It inflates more fully as it ascends and sits pretty much upright on the surface. Cheap, easy, and if you don't want to deflate it for re-use, it's disposable (not in the lake, of course).

 

[Jay_SMART_Diver]

Check with the local marina(s) at the lakes you dive and see if you can't set up a consignment deal with them for selling used anchors, you can still make almost new prices for them because if someone looses their anchor and is still on the lake, the marina is the only game around, kinda like the highway robbery prices they charge for everything else...

 

[Voodoo Reef]

Just picked up some line (100# test) and a couple different types of weighted bobbers (made of Styrofoam) from academy. I'm going to assemble them tonight and see how they work this weekend.
$ invested = $6 for 4 - 8 depending on which ones work best.

I'll post some pics and a report once I get to play with them this weekend.