Drop weights

[PerroneFord]

Not sure if the WKPP guys are back from Europe yet, so I'll ask this here for now.

Do any of you have the skinny on making drop weights? I know the one's I saw were basically hard lead weights with a snapbolt attached somehow and shrinkwrap tape. But has anyone made one of these or have a picture?

Thanks.

 

[rjack321]

Honest question... How on earth is this DIR?? Do people use them for deco or something to blow up their drysuits a bit?

All the ones I have seen are commercially made with a brass boat snap embedded in a 2# weight.

 

[PerroneFord]

It's DIR because after doing longer dives and sitting on deco (especially in the overhead) there isn't a lot of room to move around and stay warm, so yes, you blow more air into the suit.

Also helpful when you are dropping your stage bottles off at the end of the dive and getting lighter and lighter.

Not that it has bearing on MY use, but the WKPP guys change out their gear when they get to deco to something less bulky, and these also help them stay down. They mark them with depths so the support guys know which depot to drop them at. Great idea, and seems to work well.

I've got a longer dive coming up and the last time I did deco at this spot I got a bit chilly. I'd like to have a way to add more gas to the suit for my deco.

 

[rjack321]

You could drill and tap a hole. Put an eyebolt in with some epoxy, then tie a bolt snap on with cave line. Cheaper than store bought and better than a metal to metal connection. The ready made ones are all 2#s, you could make some heavier ones this way.

 

[PerroneFord]

Maybe I should have been more clear. The weights I have seen in use are common weightbelt weights. 2#, 4#, and 6#, in various combinations. I believe they are wrapping cave line around the area where the belt would normally go, and running all that through the snapbolts, then tidying it all up with heat shrink tape. I just wanted to verify this is what they were doing before making up a couple of these.

There is no metal to metal connection here that cannot be cut away.

 

[contender]

Perrone
I use different weights up to 5lbs., to attach the bolt snaps I used heavy duty black tie wraps. If you use tie wraps get the big ones and use two of them to attach the snap, this will ensure that one stays attached in case... I also use these when I teach OW to keep underweighted students down.

 

[PerroneFord]

Well, since this is the DIR forum, I'd expect cave line to be used instead of tie-wraps, but I get your general idea. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[contender]

Tried cave line and did not like it as well, even though I am DIR I don't always follow it when I think something works better.

 

[PerroneFord]

What drawbacks did you experience with cave line? Just curious.

 

[contender]

Personally I did not have any, but because students used them I was replacing it fairly often (they can be rough with them). The tie wraps eliminated the need to replace the line. I normally use cave line for everything and I go to radio shack or some other place and get the small heat shrinks and wrap the line through them and heat them up. This creates a protective barrier on the line, if I have time tonight I will post some pics.