John Ploegert
Registered
I'm not a diver but own a rental in North Central Florida's Cave Country I'm equipping to accommodate cave divers. I made this simple 8 tank "egg carton" style rack for clients to stow their tanks, and put it on a garden cart to make it mobile for moving tanks from their vehicle to the house. The rack is made from 1/2 inch exterior grade plywood glued and screwed together using 1-1/2 inch bevel-cut spruce/pine framing at each inside corner (32 places) and along the bottom inside edges of the sides and ends. The exterior dimensions are 38-1/2 " long by 19-1/2" wide by 16" tall; each cell is 9" X 9", sized to fit what I think are the largest tanks typical cave divers might use. Note in the photos the 3 sets of intermediate dividers are removable; I don't know the dimensions of a typical set of doubles; can anyone tell me if they would fit in a 9" X 18 1/2" space? The crate alone weighs about 50 pounds and is very sturdy; I think it would work well for carrying tanks in the back of a pick-up or in a van if you have some way of securing it in place. The garden cart came from Lowes; it has 13" OD balloon tires and is rated for 1000 lb max load. I load tested it with 300 pounds and pulled it easily over fairly flat but uneven ground with grassy and rocky areas, and over two 4" high steps into our barn. I think the cart with the rack would work well for transporting gear from the parking area to the water at sites like Peacock or Little River Springs. Anyone want to meet me there and we'll try toting your gear for you? Lowes cart is currently listed at $109 - I have seen them on sale for as low as $88. The cost of the materials for the crate was about $50 (one sheet of low-grade plywood and two 8ft 2x4's, glue and screws).
John
John