Homemade soft weights

[Construction Nut]

I made my own soft weights from shotgun lead shot and geotech fabric. Soft lead weight in your LDS is $5 to $6 per pound. I made 25# of soft weights for $50. You can get lead shot from you local gun shop, bass pro, or Cabelas for about $2 per pound. You probably have the geotech fabric in your garage. Measure the size of your belt pockets and cut the fabric larger on the sides and bottom so you can sew it together. I doubled up the fabric so it would be extra strong. You need to sew the sides and bottom turn it inside out fill it with the lead shot and sew the top closed. You need to leave 3” of extra material at the top so you can sew the top closed with the shot inside.

 

[Herb-alaska]

I would wonder about leaching out of the lead after exposure to salt water. I believe dive soft lead is coated to prevent leaching. I am Not an expert but just wondering

 

[yardpro]

any coating on the lead would be rubbed off as the shot moves around.

lead is only dangerous if it enters the body...so don't eat it...

 

[Construction Nut]

I don't like the taste of lead so that will not be a problem for me. Lol

 

[tech3324]

I have homemade soft weights made from lead shot. After diving I rinse the weight belt in a shallow rectangular tray, and I do notice a gray substance coating the inside of the tray when I empty it. I would assume this is lead residue. Don't know if I'm adding any significant amount of lead to the environment this way or not.

 

[fjpatrum]

any coating on the lead would be rubbed off as the shot moves around.

lead is only dangerous if it enters the body...so don't eat it...

Also don't breath it, rub your eyes after handling it, put your face in the water you just soaked your weights in, etc etc.

 

[eelnoraa]

I also think software weight lead should be treated to prevent leaching. Not a doctor, but from a documatroy about lead that the amount needs to cause problem in human body is very small, like 10mg. And not that I have tried, but lead tastes sweet. That is one reason kids injest old paint chips contains lead.

 

[danvolker]

I have always wondered why new divers go to the soft weights, rather than to an elastic/rubber freedive style weight belt with the old fashioned lead weights on it....Very comfortable, the elastic/rubber belt fits perfectly and comfortably, and this kind of belt system can last 50 years, compared to the typical soft weight belts that barely last one season for a person that dives weekly.
Amazon.com: Beaver Sports - Spearfishing, Scuba, Freediving Rubber Weight Belt: Sports & Outdoors
http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Pearls-Uncoated-Style-Weights/dp/B0034ZIRO4/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_8

 

[kduffy]

50 lbs of shot from sporting goods store and a 10 pack of kids cotton socks worked on a spur of the moment need a couple years ago, still have most all of them scattered around in the families weight sets.

 

[Crass3000]

I always wondered what the difference between bad lead and the lead they use in weights. So it's the same thing? So our environmentalist brethren think it's OK to use and pollute the water with lead for diving but god forbid it gets in the water any other way? Seriously?