Lift Bags

[qrpc]

The canvas bag idea would probably work fine for shooting uplines or other light-duty applications, but I'd consider carefully checking out the stitching of a dollar store bag
before trying to lift a hunk of metal.

"I remember this one... it didn't work out too well for the coyote."

 

[divextreme6969]

hefty cinch sak garbage bags east to carry and can lift a good bit

 

[Damselfish]

sounds like they're not trying to lift the anchor - just the rope. Once the rope is at the surface they can then pull the anchors up.

 

[riverdiver]

Just buy some lift bags,what happens when you send up a canvas home made bag and it gives out at the seems and comes back down and hits you or someone else in the head. And why would you lift just the rope? Then you have to pull up the heavy anchor up! Let the lift bag do the work tie it to the anchor.
This is how we role off my boat, I am in the water I have up to 5 lift bags on me when I am anchor diving. I find a anchor tie on the lift bag blow it to the surface, boat bitch hears the bag brake the surface motors over pulls it in the boat. We cut the anchor lines off before we send them up or coil and tie the rope off, one less thing to entangle in.
Ed

 

[Couv]

Rigdiver, this is the "Making your own gear" section of the DIY forum.

1. Burlap sack with a trash bin liner inside.

2. Tire inner tube with a small section cut out of the outside perimeter. Then snake a chain or rope thru it.

Couv

 

[dave4868]

Although I really like the idea of waterproofing some cheap canvas bags, the OP would probably need half a dozen of them, since he's diving in Salvage Heaven, lucky guy!

If he wants to just lift the weight of the rope, a far less costly alternative would be to use heavy-duty plastic grocery bags with the built-in handles, the kind that don't tear easily. The US Post Office has some bags that are even stronger, if you can get them from a friendly carrier. Either would provide excellent re-usable lift bags on a shoestring budget! That's my kind of budget, I might add....

Folded flat or rolled up, a dozen of them could be easily stowed or clipped to a D-ring. Another plus!

Cheap, light lift rope could be similarly stowed out of the way until needed.

Deployment would be as simple as tieing one end of the "lift" rope through the plastic "lift" bag handles, then tieing the other end to the salvage anchor or it's rope. Then, the bag could be partially inflated (to allow for expansion). To prevent spilling at the surface, I'd probably close the bag with some kind of tie or knot, and make a vent hole above the closure. Once released to mark the spot, the bags and salvage items could later be retrieved from a boat on the surface, if that's what the OP planned to do.

Although it might be less productive overall, my preference would be to eliminate the need for the boat by using flotation on the surface to suspend salvage items at depth as they are collected on the dive.

A nice DIY float could be made from an inflated inner tube as some have mentioned.

Instead, I use a "tuna ball" mooring buoy on the surface to which my flag line and handle are attached, but that's not exactly a "make your own gear" solution.... My 1/4" Lexan line handle is homemade though....

On a single dive, I've brought back several light anchors hanging from my flag line handle, with their rope coiled nicely out of the way. Once, I even brought back a new mountain bike suspended in similar fashion. No problem at all except for the stares from other divers!

Having the items suspended at depth from a surface float is a little easier to manage than suspended from a lift bag at depth, especially if the lift bag doesn't have a manual release valve. Wrangling an ascending bag to tip out some air is not a lot fun!

All in all, the OP's idea to pick up the marked items later is probably pretty good, considering he'll be able to cover more ground than he would towing a bunch of suspended anchors!

Dave C

 

[riverdiver]

COUV, yes I know what thread I am in, may be I have tried the Post Office bags, sand bags with liners role up the bottom edge 2" with a lap and run a solder gun to melt holes then run a small line through the holes, feed sack run grommets every 8" and run a line through, and the contact cement sprayed on with talcum powder that gets hot in the sun and the bag stick together after be rolled up. These are all good. But I am talking from a little experience. Couv show us some pictures what you have brought up with burlap bag and your inner tube.

 

[dave4868]

COUV, yes I know what thread I am in, may be I have tried the Post Office bags....

Hey now, you're not knockin' my Post Office bags idea, are ya? :mooner:

Remember, the OP just wants to keep things simple and cheap and raise some ropes to the surface. Sounds like a cost-effective salvage strategy to me. I'm proud to say I've enjoyed many similar tinkering pursuits... and quite successfully, I might add.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Rube Goldberg methods. They're good old-fashioned fun!

Dave C

 

[Couv]

COUV, yes I know what thread I am in, may be I have tried the Post Office bags, sand bags with liners role up the bottom edge 2" with a lap and run a solder gun to melt holes then run a small line through the holes, feed sack run grommets every 8" and run a line through, and the contact cement sprayed on with talcum powder that gets hot in the sun and the bag stick together after be rolled up. These are all good. But I am talking from a little experience. Couv show us some pictures what you have brought up with burlap bag and your inner tube.

RiverDiver,

I did not mean to get your dander up. When I was a commercial diver (late '70ies) I salvaged boats, anchors, pipes, chains, all sorts of stuff. I used commercial lift bags most of the time, except often we used a modified 55 gal drum, inverted with a quarter turn ball valve welded into the bottom (now the top). I've also used dredging hoses, hog lines, air lifts etc. I've worked with some old hands who did sometimes use car/truck/motorcycle inner tubes with ropes or chains threaded through them. Also, saw and used a burlap sacks with a heavy duty bin liner to bring up a few anchors.

However, even though my first thoughts were to tell the OP that with the money he made off his salvage work would easily pay for a few lift bags, I respect the spirit of the "MAKING YOUR OWN GEAR" forum. I think, if you're going to make a statement such as "use commercial lift bags" in this forum, you should at least offer something like, "but if you insist on a DIY device, try this."

Incidentally, I thought you had just stumbled on to this question like many of us do, not knowing it was a DIY thread. I've done the same in the DIR forum and was quickly given the, "Please do not give non DIR answers to DIR questions" so I can appreciate your fervid response.

Regards,

Couv

 

[ScubaToneDog]

I know this thread is old, but I just had to respond.

All you are trying to do is retrieve the lines to pull up the anchors...so forget the lift bags. You need small floats with small messenger line.

Get yourself a few chunks of the high density, closed cell packing foam and a spool of contractors line. The foam is found on many heavy items, like TV's and appliances. You can dumpster dive or go curb picking for that. 500 feet of Contractor line is like $6-$8.

Simply the contractors line on the Foam and put a loop on the end. Put as much line as you need for where you are diving. Add 50% more than the depth for drift and current. For instance if the cove is 50 feet deep put 75 feet of line on there. Use the loop to attach your foam blocks to your bc or inside a goodie/work bag. Just pull out your marker, tie it to the end of the anchor line and let it go. Contractors line generally has a 100 to 150lb load limit so it is more than capable as a messenger line.

Ive used these to retrieve weight belts and similar heavy objects while metal detecting. Very effective, easy to make, inexpensive and if it gets lost, fouled or funky, they are disposable and easily replaced.