Mares Spring Straps

[O-ring]

I finally broke down and took the plunge and decided to make some DIY Mares DIR-style spring straps. I basically followed the instructions listed here and although it was a few hours toil it was worth it. By the time I was working on the last hinge/attachment point, I was cruising through them pretty fast (the technique takes a couple tries to get it down right).

chris_b posted about making some similar straps recently and I concur with his statement that it takes some mild swearing and cursing to get the job done. If you don't sound like a sailor, you are not making the straps right...

Parts:

- McMasterCarr springs from the aforementioned web site - trust me, you can't find them (at least I couldn't). I tried 4 hardware stores...no way...had to order them. Do not let the rube at Home Depot sell you the springs for a screen door closure...they are way too big. No matter what he tells you, do NOT buy them...

- Wire...I got this at the local hardware store

- Vinyl tubing...also from local hardware store

- Cave line...already had it in my dive bag...you can't see it in the photo, but I ran it inside the springs with about 1"- 2" or so extra to prevent overstretching.

- Michelob Light (2) ...from the local grocery store (used to soothe the brain during the periods of mild swearing)

At any rate, the springs were about $15, the other parts about $5.

 

[O-ring]

#2

 

[WreckWriter]

Nice job.

Tom

 

[chris_b]

Looks great, you did a better job than I on the loops around the posts, perhaps you have a larger vocabulary of four letter words?

 

[O-ring]

My vocab isn't larger, I just didn't take pictures as I was performing the steps! My loops are not that clean...nowhere as clean as the ones on this site. This person must have been a welder or at least had a degree in metallurgy in a past life...I hid my loops with the tubing before I took the shots. However, I will say that my last loop looks much better than my first one. BUT...having exhausted my four letter word inventory and my Michelob supply, do you really think I was up to remaking that one?

I think they will work...if not, I buy jetfins and spring straps from fifthd...I'll let you know...Tombiowami and I are getting them wet on Wednesday..

 

[O-ring]

I re-did the black dishwasher hose covers for the attachment points as they were not snug enough and kept slipping off toward the clear tubing on the heel covers (I did about 5 dives on them). Not really a problem with strength, but more one of exposing the SS wire hinges and potentially creating an entanglement hazard, albeit a small one.

I bought some of that heat shrink tubing used to cover electrical wires when you splice two of them together. It shrunk to fit very tightly around the hinges and ends of the springs....will let you know if it holds up.

 

[divrnr]

I followed those directions from the last post and did 3 sets of fins. I only gouged my hand twice!! Needless to say I was throwing out F bombs and MF bombs but the Corona and Lime worked well afterwards...=-)

 

[O-ring]

What did you use to cover the hinges? Does it seem secure? I had problems with these and was wondering what you did...do you have any pics?

 

[O-ring]

Did 2 dives to 90' today with the new heat shrink tubing and didn't have any problems with it. Held up great and didn't show any signs of cracking, moving, breaking, etc. Here's how the final product turned out...

 

[O-ring]

...and bottom