Spring Straps

[wetman]

They have been relegated to backup duty. Hopefully NEVER to have to use them but just in case i drop a turtle into the drink, i'll have the ability to go down and get my precious shelled beasts...

steve

 

[Birdman]

I am using 60# test tackle cable as a restrictor for my DIY spring straps. Working well so far. Heavier test causes the spring to kink.

 

[pcscuba]

I tried out my spring straps this weekend, total failure! I used the springs from Mcmaster-carr which worked fine but my method of attaching them didn't work at all. I got the idea from www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/newspring/schultzspring.htm
He used stainless split rings. It wasn't near strong enough. I am going to use small stainless shackles and see how that works.

 

[wetman]

Theres really no nead for either. If you take a look at my picture above, all you have to do is basicallly clip the ring end of the spwing around the shaft of the supplied attachment on turtles or the shackle on the mares fins. You'll notice on my turtles though its not quite as neat as i had to clip off about an inch of spring to make them tight enough and thus made my own loop in the spring.

If you're having a harder time of doing that a pair of needle nose pliers would likely help by letting you pull it out a bit. I dont see any advantage in adding the split rings at all.

steve

 

[kramynot2000]

to attach my springs to my jets as a test to see if I liked the spring strap setup and I didn't have any problem. However, I later got to thinking that the rings weren't needed at all if I bent a new loop in the springs like Steve did. On my other set of jets I'll probably just do that and ignore the split rings.

I wondered about the line inside the spring as well since the springs seem to be really tough but figured it wouldn't hurt to put them in anyway.

 

[pcscuba]

I did bend new loops in my springs but to attach them to my jets, I would have to thread the spring through the existing hardware. I just don't know if that would be the best way to do that. I bought some stainless 5/32" shackles and attached them that way. It worked great but to each is own.

 

[Waterborne]

Here's a pic of my jets after my buddy used them last weekend. I told him there was no way they would fit his vulcanized rubber drysuit boots. He told me he was diving wet anyway. Then he brought them back and told me they didn't fit his drysuit boots. That is the standard McMastercarr spring and the cave line inside somehow broke. Anyway, I now have to replace the spring as it's too big to fit over my boots, not to mention it's deformed.

 

[el-ninio]

SCORE ResQ once bubbled...
Anyway, I now have to replace the spring as it's too big to fit over my boots, not to mention it's deformed.

untill you get the new spring, you could shorten the existing spring, and bend a new loop at the end. if the spring is not too deformed (and it's hard to see from your picture), it should work just as well.

 

[ifukuda]

I've recent purchased a pre-made spring strap kit for my jet fins. The C-shaped wire attachments really suck. I've bent the wires completely out of shape before I was able to get the straps to fit right.

There's got to be a way to attach these straps which does not involve bending a piece of hard wire with a pair of pliers. I searched around for squared u-bolts, but I couldn't find any that were thin enough to fit the machined aluminum end pieces (1/8" I believe). I'm trying to find a dive shop to order me 6 buckle JetFin assemblies, but I cannot find a ScubaPro dealer willing to go through the trouble for such a small order...

If any of you have come up with better (cleaner, less painful) ways of attaching this straps, please share.

 

[wetman]

Can you post a pic of what you currently have? Might help us see the issue.

steve