Towable Dive Sled

[diverrick]

I had a chance to speak to the inventor today..
he said it had a wingspan of 6'
Length 6'
Height 39
weight 89 Lbs
he said he is currently rethinking how to make it more collapsable, and lighter.
He is working on using different materials that might make it lighter product.
He said that as it is now, it will plane down to what ever depth, and stay there if there are no control inputs from the diver.
Any one interested in this product, either to buy, or invest in can contact him at:
davejankaufman@aol.com
He can give you more information as required.
It was used for a IMAX film project to film dolphins, as it goes fast enough to kinda keep up, something a scooter could never do. He is interested in doing something with this product either by either selling them, or getting some financing to market it or whatever pops up. He also makes cool clear plastic childrens cribs and other stuff out of plastics.
Again, it is patented, just to remind you per his instructions.

 

[SeaJay]

Over the weekend in Hollywood, FL, I saw a sled at Outdoor World - although admittedly a very simple version of what you see here. It consisted of a simple wooden plane with handles on it and a hook to tie to a line, which would be towed by a boat. I didn't check price, but certainly it would be under $20.

I thought it might be somewhat dangerous for a diver to use... With a flick of the wrist, you could send yourself up or down very fast - not to mention that you're really trusting the pilot of the boat to keep speed at trawling speed.

It seemed a great idea for snorklers, though. And I guess for scuba divers, too... But the potentially lethal mix of compressed breathing gas and quick controls could get you in trouble in a hurry - even if the line was only 30' long.

Done right, though, it sure could be a lot of fun.

The sled in the above picture looks like even more fun. You'd have to really watch yourself, though.

 

[SeaJay]

He is working on using different materials that might make it lighter product.
He said that as it is now, it will plane down to what ever depth, and stay there if there are no control inputs from the diver.

That's interesting.

Is there a way to set the depth and have it ascend/descend slowly from there?

I'd be really interested in working with this guy. I'll give him a shout...

 

[2Dive4fun]

Rick, Please let me know how to contact the designer of this sled. The mail address does not work for me.
Scott
DeckCo@aol.com

 

[SeaJay]

Me neither. Can someone help?

 

[diverrick]

davjankaufman@aol.com

I hope that one works Oh .. and BTW, if any of you buys one, I get a free ride!

 

[SeaJay]

Thanks a lot... I've sent an email.

 

[Bob3]

We used the plastic/plywood "dive plane" for scouting bug bottom, looking for holes, ledges, etc. Things would get tiring hanging on to the board for several hours at a pop so we'd make a little "T" seat from a piece of line & an 18" piece of 1-1/2" PVC, sit on the critter like a swing sort of, took the strain off the hands & arms.
I have one of the plastic slabs here yet (no handles), don't see them in the catalogs any more.
I'll fire up the camera tomorrow if I can find the batteries.

HEY!
I finally tripped over a pic of that little dive plane I was talking about.

http://eopen.gmcscuba.com/eOrder/assets/product_images/63050.jpg

 

[TraditionalFlee]

DId you find any drawings or photos of this dive sled idea ?

Robin

I want to build a dive sled that can be towed behind a boat. It could be simple or complex with spare tank and sheild. I want to know if anyone has experience with any towable type dive platform or sled?

Scott

 

[TraditionalFlee]

ANy photos of your dive sled idea, I need to build one !

Robin

I have probably 100 hours on a tow sled. We made dozens years ago (Underwater World 1968 - 1978) and used them a lot.

We found many wreckages (as opposed to wrecks) in Tobermory using tow sleds. Some of the guys built very interesting sleds that would almost carry the diver along on a seat and that broke down to fit into a car trunk but the most popular was a 2' by 4' piece of plywood. You put 2 handholds near the edge and 1/3 the way down the short side (when you hold it it is 4' wide across your body).
The tow rope MUST be very long (100'+) and the boat MUST go very slow. Make a rope 'Y' with a ring or loop at the y and tie the loose ends to a hole on each side of the tow very slightly behind the handholes. That way you can hold the tow level and turn it up or down to rise or descend. Turns are managed by tilting and using your fins. If the rope is tied to the front edge of the tow, you cannot lift or lower it.

Couple of more tips:
Wear a good suit. You are down longer than normal 'cause you don't use much air plus you always have cold water coming at you.
Get a computer or watch your gauges very carefully. Contary to popular old wives tale, you can exceed your NDL on one tank when you're not working hard.
You cannot let go or even turn your head to check your gear or gauges. Hold the console under one thumb so you can read it without turning your head.
If you see something or are about to hit something, simply let go. You stop almost instantly because of the water resistance and the boat operator will feel that you've let go too so he can come around for you. Even a big boat (Mamie, Lark, etc) can really feel the difference when you're no longer on the line.

That's enough for this post. There's lots more and lots of funny stuff. That's one thing for sure -- tows are a lot of fun and there's no better way to see a lot of bottom.