ElectroPulse
Registered
Hello, all!
I've been looking online to see if I can find an inexpensive rubber weight belt for use in freediving. So far the cheapest I've found is $20 on Amazon with no reviews... The Cressi is $50, and has excellent reviews.
One of the things I'm concerned about with the additional cost of a rubber weight belt is hesitating dropping it if the need crops up. I've only dove with a weight belt once (when I went spearfishing for the first time this weekend, and the only reason I was wearing it was because it was attached to the pontoon that we were throwing fish into... And it was only like 10 feet deep there), and am a little nervous about the idea of finding myself in a situation where I am fighting to come up from depth.
So, in my search for an inexpensive rubber weight belt, I ran across a store that was selling weight belt webbing to make custom-length weight belts. This sparked an idea...
I Googled "2-inch rubber strips" and it brought me to the following page: Neoprene Rubber Strips and Stripping | Rubber Sheet Roll
I found that it would cost about the same as a weight belt to buy 50 feet of rubber to make my own weight belts... Just purchase a quick-release belt buckle for $5 or $10, and I'd have the world's cheapest rubber weight belt. Then I would have the peace of mind that I could drop it without hesitation... That, and I'd be able to make 'em real cheap for friends as well.
So, to my questions: Are rubber weight belts made from a specific kind of rubber? Or would pretty much any rubber work? I'm not sure whether sea water takes a toll on different kinds of rubbers differently. Also, what duro is recommended for weight belts? (I'd like it to be able to stretch, but not be too soft)
Another question I have is about the release mechanism. Which type is safest? I saw in a product description that Marseillaise is the safest release, but my watch and belt that I wear beg to differ... Maybe it is looser on the dive belts, but I'd be afraid of the peg sticking into another hole. Wouldn't the standard release (I think it's called like Inox or something? Anyway, it can be seen in this picture: Beuchat Nylon Weight Belt With Plastic Buckle) be safer?
Thanks!
ElectroPulse
I've been looking online to see if I can find an inexpensive rubber weight belt for use in freediving. So far the cheapest I've found is $20 on Amazon with no reviews... The Cressi is $50, and has excellent reviews.
One of the things I'm concerned about with the additional cost of a rubber weight belt is hesitating dropping it if the need crops up. I've only dove with a weight belt once (when I went spearfishing for the first time this weekend, and the only reason I was wearing it was because it was attached to the pontoon that we were throwing fish into... And it was only like 10 feet deep there), and am a little nervous about the idea of finding myself in a situation where I am fighting to come up from depth.
So, in my search for an inexpensive rubber weight belt, I ran across a store that was selling weight belt webbing to make custom-length weight belts. This sparked an idea...
I Googled "2-inch rubber strips" and it brought me to the following page: Neoprene Rubber Strips and Stripping | Rubber Sheet Roll
I found that it would cost about the same as a weight belt to buy 50 feet of rubber to make my own weight belts... Just purchase a quick-release belt buckle for $5 or $10, and I'd have the world's cheapest rubber weight belt. Then I would have the peace of mind that I could drop it without hesitation... That, and I'd be able to make 'em real cheap for friends as well.
So, to my questions: Are rubber weight belts made from a specific kind of rubber? Or would pretty much any rubber work? I'm not sure whether sea water takes a toll on different kinds of rubbers differently. Also, what duro is recommended for weight belts? (I'd like it to be able to stretch, but not be too soft)
Another question I have is about the release mechanism. Which type is safest? I saw in a product description that Marseillaise is the safest release, but my watch and belt that I wear beg to differ... Maybe it is looser on the dive belts, but I'd be afraid of the peg sticking into another hole. Wouldn't the standard release (I think it's called like Inox or something? Anyway, it can be seen in this picture: Beuchat Nylon Weight Belt With Plastic Buckle) be safer?
Thanks!
ElectroPulse
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