making a hang bar

[manni-yunk]

Anyone make a hang bar -


Right now we have a great down line set up with a granny from the Anchor line that goes to a 20 lb mushroom anchor that is hung from the stern on a 20 ft line. I want to add a bar in there so more of us can safety stop and deco at the same depth on the bar.

I saw one on a charter in NC that was Glavanized inisde 1.5 inch Schedule 40 pvc with stainless hooks on each end. The galvanized gave it weight and rigity and the PVC gave a smooth surface to hold and offered some protection for the boat.


Any other ideas?

I also know a guy that will sell me a real nice custom Stainless hang bar for $300. I dont want to send that on something that I can make for $30 - even if I replace it every year or two.

 

[tbone1004]

We use a PVC pipe that is capped and filled with sand. You can use lead shot too. Has a T bracket slid around the outside of the main pipe which has holes drilled in it for the line going up to the boat. Dirt cheap to make, adjustable for width and what not

 

[manni-yunk]

We use a PVC pipe that is capped and filled with sand. You can use lead shot too. Has a T bracket slid around the outside of the main pipe which has holes drilled in it for the line going up to the boat. Dirt cheap to make, adjustable for width and what not

Sounds good - can you describe what the T bracket is and how it is attached? I would think that the strongest way to attach a mounting point would be through bolting through the PVC but then you might lose the sand unless you seal the holes with silicone or 5200.

Also - do you then run a down line from the bar to the anchor line also?

 

[tbone1004]

nah, we use separate lines. If you want you can tie it into the anchor line pretty easily though. First guy up uses a john line with double enders and clips it off, or you do it on your way down.
3 " Slip Tee # 31430 by Genova Products
2" Combination Tee Wye # 72520 by Genova Products
either one of these will work, or something similar. It allows some slippage over the pvc unless you glue it in, which is fine as well. You can use a U-bolt too but we found it slipped too easily. You can bolt through it, and seal as you said as well, hadn't though about that.

We don't usually attach to the anchor line because we usually just clip into the anchor line with jon lines for safety and deco stops, easier that way, but we don't have more then 4-6 people at a time. With the hang bar though it's not too difficult to tie it in, but wouldn't recommend doing it with anything but a jon line. This allows the boat and divers to move freely without risking a diver getting caught between the two, and they can slide over via the jon line from the anchor line.

Depending on where you anchor, we've also just used one of th elines down to the hang line as an ascent line. Do that or have a diver run a reel down from the hang bar to wherever they're going. Allows the boat to anchor in sand instead of tieing in