Posts by Dan

Yeah you're right Eddie, there's no need to make sure they're clear about how you want the suit to fit. Just plug in the numbers send the money and rest easy knowing it's going to be perfect.

Steven has a thin long build, impossible to fit with a standard suit. The Rob Allen suit was so loose on him I knew it offered hardly any thermal protection. Diving with the RA suit in the winter, hardcore is how I'd describe Steven. So I was glad for him when he ordered a custom suit, knowing how much it should improve his comfort in cold water. I saw Steven's Oceanos suit when he first got it. I can't comment on how it's holding up because I haven't seen it since, but I can comment on the fit. Someone messed up, IDK if it was Steven with the measurements or Oceanos with the construction. The suit fits in the sense that it has his shape and the length was right, the sleeves and pant legs covered where it needed to cover, but the suit was still too loose and IMO couldn't have stopped water circulating inside. Make sure when you order this next one to talk to Elios at length and get a well fitting suit.

Not any more

Que quieres decir, suegra? Como se aplica en esta situacion?

Nice hog, don't sell

Is there anyone that stills prefers to dive with a simple time piece rather than a freediving computer? Which watch do you use?

Personally I don't feel the need for a computer. A dive watch can be worn everyday, although I've seen people wearing the Aeris F10 as their daily watch, it not so big so it doesn't look bad actually. I guess I'm just old school and prefer the simple watch. Now I just have a beater St. Moritz / momentum watch for diving. The rotating bezel broke off, I don't know how, but it still works.

I was already thinking how to calibrate my scale. Tomorrow I'll drop by Sports authority and see if they have 45lb plates. I hope my scale is wrong but I doubt it.

You are correct, subtract from my measurements 1" from each side and 2.25" from each end.

BTW where did you find buoyancy specs on the RA float? I couldn't find it anywhere, not even on Rob Allen's website.

The scale goes to 50lb. If anyone knows of a digital submersible scale I'll buy it and do the tests again. My guess is that the Aimrite float lift capacity is overstated. But this has to be proven. These floats do not have a separate bladder. I'll say this, it was damn hard to pull the speadiver float below the surface. Maybe my scale is wrong. Do you think a 100lb scale will be more accurate?

Yes Speardiver Zodiac Spearfishing Float

Mike, The float material is a 3 layer construction; Thermoplastic polyurethane / Nylon / Thermoplastic polyurethane. This material is used in the manufacture of inflatable rafts. Thermoplastic polyurethane is referred to in the industry as TPU. The glue used in the construction is TPU specific. My experience with it has been that the bond is very strong. I decided that I will be using one float without a flag and so will not need the ballast and flag pockets. I took the opportunity to see how strong the bond is and simply ripped off the pockets. The bond was very strong and it was hard to separate the materials. As often as not rather than the bond coming apart the material broke but the layers did not fully delaminate and a run was not created in the material, I was using a lot of force. I used a dremel tool with a grinding wheel to even out the broken surface areas of the float which in some places went as deep as the nylon layer. It's clear that even these damaged areas do not compromise the float's ability to hold air. I will post a pic of this later.

Xan, all the measurements are in the previous posts.

I tested the 11 Liter Rob Allen hard float today. It has 19lb of lift in freshwater with a 1.5LB lead ballast. So we can round it off to 21lb in saltwater without ballast. The RA float was significantly easier to submerge than the Speardiver inflatable float. It's pretty much what I expected. The RA float will maintain buoyancy when submerged better than the inflatable float. But I'm not sure if at this low buoyancy it's a bigger advantage than 44lb of buoyancy at the surface preventing the fish from sounding in the first place.

Video using a mask mounted Gopro.
Rob Allen 11L Float Buoyancy Test.mp4 - YouTube

In any case the RA float has been my go to float for a few years for boat diving. I haven't shot very big deep sounding fish. But in combination with the float line I've been able to handle everything I've encountered diving South Florida reefs. I like the RA float because I don't need to worry about it getting punctured being tossed around on the boat, and obviously I don't need to inflate it. But discovering the difference in buoyancy is making me have second thoughts. I definitely wouldn't use the smaller RA 9L float.

A Rob Allen hard float that was reportedly crushed at 60 meters.

12.5 oz (356 grams).

120cm $140
130cm $152
140cm $162

If someone else has a better price for this quality tube let me know and I'll try to match it.

Therein lies the problem G.R. While the Speardiver Zodiac float bridges the gap between the two Aimrite sizes, it's buoyancy is 4lb less than the stated buoyancy of the smaller Aimrite float. I find this hard to believe, the Speardiver Zodiac float is bigger, the construction is the same, so its buoyancy should be greater. I really need to test the small Aimrite float.

Thanks Phil. Then my DIY buoyancy test is more or less accurate. Has anyone tested floats this way and can confirm the manufacturer's stated buoyancy? I will test floats and post the results. The first one being the new Speardiver Zodiac Spearfishing float which measured 45lb of lift at the surface (saltwater), after converting from freshwater and accounting for a 1.25lb lead ballast.

The Speardiver float is similar to the Aimrite. It measures 45" long by 12.5" wide. For comparison the two Aimrite sizes are:
Reef float 39" long by 12" wide - stated buoyancy 48lb.
Bluewater float 48" long by 14.25" wide - stated buoyancy 90lb.

As you can see the size of the Speardiver float is approximately in between the two Aimrite sizes, and has 45lb of lift, so I'm very curious to see if the reef float which smaller really has 48lb of lift. I really doubt it does.

<img src= " class="smiley" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x" height="23" width="23" loading="eager" data-tooltip="biggrin" aria-label="biggrin">

Yes, keeping the float stable was the hardest part.

Araceli is a nice name. Latinas have the nicest names.

Hank, I know the perfect wetsuit to go with it <img src= " height="23" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x">

Thanks. Makes a 1-2lb difference with the available floats.

What about my test, is it valid?

First it's not about ego, it's about the caliber of the community. Second you have to draw the line somewhere, even in business right? Otherwise you end up eating shit for money. My fuse may be shorter than others, but my gear is no nonsense good. I'll settle for being comfortable with myself over another few $$ in the bank.

I know saltwater has higher density, I just figured at this low volume there wouldn't be a significant difference in buoyancy. How would I plug 80lb of lift in freshwater into that equation?