Posts by mrmike

  • How To: Dying Silicone

    the heat doesn't seem to have changed the silicone in any way, 200 degrees is very low for silicone. I don't know te science behind it but I know its used to make intake and exhaust components on cars so Im sure it sees temps upwards of 400 degrees regularly. I used heat only because the bottle says to use hot water(200 degrees because water boils at 212 F) The powdered stuff should work I just have no experience with it.

  • How To: Dying Silicone

    ok here is the skirt in the pyrex bowl(bottle of dye on left hand side)

    after adding boiling water and dye to bowl, I placed it in the oven @200 degrees

    and here it is today after I removed it and scrubbed it under cold running water


    just fyi I baked mine for 2 hours but I forgot all about it until about 6pm today so total soak time was about 18 hours although my dad said he checked it at about 4am before going to work and it was the same color. I put it in at 10pm the previous night so in 6 hours it was fully dyed. I think the next one I do will be my g/f's, she wants a pink mask.

  • How To: Dying Silicone

    OK first off I don't know how many people this will affect BUT it was something that plagues me and I finally found a solution. If you have a clear skirt on your mask (for whatever reason) it can be dyed and made any color you want. Here's how I did mine: 1) go to the store and find RIT brand clothing dye, preferably the liquid form. 2) you'll want to disassemble your mask(unless you want the entire thing colored). For me I just wanted the skirt dyed. 3) get a pyrex bowl or big pot (big enough to hold enough water to cover the mask). 4)boil water 5)remove from heat and add all parts to be dyed and entire bottle of dye(not sure this much is necessary but I can vouch that this much will work). 6) place bowl with dye and mask parts in oven at 200 degrees F and bake for 2-10 hours(the longer the darker). 7) remove from dye solution and scrub under cold water.


    BE CAREFUL disposing of dye solution!


    I will post before/after pictures later and a report after I get to use it.

  • DIY loading pad on a rashguard?

    alright I went ghetto fabulous on my loading pad because i needed it for a dive today. took foam and cut it to appropriate shape(I used a piece of puzzle piece looking garage foam flooring available at hardware stores) and used contact cement to attach it to the rashguard. it survived 3 hours in the water today. its not as flexible as desired but it works.

  • Broward Beach Conditions

    As promised: todays conditions were great even up until around 5 when Sdeisen and I met up in FTL for a beach dive. afternoon conditions had dropped from what they were all day but certainly still diveable. viz was probably 35' at best and on the way back in it was 10-15 at the first reef. slow current from the south, wind from the east mostly with a 1ish chop. We swam out as far as the second I think?? Over all good conditions and diving, I would definitely dive with him again and look forward to it. oh yeah and we got visited by the USCG b/c there was reports of a drowning.... Don't know the details but hopefully everyone is OK. ALRIGHT now the part your all waiting for: Sdeisen went 2:3 shooting, but got lucky b/c his 2nd and 3rd shots were both at the same fish. Total- 1 mangrove 1 hogzilla. I went 2:2 - 1 mangrove(feel bad it was small BUT still legal although I don't feel any better about it) and 1 mac.


    Went 22" to the fork


    And all of them together



    -Sdeisen please feel free to add the story behind the hog and add/edit this as you see fit.

  • DIY loading pad on a rashguard?

    LB I know you got out yesterday did you get to try out your newly modified rash guard? I cut a pad out of foam today and wrapped it in fabric I just need to attach it. Howd you go about doing it and how does it work?