Buoyancy arms

Hi all, im doing a little DIY project to make my ULCS arms more buoyant. Before I start, it seems that if I would make my arms neutral, my whole Subal ND2 should become more or less neutral. Subal says the ND2 is neutral (im assuming they mean WITH the camera). Am I right in this assumption? Im using Core Cell material, which looks like it's going to work well. By just taping together a bit (just to see how much material I need) i was easily able to make the arms neutral. Now to make it look a bit nicer

Currently, in practice, I find my ND2 housing with arms and clamps and 2 strobes just a little too negative.

Cor

Hi all, im doing a little DIY project to make my ULCS arms more buoyant. Before I start, it seems that if I would make my arms neutral, my whole Subal ND2 should become more or less neutral. Subal says the ND2 is neutral (im assuming they mean WITH the camera). Am I right in this assumption? Im using Core Cell material, which looks like it's going to work well. By just taping together a bit (just to see how much material I need) i was easily able to make the arms neutral. Now to make it look a bit nicer

 

Currently, in practice, I find my ND2 housing with arms and clamps and 2 strobes just a little too negative.

 

Cor

bouyancy compensation kit

Check this link.

Hey Cor,

What do you think about my solution? Today i contacted Hugyfot whether they had a solution for buoyancy compensators and in fact they didn't... As an temporary solution they suggested me to use the black neoprene-like isolation material that is used for isolating airconditioning pipes. It is called Armaflex (if i'm correct) Well, anyway i don't know anyone who installs aircos but i had some old practice ninchaku's at home from my 'ninja-period'.... ... with a golden Bruce Lee print..... Which is in fact te same material and luckily it fits my strobe arms perfectly. Maybe i can hide the awesome Bruce Lee print under some heat shrink tube which will also comprees the neoprene somewhat. I don't know how it'll fit on ULCS arms but i'm sure you can fit something similar around them as well.

I do realise that they'll loose some of their buoyancy at depth, but they certainly will provide me some lift at any depth. Like this my arms float in the sink at home. So, in saltwater they'll float even better! This weekend i'll dive with them and if they work great i'll let know, if not i'll remain silent for some time....

cheers, Udo

Hi Cor,

If you're set on using foam, make sure whichever type you use is closed-cell, not open-cell foam. Open-cell foam would soak up water, much like a sponge...

To secure the foam to the arms, you can simply use some cable ties, a diver's best tool!

Well, anyway i don't know anyone who installs aircos but i had some old practice ninchaku's at home from my 'ninja-period'.... ... with a golden Bruce Lee print..... Which is in fact te same material and luckily it fits my strobe arms perfectly. Maybe i can hide the awesome Bruce Lee print under some heat shrink tube which will also comprees the neoprene somewhat. I don't know how it'll fit on ULCS arms but i'm sure you can fit something similar around them as well.

Ive got some practice nunchuks also. Except mine have a sold core and an obviously compressable outside foam. My ninja period is a little more recent I suppose

Anyways, the material I have is perfect. It's a non-compressable (upto 1200 meters) closed cell, very lightweight, extremely hard, foam. Unfortunately expensive. Im leaving for the Solomon Islands in 2 days and have decided to postpone the work until after im back. Looking at the figures from ULCS I think I'll be ok if I generate about 5 oz of lift. It's going to be difficult since I prefer using short arms. To me this isnt necessary about making it absolutely neutral, but to make it less negative. After a month on a liveaboard my arms feel sore

Udo, I saw your article in the other magazine I'll have another article in the october issue of Duiken.

Cor

Udo, I saw your article in the other magazine smile.gif I'll have another article in the october issue of Duiken.

What's your next article going to be about? I'm working on the next and probably last one for 'duiken'...

Udo

What's your next article going to be about? I'm working on the next and probably last one for 'duiken'...

 

Udo

About anemonefish. Lifecycle and everything.

Cor

A D2X and you're not investing in Ultralight bouyancy arms? Shame on you! You make the rest of us look like style-conscious dilettantes, not hard-nosed explorers....

Tim

B)

A D2X and you're not investing in Ultralight bouyancy arms? Shame on you! You make the rest of us look like style-conscious dilettantes, not hard-nosed explorers....

 

Tim

 

B)

With all the respect I have for Ultralight, they don't have the impressive Bruce Lee print...

This print is a real upgrade to the setup, especially when we remember the real reason of it: chicks magnet.

ULCS doesnt have buoyancy arms for the smallest arms. And if you put the different parts on a scale, whats actually quite heavy are the clamps. Ive seen Cathy Church with buoyancy arms. I believe with 4 of the longest arms the housing was neutral.

Someone I know from a trip has some homemade arms, i might look into those also. They are made from a much lighter material and include buoyance compensators.

Cor

With all the respect I have for Ultralight, they don't have the impressive Bruce Lee print... tongue.gif

This print is a real upgrade to the setup, especially when we remember the real reason of it: chicks magnet.

That's what i meant to say.... ...

i think i'm going to get myself a new pair of ninchakus for the upper part of my strobearms, probably with an even cooler print this time...

udo

Cor,

I have found using two of the 8" bouyancy arms and Sea & Sea YS350's to be perfect - absolutey free from wrist ache on the Subal.

" Commercial plug " have plenty of bouyancy arms available should you have a mid flight crisis !!

I recall the bouyancy kit from Adval as being very modular. I would be surprised if you were unable to get the bouyancy you need from the combination of ULCS arms and the Adval kit.

Drop in in you have a layover...

P

That's what i meant to say.... ...

 

probably with an even cooler print this time...

 

udo

Is there an even cooler print?

P.D: I didn´t know you were publishing! Is there a way to see the articles?.

Did you finally get the focus ring for the 105VR?

Is there an even cooler print? ninja.gif tongue.gif biggrin.gif

i don't think so, but i don't have the print anymore now, since we had a visit in our laboratory of the airco man yesterday who provided me two meters of Armaflex isolation tubing. Last night i've been busy with applying them to my strobearms and fixing them with some heat shrink tube around it. It looks quit nice now, but this weekend i will check whether the Armaflex is not going to act like a sponge after compression at depth... I'll keep you informed.

P.D: I didn´t know you were publishing! smile.gif Is there a way to see the articles?.

not yet, i've got someone working an my new webpage and i want these articles to be available as a PDF, but they're written in Dutch,... Probably i can write an article about diving in Las Palmas one day... ...

Did you finally get the focus ring for the 105VR?

No, the 105 VR is too fat because of the slightly thicker part where the VR-, AF-/M-, limit- button are placed. It fits in the standard flatport with a 20 mm extension ring, but i ordered a 25 mm ring so i'm able to use the Nikon 6T close-up lens which reduces the minimum focus distance to 26.4 cm and increases the reproduction ratio to 1.5:1

cheers, udo

not yet, i've got someone working an my new webpage and i want these articles to be available as a PDF, but they're written in Dutch,... Probably i can write an article about diving in Las Palmas one day... ...

I already told you you should come over! this is probably the best time of the year...

No, the 105 VR is too fat because of the slightly thicker part where the VR-, AF-/M-, limit- button are placed. It fits in the standard flatport with a 20 mm extension ring, but i ordered a 25 mm ring so i'm able to use the Nikon 6T close-up lens which reduces the minimum focus distance to 26.4 cm and increases the reproduction ratio to 1.5:1

 

cheers, udo

I use it with a 35mm ext ring and 4T lens with a reduction ring (I haven´t been able to find a 5T or a 6T)....I

think it focuses better with lens...

See you soon!!!

Hi all, im doing a little DIY project to make my ULCS arms more buoyant. Before I start, it seems that if I would make my arms neutral, my whole Subal ND2 should become more or less neutral. Subal says the ND2 is neutral (im assuming they mean WITH the camera). Am I right in this assumption? Im using Core Cell material, which looks like it's going to work well. By just taping together a bit (just to see how much material I need) i was easily able to make the arms neutral. Now to make it look a bit nicer

 

Currently, in practice, I find my ND2 housing with arms and clamps and 2 strobes just a little too negative.

Cor,

I tried a bunch of different techniques, including foam, cork, and others. In the end, here's what worked best for me:

http://www.mvpix.com/photographers/archive...acro-setup.html

LateR!

js.

Cor,

Hope you are having fun (Solomon's) , but just in case you have found time to check wetpixel, here's a ? for you and my current experience with core cell, ULCS buoyancy arms, etc.

I'm having a tough time getting my new subal ND20/D200, system more neutral. I'm also using the core cell material on ULCS in combo with ULCS buoyancy arms but I haven't found the right combo yet to make it light enough. Ryan Canon has done some calculating and is sending me different arms with more core cell foam that I hope will work. I'll let you know which combo I come up with. Right now he estimated by weighing all my items u/w that my D200/Subal system is 3 lbs negative underwater (without core cell). It seems more but even that is unwieldy for me (I recently suffered a right hand strain injury that put my right hand out of commission for a few months, so I'm very cognizant about unnecessary strain with the rigs now, especially on long bottom times, injury is no fun).

What strobes do you use with the D2X/Subal, etc?

I use the Inon D2000Ws and I think that is a large part of my problem as they seem to be more negative u/w than the Inon materials state. They are hard to position for me because of their heavy u/w weight, etc. I'd love to get rid of them but I don't know what else to get that would help me, I've been looking into various other strobes, even bigger strobes that are positive u/w, but I'm not sure they are good for macro. I'm going to be asking a lot of ?s at DEMA in a few days.

Also, Berkley White told me he has a "machinist" who could carve me a buoyancy ring for the 105 port. I know James Wiseman made a ring, but I can't do all that...... ; especially recovering from injury. So I'll probably take him up on that, hopefully using the same core cell material.

Yup, take it from me, sore arms or hands from a heavy rig on numerous long dives might just be an annoyance, but if it turns into injury then it is really a drag. Here, prevention for you is much better than the cure that I have to go through now.

I'm telling retailers now and manufactures that I WISH they would make the housings/strobes, etc lighter underwater, but the answers I'm getting is that "small sells", etc. Also lots of the customers are strong guys who don't care so much about the in-water weight................

OK, just curious about what strobes you are using as part of your system that you are trying to lighten and their weight.

Thanks so much Cor (I love your photos!!)

Best, Carol

Hi Carol, we're back from the Solomon Islands. If you're interested, I just put a trip report online. A photo gallery will follow later.

In the Solomon Islands I experimented with some arms that a guy I know makes himself. They are machined to fit foam floats, and they work magnificently. I had my D2X fully neutral even with short macro arms. Im replacing all my ultralight arms with these custom made arms.

Here is a photo of Julie and my rigs with these arms. That weird rainpipe construction is not our housing but someone elses

After 3 weeks of diving with these arms I switched back to my regular ULCS arms, and immediately had my RSI problem flare up. I switched back to the custum arms straight away. I can highly recommend these arms, and if you privmsg me I will put you into contact with the guy that makes them.

I use Sea & Sea YS90DX strobes.

Cor