DIY float using metal bottle flask

Hi, been searching on this forum and only see DIY float using core material/divinycell, which require cutting, glue and tie etc. and I never dealt with epoxy for sealing so I don't feel comfortable going that route.

With Nauticam just release their float arm, and I saw a photo at the bottom of this page (with two red bottle):

http://www.firedivegear.com/publications/english/introduction/

I'm wondering if any one has experience going this route, anything to look out for? How do you attach to your setup (zip tie vs velcro)? How well of a lift does it provide. These bottles are cheap yet very good looking (shinny and with color!) I do see many advantage like when putting the bottle in check in luggage, it's indestructible and very light weight.

kc_moses,

me and my camera man did several tests with this type of aluminium drinking bottles and we tested several

brands and sizes.

They work fine down to approx 30 Meters / 95 feet, then they will implode independent of the brand or size.

I filled 2 with polyurethane foam and let it harden to give them more pressure resistance but it did not changes anything,

30M/95ft was the magical border before they imploded.
If you dive lesser than that depth they are a cheap and light wight solution to closed cell foam or bulky float arms.

I usually use velcro if i frequently need to attach and unmount underwater gear, if you find you final set-up zip-ties work fine.

Chris

Thanks Chris! I rarely go below 95ft, so I might use this as a temporary solution, so if it crush I could just replace it easily. If this implode down at 95th, I can't imagine those with the PVC pipe solution.

So does this give a good lift? The Nauticam come with 2.5" and 3.5", I think these bottles are around that diameter.

I think I have an idea about wrap the bottle on top of the strobe, the challenging part would be how to secure it under the tray to lift the housing, hm........

a 1 liter/quart bottle give a very good lift, do some tests with 3/4 quart bottles,

one on each arm/strobe and one under the tray, add bigger bottles to gain buoyancy and if too buoyant

add some weights to render the rig neutral.

You should not put too much lift on the bottom, if you do so the camera will flip over and you need power to hold it in position.

Floats on the arms or strobes give you a stable position in the water and moving th arms for- and backwards you can adjust

the tendency of the housing to pitch differently with various ports.

Chris

Got it, that really help. The priority is the strobe first, I think I like my setup slightly negative. I'm also trying to keep the arm clear since I have to attach lens holder, so that could get tricky.

I used to use a DIY PVC tube system. It worked fine but they didn't give that much buoyancy given the extra bulk

Me and my camera by - drsteve -, on Flickr

but I switched to Stix floats and have been much happier. Since they are Divinycell foam, they are slightly soft and don't bang around as much as the PVC versions. Sorry, I don't have a current pic of my camera. The Stix floats work great and are pretty inexpensive, but if you want to DIY, you can always buy your own Divinycell foam

The thick wall PVC has a rather high weight, reducing the buoyancy of the air inside.

The aluminium bottles have almost no weight therefore providing much more buoyancy.

The good thing of PVC tubes is that they are easily to buy and work, a saw, 2 end caps and PVC glue

is enough to build custom sized floats.

Chris

Yes I was thinking about getting the Stix float, at $25 a pair, the price could add up though, I think I need at least 6 of the jumbo one. I read that they could break off and turn powdery over time. I still have at least 5 months before my next trip so I should have time to play around with some idea.

I think I used two packs of 4 segments. I put three on each of the 12" strobe arm segments and one on the 8" segments. I have been very happy with them and as far as I can tell they haven't degraded at all. BTW, I found a photo of my rig showing the Stix. Enjoy.

Me at San Clemente by - drsteve -, on Flickr