We go up north for abalones only once or twice a year, so I have not felt the need to have a dive board to hunt abalones. However, last time we went up to Mendocino to dive for them. I saw many divers had nice dive boards made out of bodyboards that looked so easy to work around kelp. My family regularly visits Costco, then I saw this very inexpensive bodyboard for $24. If the board was that cheap, I felt that I had to make one for my upcoming abalone hunting trip.
The Costco bodyboard is cheap, but large and nicely made. I thought about all sorts of material for attachments, but I decided to go with all nylon parts for the most since bodyboards are very soft. I found there were surf shops selling just leash plugs for $2ea, so I decided to use them as anchors for the net, shoulder straps, and other attachments. The plugs are very strong, but still flexible not to cause damage to the board, so I believe they are the perfect materials for my dive board.
It took about little over an hour to make. The Dyneema line has 450lb capacity, but it may not be good for high abrasion applications like the setup on my board. I have to test and see. I probably should attach extra loops for the shoulder straps just in case one might break during hiking up and down on hills with all the gear and catches.
** Parts bought for the dive board **
- Bodyboard at Costco for $24 + tax
- Leash Plugs at Amazon.com $2 X 11 + tax & shipping
- Bungee Net at Amazon.com $6
- Dyneema Line 1.75mm 450lb 180ft at Ebay.com for $20
- Straps (webbings and snaps) at Strapworks.com all for $16 + shipping
- Zip Ties at The Homedepot for $4
- Kelp Clip at kayakfishinggear.com for $10 + shipping
** Parts I already had **
- Bungee Cable
- Brass Snaps
I believe I spent about $110. Maybe more...
Shoot, the dive board is not cheap anymore :)
11 июл 2024
