Silver Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design · 2023
Hydrospine Freediving Weight
by Ludovic Lahccen and Raoul Morel
- A' Design Award 2023 Silver Winner in Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- CLIENT: Apnea Sub
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 755,767
- Verification code 73279AAFA5 · Verify this award
About Hydrospine Freediving Weight
The design is a back weight for freediving, which allows an ultra precise balance and buoyancy. Its assets, its modular and fast load capacity, up to 6 kg, usable in any position, any freediving discipline. It is equipped with a quick release and adjustment buckles to adjust to different sizes, whatever the gender, offering incredible comfort that quickly makes you forget the weight carried. Its design comes from the fusion of marine animals and gear created for speed to give it very hydrodynamic lines and offer optimal glide under water. Its versatility makes it a one-of-a-kind concept.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- It is the only dorsal ballast of this type that can support up to six kilos, the leads distribution in the container which can be quickly and easily modulated. Its assets are, its modularity, its comfort which you forget the weight transported, its hydrodynamic look for an optimal glide. Its safety with its quick release buckle. It can be used in all freediving activities and in all positions. It is undoubtedly the most advanced system to date allowing for ultra-precise buoyancy and neutrality.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Storage shell 150mm x 45mm x 370mm
Lead 105mm x 7,5mm x 40mm - Tags
- Freediving, apnea, dive, diving, weight, spine, hydrodynamic, lestage, weighting, sport
- Production Technology
- The materials used are all waterproof, easy to source and inexpensive (elastic and polypropylene straps, plastic buckles, textiles and lead). The shell is made of thermoformed textile with a zipped side opening. The internal structure has slots to fix the leads like a spine and accordion ribs to follow all movements. The leads were designed from a single template, to limit the molds and keep a hydrodynamic structure. Thus covering 98% of user needs. The rear nozzle allows air to escape.
- Design Challenge
- Many factors need to be taken into account and it has not always been easy for some team members to understand them. A freediving session was necessary to measure the problem. The biggest difficulty was the development of the harness, because it was difficult to hold 6 kg on the back and at the same time not prevent the rib cage from inflating, to be safe with a quick release and to be homologated in competition, to adapt to different morphologies. This required extensive structural and material testing.
- Project Duration
- The project started solo in August 2019 in Lille, France. Then continued with the Transalley incubator in Valenciennes, France, from September 2020 to September 2022. Then solo again, with the collaboration of Raoul Morel as product designer.
- Operation Flow
- The equipment is carried like a backpack. The buckle at the front allows the straps to be adjusted according to size and to instantly release the weight with one hand by simple pressure.
The envelope containing the leads has reception racks to hold the pellets in place which are sandwiched with the upper part of the cover so that they cannot move. Leads can be placed in any order for extremely precise balancing. - Research
- Before launching, we inventoried all the solutions available on the market and surveyed a panel of a hundred freedivers.
Next, we listed all the desired requirements for the product, assigning them a degree of importance. As well as the impacts that will occur on the different use cases. We quickly agree to test each hypothesis by prototyping it summarily. It was a principle rich in lessons allowing us to see the gap between the idea and reality while showing what needs to be corrected. - Inspiration
- The concept was born out of not having enough practical and comfortable weight. As we would like a different approach, we did not have an established reference. We let our imagination free by relying on other areas. For the design of the shapes, we were inspired by sea animals as well as machines created for speed. Hydrodynamics also influenced the structure. Forcing us to review the structure to keep the modular aspect, and that it can remain flexible to follow the different body movements.
- Image Credits
- Main image is Image #1 Raoul Morel
Optional Image #1 Raoul Morel
Optional Image #2 Raoul Morel
Optional Image #3 Raoul Morel
Optional Image #4 Raoul Morel - Patents
- Patent application FR2111503 filed on October 28, 2021. Transformed into a Certificate of Utility on September 07, 2022. Title: Diving equipment for freediver, Possessor: Ludovic Lahccen
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G0E2 ShopGrand Interview about Hydrospine Freediving Weight
Even though from the beginning, we wanted our product to have a stunning and unique look. Above all, we wanted the 'Hydrospine' to offer a significant improvement in terms of ballast.It was only after defining its structure that we tackled its form. A lot of research has been done to create profiled shape that allows water to be chased away quickly and has underwater penetration that offers the least possible resistance.We've had plenty of influences, from the fastest marine animals like dolphins and sharks, but also vehicles designed for speed.All this combined to shape the curves and edges of the Hydrospine, giving it a unique modern look.
As the balance center of a freediver is his lungs, the more the ballast covers this area, the better his balance and his trim will be which have a preponderant impact on the performances in apnea. Indeed, the more the diver is at a neutral weight, the less he will have to make efforts to evolve and the more he is horizontal the more he reduces his resistance zone underwater. Since each person has different body shapes and physical abilities, it was important to be able to adjust the weights a bit like a spirit level to find that perfect position.From the start, the device was designed as a spine so that it could follow the different movements and always fit the body.At the start, the model was composed of boxes hinged together. Even if they came to fit the curves of the body very well. The disadvantage was that it was too long because of its lead stacking system and complicated to make more hydrodynamic.We stayed on this solution for a long time with difficulties in getting out of it. So we started from a blank page. Trying to find other concepts and also to go back to our first brainstorming. To achieve a new concept of triangular shapes to maximize the spaces lost in our previous prototypes. To end up placing the weights no longer flat but to tilting them one behind the other to gain even more space and maintain this flexibility of movement, by having only one envelope, to reduce the areas that could slow down in the water. While maintaining our capacity of 6 kg.
This was our biggest technical challenge, because we wanted the harness to be able to adapt to all morphologies, men and women, to avoid having to produce different sizes, without it interfering with arm movements or air intake when the rib cage increases or decreases.It was necessary to test several strap architectures, thicknesses, and materials to ensure that the weights were properly held in place.Comfort was later improved through user feedback so that the lead plates did not feel too much on the back, as was the revision of the straps.
Safety was an essential criterion for our product, which added an additional difficulty to maintaining the weights. Because we could not equip a freediver with such equipment if he cannot remove it quickly. This could compromise its approval and, above all, it could lead to serious consequences in the event of a problem.Once again, it's all down to the architecture of the straps which depending on the location of the straps and their thickness, enabled us to combine all our criteria of fit and safety. After sourcing and testing a huge number of buckles and quick-release systems, we ended up developing our buckle, which has been further optimised and simplified since the competition, so that we can do it in 1 action and with 1 hand to free ourselves completely instantly.
From the outset, we insisted with all stakeholders on the use of materials adapted to underwater conditions and swimming pools. We also indicated a range of manufacturing costs to keep production reasonable. By avoiding as far as possible plastic injection moulding with expensive moulds. That's why we opted for thermoformed shells to maintain a degree of flexibility, with different thicknesses of fabric that allow air to pass through, resist water and won't rot, with a good thickness in the lumbar area for greater comfort. The surface layer is a PU coating that can be printed to customize the hydrospine.
Before August 2019, many drawings and prototypes were made to test different theories, shapes and analyze what works and what does not. This phase lasted about 6 months with about fifty specimens. It was rich in lessons that allowed me to clearly and precisely define all aspects of the project and the problematic points as well as prioritize the essential or optional criteria. Early 2020, a first collaboration with a technical studio began. But it did not last long because the project was not going in the right direction, and was becoming too complex in its implementation and above all, no effective proposal to maintain the weights was conclusive. A period of uncertainty and pause followed. Then the Covid pandemic occurred.Despite being isolated, I worked remotely with a friend, Olivier Paul, who specializes in 3D printing for industry. With whom we laid the foundations of articulated boxes.Based on this new principle, I surrounded myself with a new team in September 2020, composed of Steven Pignon, the principal technical engineer, who was supported by Charles Pionchon and Alan Philipart, on the technical and prototyping part. Raoul Morel, the Product Designer with whom I designed the Hydrospine. As well as my mother, Christiane Lefebvre for the textile prototyping part.To holding 6 kilos on your back without it moving with the movements or the weight contained in the device. For a long time it remained a headache that we thought was insurmountable, when we managed to solve one point, it compromised another.As we couldn't find a solution to have a fast unloading system and optimal support, we tackled the problem in reverse. By deciding to keep the ballast on its carrier and to drop the envelope containing the lead with a pin-release system like a parachute, but there too it was necessary to do a lot of testing.By deciding to keep the harness in place on its wearer and to release the envelope containing the weights with a pin system. But here too, a lot of testing had to be done.We were drifting towards ever more complexity, without being satisfied with the result and even worse, that our future customers are not inclined to want to adopt it.We needed to go back to more simplicity and release a more refined version that could improve over time. It was in the summer of 2022 that I decided with Raoul to start from scratch and rethink the design, to end up with the hydrospine with inclined weights.We are so delighted with the result that finally meets all the required criteria, that we decide to submit our project to the best experts by applying to the A’ Design Awards. Being silver winner is a huge source of pride and a great recognition of this success and hard work. All that remains is to have a commercial success and we will be in heaven.
We are currently carrying out performance tests and forming partnerships with athletes in order to demonstrate its effectiveness and why not set new records. This will gradually make it a reference for this type of equipment. There is also a health aspect to our system, as we do not yet have many studies demonstrating the repeated impact of weight bearing on the cervical vertebrae, even though it is a sensitive area where many nerves pass. In addition, during our investigation we learned that some people could not wear this type of equipment because it causes them too much pain.We also hope that this aspect will push some practitioners to abandon their neck weights which are considered by some as torture devices.If in addition it can be used for all forms of apnea. There is a strong chance that it will shake up the standards.
Before doing our survey we had already tested our idea, just to know if it was worth embarking on this path. Our survey enabled us: firstly, to list all the pain points associated with ballasting, such as comfort, modularity, versatility use, etc. and two, to confirm our idea. But what was most valuable for us were the user tests, which enabled us to make many corrections to arrive at the final result. Without them, we wouldn't have been able to make this level of adjustment.To reduce the gap between what we imagine and reality, there is nothing better than testing in real conditions, with people who are there to test your work without complacency. Once they have nothing more to say or are ready to adopt it or want to buy it, it is a good indicator.
Once again, everything is in this famous product architecture.To be multi-discipline, the weights had to not move from the back and allow all possible movements without any restrictions and not interfere with breathing.To ensure that when you are upside down, the weights do not hit the back of your head and that when you are head up, that the harness cannot strangle you even if you have 6 kg or more pulling you downwards. As it meets all these criteria, in addition to being able to fine-tune its neutrality with its modular system. It can be used in all disciplines. Spearfishers are also very attracted by this concept which allows them to have a better balance for their aims.
We are on scalable production processes that must not compromise quality in any way. It is just the lead times that risk getting longer. Currently, manufacturing times at our suppliers are around 3 weeks upon receipt. As we are in a niche sector, in principle we should be able to anticipate and manage production flows according to sales.