Hydrospine Ballast for fridykking by Ludovic Lahccen and Raoul Morel

Hydrospine Ballast for fridykking by Ludovic Lahccen and Raoul Morel is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award i Sølv in Sportsutstyr, trenings- og fritidsutstyrdesign Competition Category.

SølvSportsutstyr· 2023

Hydrospine Ballast for fridykking

by Ludovic Lahccen and Raoul Morel

Client: Apnea Sub

A' Design Award i Sølv Winner in Sportsutstyr Category

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The Design

About Hydrospine Ballast for fridykking

Vektsystem for ryggen til fridykking som gir ultrapresist balanse og oppdrift. Det har modulær og rask lastekapasitet på opptil 6 kg, kan brukes i alle posisjoner og er egnet for alle fridykkingsdisipliner. Det er utstyrt med hurtigutløser og justeringsspenner for å tilpasse ulike størrelser, uavhengig av kjønn, og gir utrolig komfort som raskt får deg til å glemme vekten du bærer. Designet er inspirert av en fusjon av marine dyr og utstyr skapt for hastighet, noe som gir svært hydrodynamiske linjer og optimal glid under vann. Allsidigheten gjør det til et unikt konsept.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Sølv

Hydrospine Ballast for fridykking er vinner av A' Design Award i Sølv, en usedvanlig prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles design i toppklassen som er nydelige og imponerende. Sølvvinnere er enormt briljante og usedvanlig kreative verk som viser designernes enestående ekspertise, talent og skarpsindighet. Hydrospine Ballast for fridykking forventes å være et praktfullt utstillingsverk som er bemerkelsesverdig profesjonelt og dypt nyskapende. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Sølv, er en svært bemerkelsesverdig, beundret oppfinnelse som gagner og flytter grensene for kunst, vitenskap, design og teknologi. Hydrospine Ballast for fridykking er et skaperverk mange misunner, som vekker ønsker, gir positive følelser og vekker undring og forundring.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

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.
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.
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.
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
Team Members: Creative Designer and Art Director: Ludovic Lahccen
Product Designer: Raoul Morel
Technical and Mechanical Engineer: Steven Pingon
Engineer and technical design office: Charles Pionchon
Tech Designer and prototypes: Alan Philippart
Plastics processing and 3D printing: Olivier Paul
Textile prototypes: Christiane Lefebvre
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