Hydrospine Ballast Freediving by Ludovic Lahccen and Raoul Morel is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Fàdákà A' Design Award in Àpẹẹrẹ Ohun-èlò Eré-ìdárayá, Ìdarí Ara àti Ìsinmi Competition Category.
FàdákàOhun-èlò Eré-ìdárayá· 2023
Hydrospine Ballast Freediving
by Ludovic Lahccen and Raoul Morel
Client: Apnea Sub
Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Fàdákà A' Design Award Winner in Ohun-èlò Eré-ìdárayá Category
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The Design
About Hydrospine Ballast Freediving
Eto iwuwo ẹhin fun ominira, eyiti o fun laaye iwọntunwọnsi kongẹ ultra ati buoyancy. Awọn ohun-ini rẹ, apọjuwọn ati agbara fifuye iyara, to 6 kg, lilo ni eyikeyi ipo, eyikeyi ibawi ominira. O ti ni ipese pẹlu itusilẹ iyara ati awọn buckles atunṣe lati ṣatunṣe si awọn titobi oriṣiriṣi, ohunkohun ti akọ-abo, nfunni ni itunu iyalẹnu ti o jẹ ki o gbagbe iwuwo ti o gbe. Apẹrẹ rẹ wa lati idapọ ti awọn ẹranko inu omi ati jia ti a ṣẹda fun iyara lati fun ni awọn laini hydrodynamic pupọ ati funni ni glide ti o dara julọ labẹ omi. Awọn oniwe-versatility mu ki o kan ọkan-ti-a-ni irú Erongba
The Recognition
About the Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Fàdákà A' Design Award
Hydrospine Ballast Freediving jẹ́ olùborí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Fàdákà A' Design Award, ìdánimọ̀ onípọ̀nlé lọ́nà àrà ọ̀tọ̀ tí a fún àwọn àwòṣe ìpele gíga jùlọ tó dára tó sì ń kan ọkàn. Àwọn olùborí Fàdákà jẹ́ àwọn iṣẹ́ tó ń tàn yòò gidigidi tó sì ní ìṣẹ̀dá púpọ̀ tí wọ́n ń ṣàfihàn ìmọ̀ ìjìnlẹ̀, ẹ̀bùn àti ìmọ̀ràn àwọn olùṣàwòṣe wọn. A retí pé Hydrospine Ballast Freediving yóò jẹ́ iṣẹ́ àgbàyanu, àpẹẹrẹ rere, ti ọ̀jáfáfá lọ́nà tó ṣe pàtàkì tó sì ní ìmúṣẹ̀dá tuntun jinlẹ̀. Àwòṣe tó borí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Fàdákà A' Design Award yìí jẹ́ ohun ìmúṣẹ̀dá tó hàn gbangba gidigidi tí a mọrírì tó ń ṣe anfàní tó sì ń tì ààlà iṣẹ́ ọnà, sáyẹ́ǹsì, àwòṣe àti ìmọ̀-ẹ̀rọ síwájú. Hydrospine Ballast Freediving jẹ́ ẹ̀dá tí ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ń ṣe ìlara, tó ń jí ìfẹ́ inú, tó ń mú ìmọ̀lára rere wá tó sì ń jí ìyàlẹ́nu àti ìyanu.
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
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