I need an indoor drying rack for my gear.

Post by . » Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:16 am

What I need is a compact rack sturdy enough to handle a bc that has a back plate and STA. I hang everything except my drysuit on one of those dive gear hangers. It needs to be of such dimensions as to be free-standing and fit into a standard tub/shower combination. I live in an apt., so forget about drilling holes in the ceiling or anything like that. The drysuit by itself is easily handled by installing an extra twist-type shower curtain rod, but that's all it will handle, I can't put anything heavy on it. Even if I took out the back plate and STA, the bc and rest of my stuff would still be too heavy for it.

I was using a metal garment rack a friend gave me for a while, but I knew it wouldn't last and it eventually collapsed, they're not meant to handle heavy items, plus since it was metal it became rusted from frequent contact with water.

I'm not a handy man, and it would take me too long to try to come up with a design using pvc parts. If you can give me easy to follow instructions and the parts to get, I can fake it.

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:52 am

I got a bunch of self-assembled racks from Costco. They're much cheaper there than anywhere else I've seen them. They're the industrial strength ones you see in commercial stores/buildings. I don't know if it'd fit in your shower, but it certainly won't break. I believe it comes with wheels too, though I didn't use them.

Post by . » Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:27 pm

I don't have a Costco membership, so that's out. Sounds like they would be too large anyway. I've seen home-made racks made of pvc before, but on a large scale designed for the backyard. I was hoping somebody could give me a list of parts to get so I could make one.

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:28 pm

Not exactly a rack, but I use a Peet's boot dryer with PVC extensions to dry my drysuit:

http://www.peetshoedryer.com/

Post by . » Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:39 pm

dsteding wrote:Not exactly a rack, but I use a Peet's boot dryer with PVC extensions to dry my drysuit:

http://www.peetshoedryer.com/

The drysuit I just drape over the shower curtain rod. It's the rest of the gear I need to make a hanging rack for.

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:43 pm

If you're looking for instructions, I'd check this out.

Aquanautchuck · Post by **Aquanautchuck** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:09 pm

You did not tell us what spaces you have in your apt. So I will tell you what I will do at mine. I have a deck, you may have a patio. If the rafters are exposed you can do as I did and screw #10 2 1/2" screws in them and hang the gear outside to drip. Off my deck I have a small storage space with a door. I have wood cloths rods installed to then hang all my gear up in there.

Also do you have a washer and dryer in your apt. If so you can buy a closet rod and attach it to the wall inside to dry there. Just fill the holes when you leave. If the water heater is there do not leave gear there. Water heater ozone for some reason eats dive gear.

A final option is to just hang a rod across the tub and fold the gear over it. You can get most of the water out of it then final dry elsewhere. I have pull blinds on my slider deck door. I took out the short screws attaching them to the wall and screwed in long screws into the studs and my drysuit finish drys hanging there.

You just have to get creative.

Charles

Post by . » Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:19 pm

aquanautchuck wrote:You did not tell us what spaces you have in your apt. So I will tell you what I will do at mine. I have a deck, you may have a patio. If the rafters are exposed you can do as I did and screw #10 2 1/2" screws in them and hang the gear outside to drip. Off my deck I have a small storage space with a door. I have wood cloths rods installed to then hang all my gear up in there.

Also do you have a washer and dryer in your apt. If so you can buy a closet rod and attach it to the wall inside to dry there. Just fill the holes when you leave. If the water heater is there do not leave gear there. Water heater ozone for some reason eats dive gear.

A final option is to just hang a rod across the tub and fold the gear over it. You can get most of the water out of it then final dry elsewhere. I have pull blinds on my slider deck door. I took out the short screws attaching them to the wall and screwed in long screws into the studs and my drysuit finish drys hanging there.

You just have to get creative.

Charles

Standard size tub/shower setup. No deck or patio, the washer/dryer is stackable type that barely fits in the space for it, no room there. Basically, I'm trying to come up with a small but sturdy free-standing rack that I can hang the bc and everything BUT the drysuit on. The idea is to place it in the tub, hang the gear on it, and hose it down with the shower head. Once it's done dripping, I can remove all of it for storage, including the rack.

Sergeant Pepper · Post by **Sergeant Pepper** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:37 am

Why not just buy a BC/Octo hanger from the SCUBA store. I know, it's $10 or so, but it works well for me and I have similar space constraints.

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:35 am

Calvin Tang wrote:If you're looking for instructions, I'd check this out.

I think the PVC Rack is a great Idea!

Post by . » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:45 pm

Sergeant Pepper wrote:Why not just buy a BC/Octo hanger from the SCUBA store. I know, it's $10 or so, but it works well for me and I have similar space constraints.

I have one, but what would I hang it on? With the bc and the rest of the gear, it's too heavy for a shower curtain rod.

diver-dad · Post by **diver-dad** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:56 pm

Brinybay wrote:
Sergeant Pepper wrote:Why not just buy a BC/Octo hanger from the SCUBA store. I know, it's $10 or so, but it works well for me and I have similar space constraints.
I have one, but what would I hang it on? With the bc and the rest of the gear, it's too heavy for a shower curtain rod.

Brinybay - How about this:

Go to Lowes or Home Depot.

Look at a closet rod (wooden, about 1 1/4" dia) with two mounts that screw to the wall to fit. (about $15 total, give or take) Screw mounts to wall (in a stud) & cut the rod to length. ("measure twice - cut once")

You can probably borrow a stud finder from someone. (For me, I have the hardest time with them because it keeps going off when I get near.)

With those mounts, you can just lift the rod out of the mounts when you aren't using it and stow it somewhere.

Since you are renting, you will only have to deal with two screw holes in the wall above the tub / shower when you eventually leave.

That kind of closet rod (6 1/2' span) is strong enough for me to hang 4 BCs, 4 regs, & 5 wet suits.

Good luck!