make your own DESS lanyard key

[murjiim]

Is your lanyard all frayed and messed up....

well its quite easy if you can find a laynard like the one for keys or even a telephone or old cell phone charger...thats what i used. Actually this cell phone charger was lying on the side walk and i picked up.

Here are the pics.

The clips were a pain to remove but with some patience you can get it out using pliers and screwdriver.

 

[raider352]

that looks good :thumbsup: but where did u get the crimps from? did u reuse the old ones? and does it float??
mine its all cord and no black insulation left.

 

[LouDoo]

I have done something similar to this using cable ties instead of the original clamps, you can also use a name badge lanyard.

Lou

 

[murjiim]

Ya i was looking all over for a darn laynard but couldn't even find one to buy . So picked just ended up using a cell phone charger.
raider: I reused the old crimps from the original one. Just pry it open slowly and with patients it will come apart then press them back together.
I was going to use zip ties but then i thought let me try this using the old crimps and it worked just fine.
Also i discovered home depot has these crimps if you go to where they have the chains.
Haven't tested if it floats or not but the yellow float thing that says DESS is what keeps this floating anyway and not the laynard so i think it will float. I guess i will fill my bathtub with water and see if floats. Too cold to go to the lake and do this!

 

[Minnetonka4me]

The generic non DESS keys are $10....if your floatie is ok cut the old rope off and slide the new lanyard thru the floatie and put a ziptie on it. Done deal.

I actually used one of these... but it doesnt float...they sell them seperate for about $8 at the cycle shop.

 

[murjiim]

well ya the plastic laynard itself wont float...you have to put that spongy float and depends how heavy the cable is. darn now i want to test it mine float...let me go do that right now.


edit:
put it in the sink and it the the key part floats. if it does fall on the lake i will be able to spot it as that part is yellow

 

[RFoster130]

Looks good, I bought a generic non DESS like Minnetonka posted, slipped my floatie and the cap on it and zip tied it. Looks brand new. I also keep a big floating key ring on it so i know it will float if it gets dropped.

 

[raider352]

well ya the plastic laynard itself wont float...you have to put that spongy float and depends how heavy the cable is. darn now i want to test it mine float...let me go do that right now.


edit:
put it in the sink and it the the key part floats. if it does fall on the lake i will be able to spot it as that part is yellow

hate to rain on your parade but in order to find out if it floats for sure u need to let the yellow float hold the weight of the hole thing, may be simulate some waves.
i c that in the picture the metal clip is touching the sink. mine was doing the same thing but when i put it in the lake for %$^ and giggles it slowly sank.
i will post a pic of my set up.

 

[murjiim]

wow didn't even think of that..you are right it was touching but i still think it has enough float. well i can just add a simple float on the other red where the vest clip goes...problem solved.

 

[raider352]

just saying u might want to check that out. i know for a fact mine doesn't float. anyway heres my poor excuse for a lanyard key ...

... needles to say i will be replacing it for next summer!!

 

[LouDoo]

Well after reading this thread I've decided to stay with my commercially available, Aquacord (12.99), which I have modified slightly, it's got two floats and the coiled lanyard also floats, so even if it gets cut in half it will still float.

Lou

 

[griz400]

hey all, look at all this nice crap we cant live without -- my friend dives and has a strap like this for his camera, i looked at it and i likes it, here, i like the floating wrist traps, that what im gonna use this summer, -- santa said she was goin to put in my stockin - lol
also nice tie down strap here - looks like anyway

http://www.thefind.com/sports/info-floating-strap


the red floating wrist strap --- foam

 

[RFoster130]

be careful with those floating straps. I use the same thing on my waterproof camera. The little string that ties to the item you wanna save isnt tied very well. The first one fell apart. Luckily it wasnt while it was in water. I modified it this time.

 

[murjiim]

this is crazy...i search all over and the darn searches didnèt even show me this aqua strap..i like it alot..looks really good actually and functional like Lou.
I am going to keep my eye out for a nice small float and add it to my laynard on the vest clip side..that should be enough to keep the whole thing floating.

 

[griz400]

here is the one i think ill go with, u can clip on your existing lanyard, right above where the camera would hook to, in the loop
http://www.porters.com/promaster-floating-camera-strap-orange.html

or even appears to have a loop on backside -- im gonna order one, and ill let u all know next month

 

[speedbuggy67]

never thought of the cell phone cable, my dess lanyard is just the rope that im guessing was under the black... need to do something!

Scott

 

[murjiim]

never thought of the cell phone cable, my dess lanyard is just the rope that im guessing was under the black... need to do something!

Scott

yea get a old telephone cable and use it for this. this thing will probably last a long time because they are made for constant use by pulling it and all so i doubt it will fray up like the original one.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

yea get a old telephone cable and use it for this. this thing will probably last a long time because they are made for constant use by pulling it and all so i doubt it will fray up like the original one.

considering how bad my lanyard is, AND the fact that I have 3 or 4 telephone cables at the office, i'm going to experiment with that option and thanks for the posts on this thread for the idea, I had completely overlooked it. I'm kind of bugged that I didn't think of asking for an OEM replacement for $30) as an xmas present when my brothers and family called and asked, so dumb !!! but at least i remembered new turf.

so if the phone cord ends up looking silly, maybe i'll just dump some cash on a brand new one, my current cord is half cord, half black stuff, it kinda looks like a homeless man's lanyard.

with all the $30-$100 crap i've bought for my ski, (heck even saturday's fuel was 30)i'm embarrassed to say i've never considered buying a new lanyard

 

[LouDoo]

To me considering all the risks of falling off your ski, I think it's well worth 12.00 to buy a factory made lanyard. I've fallen off after forgetting to fasten the lanyard to my life jacket, it's not fun swimming to catch up with your ski, it probably will eventually come back to you but it's a hell of a lot easier if the motor is not running. Also it's pretty embarrassing, not to mention the damage that could be done to your ski if it hits an obstruction.

Lou

 

[Spimothy Leary]

To me considering all the risks of falling off your ski, I think it's well worth 12.00 to buy a factory made lanyard. I've fallen off after forgetting to fasten the lanyard to my life jacket, it's not fun swimming to catch up with your ski, it probably will eventually come back to you but it's a hell of a lot easier if the motor is not running. Also it's pretty embarrassing, not to mention the damage that could be done to your ski if it hits an obstruction.

Lou

lol, so true, last summer on an orlando trip a buddy didn't connect his lanyard to his jacket while riding an xp, got tossed and the ski was idling at a pretty good click right into the marina, i had to chase it down from a couple hundred yds away on my ski and nudge it a few times with my hull to get it heading back towards him, as he bobbed in the water looking like an idiot.
same thing applies with the lanyard itself, you definitely should have one that is strong enough and won't snap when you need it most.

 

[speedbuggy67]

any pro's/cons of the wrist attached vs hooking it to the lifevest?

 

[LouDoo]

I prefer clipping the lanyard to my life vest, I guess because that's just the way I've always done it. I guess it really doesn't make a lot of difference. To me it would seem it would just be more out of the way.

Lou

 

[bigJake]

any pro's/cons of the wrist attached vs hooking it to the lifevest?

i have mine attached to the vest and don't take it off. that way you never have to worry about losing it or wondering where you put threw it the last time you took it off and you just throw on the vest and you're ready to go.

Plus if you have it attached to your wrist and an anvil falls out of the sky and chops your arm off while you are riding, you will fall off and the ski will keep going.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500617_162-5498920.html

 

[LouDoo]

Jake,

That was great, I believe you scooped SDB Network on this one. I don't believe I've ever seen a flying anvil.

So now we've got crazy ants, golfing sharks, phantom Hummers, flying anvils. I know I missed something.

Lou

 

[Minnetonka4me]

LOL @ Tim...but you also gotta remember you have to have a new key Reprogrammed. The dealer here charges ~$50 for a new key and programming.

The other nice thing about a new key is it fits really tight on the post. My personal one is sooo loose.