Tools required

Hammer
Tin Snips
Pliers

Materials Required

Lead sheet

Screw eye – available from most DIY shops for around £1.50 for 10 or from the likes of Screw fix in bulk.

Instructions

1, Cut a piece of lead sheet.

The size you cut it will depend on the weight of lead you want.

You can weigh the lead sheet before you make the weight to ensure that it is the correct weight.

2, Fold the lead in half length ways, and hammer flat.

3, Screw the screw eye into the lead in roughly the centre of the strip.

You might need pliers to do this.

Some of the thread off the screw eye should protrude through the bottom of the strip (this will help the eye to grip the lead), so watch your fingers.

4, Once you have fully screwed in the eye, use the pliers to fold the lead in half along the line that the screw eye is on.

5, Hammer the lead flat, making sure it’s nice and neat around the eye.

You now have a simple and cheap lead weight, which will grip the river bed very well in flooded conditions.

You can make several up of different sizes to use in varying flows.

Steve (ScubaSteve) Williams 2007