BCD for Winter Storage

[TMHeimer]

I rinse with fresh water, blow it out by connecting to a tank and maxing out my power inflator, draining the air out with the dump valve. Then take the corrugated hose off and hang BC upside down to drain any remaining water.

to TMHeimer, I wouldn't wait for your BC to fail. If it's falling apart on the outside and has already had a leak repaired, chances are it may leak badly some day when you need it most. A BC is essential life maintaining equipment, and should not be neglected. If you bought it used in 2005, it does not owe you anything today.

I'd have the new one now, except that all of my diving last 5 years has been shore dives no deeper than 30', so since I can easily do a CESA from there (practice it maybe every other dive), I'm not at all worried. If it didn't inflate I could always easily drop 20 pounds of weight to ascend.
But, I should have mentioned that stuff in my post so as not to set a bad example. My bad.

 

[dmaziuk]

I rinse with sanizide solution (mostly because I have a gallon of the stuff and what else am I gonna use it for) and unscrew the dump valve for storage. Note however that the little flat rubber disc in the valve may fall out and get lost without you noticing. So wrap it or put in a plastic bag or something, if you do that.

 

[Mermann]

Hello I had this same predicament I made a special hose using a clamp with a garden hose adapter and I run the water from the outside faucet through the BCD and out one of the dump valves which I either remove or just hold open.I do that after a bunch of dives especially if I've made a lot of bouyancy corrections (more water inside BCD)

I read that if you let the BCD dry out completely and there's any saltwater in there the bladder can get stuck together and that can totally mess up the BCD. So better damp than completely dry unless you are SURE you got all the saltwater out!

 

[Colliam7]

Needless to say, draining as much of the water as possible, is obvious. So is to just leave it the way is until spring (the bladder may have anti-mould treatment from the manufacturer). . . . What about filling the bladder, or airing it out with dry air from spray cans - considering our exhaled breath contains a high level of moisture, as well as some bacteria and virus? . . . Chemical rinses?

The key is to flush it thoroughly with fresh water, then let it fully dry. I inflate mine after the flush, position it so one of the 'dumps' (either one of the 'butt dumps' or the top dump where the inflator hose attaches) is the lowest point on the BCD, then after it sits overnight I open the dump to drain any remaining fresh water. I usually do this a couple of times. I usually leave a little bit of air in the bladder when I store it for any length of time.

I have never needed / used any chemicals / sanitizers / drying agents, and have never had any issues with organism 'growth'.

made a special hose using a clamp with a garden hose adapter and I run the water from the outside faucet through the BCD and out one of the dump valves which I either remove or just hold open.

There are also commercial products available that allow you to flush the bladder 'vigorusly' from a garden hose, for example, XS Scuba makes one that I have used for a number of years (BC Washout Hose — XS Scuba - Everything For The Perfect Dive).

 

[Belzelbub]

Hello I had this same predicament I made a special hose using a clamp with a garden hose adapter and I run the water from the outside faucet through the BCD and out one of the dump valves which I either remove or just hold open.I do that after a bunch of dives especially if I've made a lot of bouyancy corrections (more water inside BCD)

I read that if you let the BCD dry out completely and there's any saltwater in there the bladder can get stuck together and that can totally mess up the BCD. So better damp than completely dry unless you are SURE you got all the saltwater out!

My BCD came with a threaded fitting on the corrugated hose. Zeagle and Atomic BCDs come with this. I unthread the inflator (Zeagle Octo Z in my case) and store it with the regulator. Hose is connected with a mixing applicator. This mixes in a solution of Salt Off and runs through the BCD, then I switch to plain water for final rinse. The Salt Off I bought for rinsing my boat motors, but works well. It loosens up any salt deposits so they can be rinsed away. No salt crystals seen in my BCD.

Once in a while, I also mix in some BCD conditioner.

There are also commercial products available that allow you to flush the bladder 'vigorusly' from a garden hose, for example, XS Scuba makes one that I have used for a number of years (BC Washout Hose — XS Scuba - Everything For The Perfect Dive).

This is a good option for a standard inflator.

 

[Mermann]

There are also commercial products available that allow you to flush the bladder 'vigorusly' from a garden hose

Yes but they're costly. I had a box of extra garden hose parts in my garage and an extra BCD inflator hose so I made quick work of it with a pair of cutters and some clamps.

 

[Colliam7]

My BCD came with a threaded fitting on the corrugated hose. Zeagle and Atomic BCDs come with this.

YES! I love this fitting on my Zeagle wing! It makes life much easier.

 

[TMHeimer]

Hello I had this same predicament I made a special hose using a clamp with a garden hose adapter and I run the water from the outside faucet through the BCD and out one of the dump valves which I either remove or just hold open.I do that after a bunch of dives especially if I've made a lot of bouyancy corrections (more water inside BCD)

I read that if you let the BCD dry out completely and there's any saltwater in there the bladder can get stuck together and that can totally mess up the BCD. So better damp than completely dry unless you are SURE you got all the saltwater out!

Yes, damp is probably better, though you are supposed to leave it partially inflated when done rinsing/dumping (so insides shouldn't stick together-- mine never has).
I find it interesting that when we talk of rinsing the inside out, people rarely mention dumping as much salt water as practical before flushing with fresh water/ shampoo, etc. I do this at the dive site before I head home, so I don't forget to.

 

[Belzelbub]

Yes, damp is probably better, though you are supposed to leave it partially inflated when done rinsing/dumping (so insides shouldn't stick together-- mine never has).
I find it interesting that when we talk of rinsing the inside out, people rarely mention dumping as much salt water as practical before flushing with fresh water/ shampoo, etc. I do this at the dive site before I head home, so I don't forget to.

That’s a good point. I don’t do this anymore, but did with my previous BCDs. With the Zeagle, it’s not really necessary. I’m really surprised the BX connector took so long to be incorporated into a BCD. It just makes cleaning the BCD so much easier. I no longer have to add water and slosh it around. I just turn the hose on and let it run through the purge valves.

 

[TMHeimer]

That’s a good point. I don’t do this anymore, but did with my previous BCDs. With the Zeagle, it’s not really necessary. I’m really surprised the BX connector took so long to be incorporated into a BCD. It just makes cleaning the BCD so much easier. I no longer have to add water and slosh it around. I just turn the hose on and let it run through the purge valves.

Thanks, I did not know that existed.