How much water in wing?

[stepfen]

New divers (myself included) quite often are not sure that their BCD is totally empty (as it ideally should be) at safety stop. Hence they give it few tries to make sure any leftover air is gone. While doing so, water inevitably enters the wing.
Another common thing is that occasionally BCDs are not empty at the begining of the dive, as people often neglect to drain the water at the end of each dive or during rinsing and drying at the end of the day. Hence the amount of water adds up.
Generally water in the bladder is nothing to worry too much about. It doesn't affect buoyancy (as some new divers worry about). The only drawback is that topside, on top of the rest of your equipment, you have to carry around that water as well.
With experience you will learn to use less air, and purge less/more efficiently meaning that the amount of water will be reduced.
Also remember to drain the water between dives and at the end of the day.

 

[inquis]

As for drawbacks, I would add that it's freaky hearing your wing growl as water moves around in it on a dive.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I was testing out a new harness/wing set up in the pool for about 20 minutes.

Is it that the harness/wing is new, or are you new to diving a backplate/wing rig rather than a jacket-style BC?

New divers (myself included) quite often are not sure that their BCD is totally empty (as it ideally should be) at safety stop. Hence they give it few tries to make sure any leftover air is gone. While doing so, water inevitably enters the wing.

I think this may be especially true with a BP/W. The diver may need so little lead that at shallow depths, such as in a pool, the diver, especially if accustomed to carrying more lead and/or using a jacket BC with floaty foamy parts, could swear there must still be air in the wing, so the diver tugs and tugs and tugs on that dump valve yet can't seem to feel that last bit of air coming out. The diver just can't believe the wing is totally empty. But it is. Or at least all the air that can come out of it has come out. And continuing to tug on the dump valve lets water in.

That said, a technique for helping get that last bit of air out is to not just pull on the dump valve cord but rather hold the cord against the tank as you pull it, sort of wrapping it around the tank. That may help place the valve in a slightly higher position.

 

[inquis]

a technique for helping get that last bit of air out is to not just pull on the dump valve cord but rather hold the cord against the tank as you pull it, sort of wrapping it around the tank. That may help place the valve in a slightly higher position.

A similar thought: when in horizontal trim, the valve is pointing toward the floor. The motion to release air needs to be "rearward" relative to you, much like a triceps extension in the gym. A slight roll away from the valve also helps put the bubble at that valve.

 

[3SecondDiver]

Is it that the harness/wing is new, or are you new to diving a backplate/wing rig rather than a jacket-style BC?

I think this may be especially true with a BP/W. The diver may need so little lead that at shallow depths, such as in a pool, the diver, especially if accustomed to carrying more lead and/or using a jacket BC with floaty foamy parts, could swear there must still be air in the wing, so the diver tugs and tugs and tugs on that dump valve yet can't seem to feel that last bit of air coming out. The diver just can't believe the wing is totally empty. But it is. Or at least all the air that can come out of it has come out. And continuing to tug on the dump valve lets water in.

That said, a technique for helping get that last bit of air out is to not just pull on the dump valve cord but rather hold the cord against the tank as you pull it, sort of wrapping it around the tank. That may help place the valve in a slightly higher position.

I know I did that a few times. I’m used to a Jacket style bcd and thought there was still air in the wing so would attempt to dump again. It was my first time trying a bp/w set up. Thanks for the tip on dumping, will do that next time. With a wing do you usually use the rear dump valve instead of the inflator dump valve? Or is that dependent on where you think the air is? Also is it common to use the pull on the inflator hose to dump, instead of putting the hose up and releasing air from the inflator? I bought the voyager wing specifically because it had a pull to dump feature on the inflator hose, and that’s usually where the air is (up high on a bcd).

 

[inquis]

With a wing do you usually use the rear dump valve instead of the inflator dump valve? Or is that dependent on where you think the air is?

Yes and yes. Many things improve when you are horizontally trimmed (numerous threads on that), and one consequence is the air winds up under the rear dump.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Unless the wing is damaged, too much water in it is the result of improper weighting. People go overboard trying to use as little lead as possible. As a result, they just allow water in when they keep trying to dump air that doesn't exist. I used to do that on occasion and then realized it was nonsense. Add an extra 2 lbs, be stable, and have a dry wing.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I know I did that a few times. I’m used to a Jacket style bcd and thought there was still air in the wing so would attempt to dump again. It was my first time trying a bp/w set up. Thanks for the tip on dumping, will do that next time. With a wing do you usually use the rear dump valve instead of the inflator dump valve? Or is that dependent on where you think the air is? Also is it common to use the pull on the inflator hose to dump, instead of putting the hose up and releasing air from the inflator? I bought the voyager wing specifically because it had a pull to dump feature on the inflator hose, and that’s usually where the air is (up high on a bcd).

I don't ever use the pull dump. Even on my BCs that have them. Seen too many fails on rental gear. Or people yank on them so hard you wonder why it doesn't come off. None of my wings ever had a pull dump. Much easier to use the butt dump in a horizontal position or the inflator when necessary. Get properly weighted and you'll use the dumps much less.

 

[inquis]

Also is it common to use the pull on the inflator hose to dump, instead of putting the hose up and releasing air from the inflator?

Many wings use a simple elbow (and therefore only work by lifting the hose), as the integrated valve is a point of failure (the internal cable corrodes and breaks). Continuing to yank on it may pull the corrugated hose off, and things could go sideways quickly.

I think more new divers should prioritize the rear dump early on. That one works when trying to swim down to halt an unintended ascent.

 

[Lorenzoid]

With a wing do you usually use the rear dump valve instead of the inflator dump valve? Or is that dependent on where you think the air is?

To echo others who have replied, it depends. Many divers try to maintain a horizontal "trim" orientation throughout the dive. If you're horizontal, the rear dump should be used. The only time I don't use the rear dump is when I'm vertical or swimming upslope; then I use the corrugated hose dump. Of course there are exceptions. If you're doing a wall dive and want to look up as you follow the wall, maybe you will be in a more heads-up trim orientation, and so you will want to use the corrugated hose dump.

As far as pulling on the corrugated hose, mine doesn't have that pull-dump feature; it's just a simple elbow, like others have mentioned. I think the pull-dump is less common on wings than on jacket-style BCs. Even when I used to use a jacket-style BC, I rarely used that pull-dump feature. I suppose it might have been useful in a stuck-inflator scenario or something.