BCD Patching Question

[fisherdvm]

How about this, call Seaquest and see if they will fix it. If they won't take the liability, why would you?
Bruce

Because it is risky, fun, and a DIY project! 1/3 people died climbing Mt. Everest before 1970. And you can kill yourself with this BC for alot less money!

Here's a quickie .... Cut two round patches of heavy rubber sheaths - the type you cut to make gasketts, and can buy at a hardware store. Cut a piece of hard platic (maybe a milk carton) of the same size and shape. Puncture two small holes through all 3 of them. Thread a strong fish line through the plastic and one of the inside patch. Bend the plastic and insert it through the hole. Bend the first rubber patch and get it through the hole. Spread aquaseal on the middle one liberally (you don't care if it gets to the other side with this method.) Try to get some on the BC side also.

Put oodles of aquaseal into the hole. Apply aquaseal to the outside patch, and thread the line through it. You can make a second hard plastic pressure plate on the outside. Tie the whole mess together. Blow up your BC till fully inflated. Let cure for at least 3 days. Remove the line. Remove the outside hard plastic plate. Seal the small holes with aquaseal. Dive until the little plate fall out and you can hear it rattle. Work it through the BC until it can be seen at the elbow, and fish it out with a forcep or hemostat..... This plastic inside thingy likely will stick unless you had wax oil or something to keep aquaseal from sticking to it.

 

[parrothead600]

How about this, call Seaquest and see if they will fix it. If they won't take the liability, why would you? It can either be fixed safely or it can't and I'm sure they will give you better advice than anyone on this board can. We would prefer not to read about Scott in the Incidents and Accidents forum.

Bruce

I think that I would do what Bruce said. I remember one of the board member's signature lines that went something like this; "Emergencies have a nasty habit of not going as planned". Personally, I wouldn't want to risk ruining a dive. Much less, risking my life.
If Seaquest determines that your BC is unrepairable, I would look for a bargain on another one. You can always save the inflator & tank strap, etc. for spare parts. Or you could go ahead & patch it yourself & use it for pool dives so the chlorine doesn't ruin your good equipment. If the patch fails in a pool, it wouldn't be near the issue that it would be in open water.

 

[RJP]

I hate would for my last words to be "...but I saved a few bucks."

 

[mrlipis]

Because it is risky, fun, and a DIY project! 1/3 people died climbing Mt. Everest before 1970. And you can kill yourself with this BC for alot less money!

Brilliant statement!

Your going to use a milk carton, oodles of aquaseal and tie the mess together. LOL

Bruce

 

[Garrobo]

Yeah and if you have a leaky high pressure hose you could probably fix it with friction tape too.

 

[Damselfish]

I might consider trying to fix something like a pinhole in a BC, since if the fix failed it's more of a nuisance thing (for my diving, anyway.) I wouldn't try to fix the problem described.

 

[captain]

If you dive weighted to the point that you can not swim up without the help of a BC than don't patch it. If that is not the case than a BC is a bouancy compensator not a lift bag and I would not consider the loss of a BC as anything other than an inconvience. I dive without one most times.

 

[redacted]

There may be a problem with sending a damaged BCD to the mfgr for repair. Halcyon, for example, has an official policy that their wings are not to be repaired. But if you are lucky and talk to the right representative, he may send you some repair materials.

While your damage sounds fairly significant, if you are able to secure patches overlapping the damaged area by about 1 inch, the repair should work fine.

Their seems to be a number of folks on this board who are afraid to service their regulators, repair their BCD, or change their mask strap. And they think you should be equally afraid. As long as you can swim your rig up, a BCD failure is not going to cause a major safety risk for a competent diver.

 

[don Francisco]

Keeping in mind that a BCD is basic life support equipment, I don't see any reason not to try to patch it to use as a pool BC, or just for the learning experience.

The secret to effective patching is preparation of the area to be patched, and finding compatible patching materials & adhesives. To make a good patch, find out what rhe bladder is made of, & what is the proper corresponding adhesive. Preparing the area is going to be a challenge. Usually you prepare by either sanding, or by a chemical treatment, neither of whicch is going to be easy.

Lastly, keep in mind that your internal patch will be exposed to water which may cause it to delaminate over time.

Anyway, you've nothing invested in this BC so have fun, but don't bet your life on succeeding.

don F.

 

[captain]

Keeping in mind that a BCD is basic life support equipment, I don't see any reason not to try to patch it to use as a pool BC, or just for the learning experience.

The secret to effective patching is preparation of the area to be patched, and finding compatible patching materials & adhesives. To make a good patch, find out what rhe bladder is made of, & what is the proper corresponding adhesive. Preparing the area is going to be a challenge. Usually you prepare by either sanding, or by a chemical treatment, neither of whicch is going to be easy.

Lastly, keep in mind that your internal patch will be exposed to water which may cause it to delaminate over time.

Anyway, you've nothing invested in this BC so have fun, but don't bet your life on succeeding.

don F.

Only if you can't swim yourself up after ditching weight would I consider a BCD life support. It is a bouyancy conpensation device developed to overcome the loss of bouyancy at depth due to wet suit compression not as a life support device or life saving device..