BP/W question

[Divin'Papaw]

I recommending decontaminating your wing atleast once a year or as needed. Fill with fresh water + steramine. Otherwise everyone's advice is spot on.

I don't want to open a new thread, because this might be Interesting to the OP aswell:
As steramine is not really available in Europe. Does anyone use virkon S for Desinfektion of mouthpeace and wing?

Disinfect them why?

I’ve been diving a BP/W for over 15 years. I thoroughly soak & rinse my wings (when used in salt water) but I’ve never disinfected any of them. Not once. I’ve never had a single issue.

I also give the inflator a very thorough rinsing after every trip. I have a hose adapter that allows you to flush with water via the inflator. Tobin @ DSS used to sell them. It’s awesome.

I do give the exterior a good UVTech treatment once a year. It protects them from the sun and really helps keep them looking brand new.

To the OP ... no, you don’t have to get them ‘serviced’ annually.

 

[napDiver]

I've heard of nasty things coming out of ppls inflators. From cockroaches to bad bacterial infections. I'd rather be safe then sorry when I have to manually inflate. I'm also fairly ocd.

I know for sure tropical water can have that problem.

In my case, Southern California, when it rains we have high bacterial levels that may not be safe to swim. This is caused by runoff and "sewage". Everytime I do a dive around those times I steramine most my gear.

Do as you see fit

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I've heard of nasty things coming out of ppls inflators. From cockroaches to bad bacterial infections. I'd rather be safe then sorry when I have to manually inflate. I'm also fairly ocd.

I know for sure tropical water can have that problem.

In my case, Southern California, when it rains we have high bacterial levels that may not be safe to swim. This is caused by runoff and "sewage". Everytime I do a dive around those times I steramine most my gear.

Do as you see fit

I dive exclusively in FL these days and have for the past 5 years. I've never had an issue. I am OCD about soaking/rinsing my wings after use but since I'm not drinking from them nor breathing from them I don't give it a second thought.

As you say, do as you see fit. Certainly nothing wrong with occasional sterilization if it's important to you.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Here is the BCD Inflator Rinse Adapter I use. Tobin @ DSS used to make and sell these.

This seems to be the closest thing that is on the market today:

BC Flush Hose Inflator Adapter

 

[rhwestfall]

With DSS no more, this is the $25+/- option...

Or, you could perhaps make your own with a old LPI hose and some HomeDepot fittings...

 

[hedonist222]

If you rinse the inside often, I'd use distilled water if your water is hard like ours.
Hard water leaves behind solid minerals.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I just hold the hose up to the oral inflator mouthpiece while the button is pushed in and run water in that way.
I roll it around inside the wing real good then hang the wing upside down and dump the water out through the oral inflator and the LP inflator. If you think you got a bunch of salt water in your wing then do it twice. Drain it out real good then blow it up a little and let it dry hanging upside down so the inflator hose is the lowest thing and the excess water drains into the hose. When more water finally drains down into the inflator drain it out again until it stops draining. Blow it up full and let it dry out. I avoid unscrewing the inflator everytime because it’s hard on the threads and the seal to be constantly messed with. I never had any issues with valves going bad or sticking or any other problems. My Oxycheq wing is almost 17 years old now and never needed to service anything.
Let’s not make a mountain out of something as simple as rinsing gear please.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I rinse the inside of my wing thoroughly every couple hundred dives whether it needs it or not.

 

[Da Wolf]

Thanks y'all. Very helpful information on both ends.

 

[drrich2]

With DSS no more, this is the $25+/- option...

View attachment 655669

Or, you could perhaps make your own with a old LPI hose and some HomeDepot fittings...

I bought one of those yellow things to put water in my BCD for after dive trips; it works, but is painfully slow to fill. I think slower than just holding the deflate button and running hose water in the way Eric Sedletzky described.