cool_hardware52
Contributor
for the whole popping cituation, im not sure how it happened i usually take exceptional care of my gear. i dove it, cleaned it, didnt look at for about a month and a half, got it out the night before a dive, and it had almost like a pinch in it.... two 3/8" slits about a 1/4" apart in the lower right corner on the tank side of the bladder. i dont dive my IQ pack with a backplate, i just dive it as a soft pack, so i have no idea how it even could of happened unless it got smashed while i wasn't using it but it looks more like a pinch since its two slits right by each other.
David,
Follow this link https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?page=video
Scroll down to the last Video, "Avoiding Wing Damage"
This video illustrates exactly what happened to your wing.
BTW, we have tested a wide variety of bladder material / shell material combinations for resistance to impact damage.
By tested I mean quantitatively with an apparatus that allows us to subject the materials to controlled and repeatable impacts.
There are some combinations of shell materials and bladder materials that are more resistant to impact damage, but there are none we found that are impervious.
Scuba inflatables almost always damaged via "pinch flat" Almost never is sharp object penetration of the outer shell the problem.
Robust construction is part of the answer, use and care is just as important.
Tobin