Care & Storage of BP/wings

[large_diver]

Looking for opinions on taking care of my new BP/wings....

First -- rinsing. In addition to external rinsing, most BC care instructions tell you to put fresh water in the BC, inflate it, swish the water around and then drain, repeating 2-3 times to get the salt water out. Yes or no? Seems to make sense, since I usually have at least a little water in my BC at the end of each dive.

I'm also trying to decide how to store my new BP/wings, especially during periods where I may not be diving for 2-4 weeks.

- Do folks dis-assemble the BP from the wing? This seems to be unnecessary as long as you rinse everything well, and can be a pain if you install the BP pad (hard to get at bolts/wing-nuts). This seems to make sense at the end of the season for folks that don't dive year round, but not during the season.....

- Hang it up by the harness? This seems to put unnecessary stress on the webbing, especially with a "heavy" SS BP. Another option could be to hang it by the BP itself.....

- Lay it down, BP face down, with the wing facing the ceiling?
This is what I'm doing now. BP is laying on top of a stack of 2 milk crates. Harness is draped so that BP is not laying on it.

Thanks.

-LD

 

[Wendy]

I always separate my backplate form my wing when I am rinsing it. And yes I do the swish with the fresh water in the wing itself. I hang everything up in the bathroom (slung over the shower curtain rod).

Just curious, but how are you keeping the backplate and wing together when it isn't on the tank? Is this a single tank wing and its being held together with the STA?

One of the reasons I take it all apart from each other is then when I am getting my gear all ready for the dive I know that everything is ok and nothing is screwed up. I lay my wing flat on a shelf in the closet and I hang up my backplate from the harness (not worried about the ware on it cuz its an Al backplate).

 

[WreckWriter]

Originally posted by large_diver
Looking for opinions on taking care of my new BP/wings....

First -- rinsing. In addition to external rinsing, most BC care instructions tell you to put fresh water in the BC, inflate it, swish the water around and then drain, repeating 2-3 times to get the salt water out. Yes or no? Seems to make sense, since I usually have at least a little water in my BC at the end of each dive.

I'm also trying to decide how to store my new BP/wings, especially during periods where I may not be diving for 2-4 weeks.

- Do folks dis-assemble the BP from the wing? This seems to be unnecessary as long as you rinse everything well, and can be a pain if you install the BP pad (hard to get at bolts/wing-nuts). This seems to make sense at the end of the season for folks that don't dive year round, but not during the season.....

- Hang it up by the harness? This seems to put unnecessary stress on the webbing, especially with a "heavy" SS BP. Another option could be to hang it by the BP itself.....

- Lay it down, BP face down, with the wing facing the ceiling?
This is what I'm doing now. BP is laying on top of a stack of 2 milk crates. Harness is draped so that BP is not laying on it.

Thanks.

-LD

Do you have the new version Pioneer which is actually strapped to the harness? I'm guessing you do. If yes, I probably would not take it apart as the threading is a PITA.

Mine is explorer so it basically is apart when I remove it from my doubles. What I do for rinse and storage is this:

First rinse everything externally in a kiddie pool. Next inflate wings and add some water, reinflate and slosh around well. Dump water, reinflate, dump remaining water (sometimes it takes a few cycles). Let it dry about 3/4 inflated. Once fully dry, mostly deflate and store in my dive box (always top item in box, nothing lays on top of wing.

As for having trouble getting at wing nuts with pack installed, I assume you mean the Halcyon MC storage pack? What I did was to lose the bottom screw (and nut) on each side. This makes it much easier to get at my nuts and holds my liftbag just as well as with them in.

Tom

 

[large_diver]

Guys -- thanks for the comments.

Wendy -- yes, I use an STA.

Tom -- no, actually this is the older "STA-less" style Pioneer. It is between the STA pieces (I have the FredT 2 piece STA) and the plate. Cam straps are threaded through the STA pieces only.

And yes, you're right -- I meant the MC storage pack.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Chris we usually dump the whole rig (double or single) into the rinse tank and let it soak... then we pull it out and lean it against the wall (outside) to drain... then we take it inside and lean it against something else... we rarely take it all apart... though Shane, when we switch from singles to doubles has to because he only has one plate (poor little fella)...

Sometimes I will dis-assemble the doubles if I am filling them with trimix and throw them into the cooling tank (regardless of what *they* say it really works to get spot on fills.)

I regularly hang my singles rig still assembled by the webbing on a stout hanger but sometimes upside-down from a hook through the crotch strap butt D-ring

 

[large_diver]

Thanks Pug.

-C

 

[Lost Yooper]

My rig is kept attached to my doubles all summer (for the most part). I rinse mine in the Great Lakes .

Mike

 

[Windknot]

Halcyon style wide screw with mating base (dunno what the "proper" term is) they are a real PITA to get on and off.

I have them on my ACB weight system and modified them by grinding off flat spots on either side of the "female" side of the screw assembly. This allows me to get good purchase on it with a pair of pliers/channel locks.

Below is a quick illustration of what I did (sorry engineer types, this was definitely not CAD drawn)

Dunno if it helps getting the pad on and off faster but if you have an ACB system with this type attachment then it may help.


ENJOY:

WK

 

[Uncle Pug]

Well Windy if you would have asked Uncle Pug he would have told you to drill two holes through the flange on either side of the threaded hole so that you could use a proper spanner to tighten and loosen them with ease...

And if you would have asked Uncle Pug if he had done that to his before he tightened them down forever he would have given you a cold icy stare...

 

[Windknot]

If I had a, or if I knew what a spanner wrench was.

My "tool kit" is not all that impressive.

Hell...for my last wedding, my wife listed "screwdrivers" on the registry just so I would get some tools. (Yes I'm serious)

See, with my way, I just take the thingy to work and show it to one of the guys at the physical plant and they grind it off for me, no need for drilling holes and extra wrenches.

Besides, wouldnt a spanner wrench be non-dir? Simplicity, streamlining and minimalism....

WK