Correct Configuration

[sig]

Hi SeaGypsy

Believe it or not, I have noticed they sell a bladder repair kit. I'm sure most dealers do as plastics are not impervious. Like I said s**t happens. My question was more directed in the direction that if there have been many punctures is there a technique used more. Has GUE or any other organization practiced buoyancy in these situations with both BC's? Yes I have maintained buoyancy with just my drysuit and finning.

My reason for thinking it would be better to be rid of the air is because I think it would be difficult to surface and try to control a leaking bladder at the same time. Can you explain your situation when it happened to you? Did you try to keep air in it or did you use your drysuit?

I was also curious how old is your OMS BC? I assume that it was new since you stated it happened after 6 months unless it was used by someone else. If so did it get serviced? Were the punctures do to a defect or did you puncture while diving. If it was a defect, why didn't you send it back to OMS instead of patching it? Can you achieve enough buoyancy with your drysuit if you had no air in your BC? If not, I'm curious about your configuration. Maybe you would need a dual bladder ut:

Thanks for your comments.

 

[SeaGypsy]

It was purchased new and had six months (or less) use. Since I've never had a problem with Dive Rite wings or Halcyon wings after longer use I question the quality of the OMS wings.

I spoke to the shop where I had purchased them, their answer was to patch them or buy a new bladder. Since I wasn't very happy with the product at that point (I'd also had trouble with the inflator) I wasn't about to spend any additional money with OMS.

When using wings without bungees in most cases you can orient yourself so that you can still get some lift from your wings, even with a hole in them. However, a well-balanced rig will let you deal with having no lift from your wings.

There is plenty of information out there regarding the problems with bungee wings if you go and look for it. Try this for a start http://www.aquanaut.com/bin/mlist/aquanaut/techdiver/subject?bondage+wings

 

[sig]

Sounds like your LDS needs some tutoring in customer relations. I'm curious what OMS would have said.

I understand that you had a problem and it is hard to have faith in something when it happens to you. For instance my Oceanic Data Plus 2 flooded after 30 dives. Luckily they replaced it no question asked. Because of their customer service and what I believe to be a isolated incident. I will continue to do business with them. To me that is exactly what your situation sounds like. If your current BC does the same thing will you switch to another companie?

As to having a well balanced rig I believe your right. Personally not having had this situation it makes sense to me to stop using a malfunctioning system and switch to the backup completely. For instance if you are orienting yourself to an inverted position to keep the air in your BC and use your drysuit. Then I believe you are over task loading. Why not just drain the air completely and use the system you know works and all that much better if you have a backup bladder. Yes, I do agree that you should have few failure points but have there been several problems. Not from what I have read. Also with certain parts of diving things need to be increased. Having three control valves on a set of doubles is increasing failure points. But the question is are these increased failure points worth it. In my opinion and from lack of incidences I believe they are do to the increase in air from the doubles.

As to researching. I have done my fair share. The link you gave me is interesting and although I have read some and not all of the opinions they all sound to be a personal view with no actual use of the item in question. Some of the questions are valid though and to satisfy my personal curiosity I will test some of these theories. I will not make a decision to go and get rid of my BC on beliefs that haven't been proven though. And even if some of these our true I still don't have the money to run out and buy a new BC nor do I plan on not diving until I do.

sea gypsy,

just out of curiousity does your BC have a gray oral inflator as these were recalled by OMS and were never have supposed to have been sold.