Diverite wing failure

[dallaskincaid]

Before I bring this up to the manufacturer directly, I wanted to share what happened to me this past weekend and get some opinions. I was diving in North Carolina over the weekend and after I was breaking down my equipment after the final dive of the day, I noticed that this piece (see picture) had come off and ultimately caused my wing to fill with water. Truthfully, I rarely have to add air to my BC as I have my weight and buoyancy down pretty well so I can't even tell you if this happened on the last dive, or the dive before. You would have thought I would have noticed the extra weight coming up the ladder on the boat, but it was pretty rough weather this weekend in North Carolina, so I was just happy to get ON the boat in one piece, nevermind worrying about how much weight I had on me. This piece holds the one-way valve that is part of the BC inflator assembly. This is my travel wing and it is relatively new with only around 30 dives on it. I've never removed this piece before, and I can't see how it could have been removed on it's own as there are quite a bit of threads to go before it finally falls off. I was unable to find the piece on the boat (not surprising because the divers barely remained on the boat) so I can't tell you if it fell off in the water or on the boat. It has me a little concerned. Diverite is obviously a big name with these sorts of products and my concern is that someone who is in a perilous situation might be seriously harmed if they are unable to inflate their BC and it simply fills with water due to some sort of bad manufacturing process. I assume these are screwed on during the manufacturing process?

Then again, this might just be one of those wacky things that happens and the reason is totally benign and it will never happen again. The picture shows my other rec wing with the piece intact so everyone knows what I'm talking about.

Thoughts? Opinions? Free Beer?

 

[tbone1004]

cheap plastic, anything could have broken it. I'm sure if you call DR they'll send you a replacement piece since it's that new. I don't really like the pull dump feature but a lot of divers do. Not sure which wing it is, but they're usually on the back so it could have been something as simple as you laid your gear down and the tank rolled onto it, or a piece of lead hit it in the gear bag, who knows, but I'm sure they have the replacement part in stock.

Situations like this are a perfect reason why you should never dive a rig that you can't keep at the surface without any air in the wing.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I don't understand the problem. Did something actually break, fail or did the threads strip? Or, as I suspect, did the piece come unscrewed?

I suspect the later. It is a COMMON problem. After years of being a DM, I habitually will be checking the tightness of threaded connections on other people's BC's. Some don't like it but hey...

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I would replace the dump with an elbow. All my cave & technical students do that.

S*it happens...sounds like the inflator just did not get screwed on tightly.

Report this to Jon Bernot or Jared Hires at Dive-Rite. They are always looking to ensure QA at Dive-Rite. If you need their contact information let me know.

Dive Rite products are great--I use their regulators, wings, harnesses, lights, reels, fins and other products .. I dive them 300 feet + in caves frequently.

 

[dallaskincaid]

It wasn't the inflator itself, it was the plastic piece that sits right behind it that contains the one-way valve. A tank rolling on it is plausible I suppose. And tbone1004, you're absolutely right, I should have made sure the BC was holding air before I dove it. It was essentially a monsoon, rough waves, and difficult conditions for getting gear together. Everyone just wanted to get in the water to make the hell end! hah Not an excuse, but...ya know...

 

[tbone1004]

I was just commenting on people diving incredibly overweight who would sink like a brick if that happened to them. Part of my predive check is to orally inflate the bc until it is full and make sure both dumps and what not are working properly and then check the power inflator. I get the monsoon and what not, but it's still worth the 10 seconds to check

 

[BUDMANOK]

I would replace the dump with an elbow. All my cave & technical students do that.

can you or anyone else elaborate on how to do this?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Order an elbow from Dive Gear Express. DR-BC2042 https://www.divegearexpress.com/bcs/bcdparts.shtml#419 Unscrew the assembly from the wing and save the rubber washer you should find there.

Remove the power inflator by cutting the cable tie or unscrewing the clamp if it has one of those, undo the cable from the power inflator attached to the pull dump. Throw it away.

Take the corrugated hose off of the pull dump assembly by cutting the cable tie there or removing the clamp if it has that type. Throw the assembly away. You can even smash it with a sledge hammer, toss it in a fire, drop it in a black hole, or portal to hell where it ne'er should have escaped from and made it's way onto a wing, etc..

Just so it is never seen again.

Attach the hose to elbow and replace the clamp/cable tie, Attach the power inflator. Screw the assembly back on to the wing. Test by inflating.

Stand back, admire your work, see a wing as it should be with no pull dump. Crack open your favorite cold beverage.

Exclaim to your significant other how great you are and that they should bring you a sammich after all your hard work. Remove the sammich, plate, and beverage from the top of your head where it has just appeared with great force. Apologize to your sig other, run the sweeper, mop the floor, ask if you can please go diving.

Enjoy your dive.

 

[dallaskincaid]

So, I'm confused...do we get the sammich before or after this project? I tell my SO all the time how great I am anyways.... (I'm hoping I can trick her into believing it, but she's kinda smart)

 

[BUDMANOK]

thanks for the info on how to change.

now please explain the problem with the pull dump. wouldn't a little Loctite on the threads prevent it from coming loose?

I like the convenience of the pull dump so I need to be educated as to the flaws. If it's a matter of it getting smashed couldn't that also happen to a elbow?

I'm willing to make the modification just a little more info would be appreciated.