Offboard Dil/Out - Optima BMCL with iBOV

[Sevenrider860]

I am diving the latest series of the Dive Rite Optima BMCL with a QC6 Female connector coming off the diluent manifold for offboard dil. I want to move to off-board dil / bailout and use the onboard cylinder (normally diluent) for inflation purposes only. The O2 side of the system will stay "stock".

I am looking at replacing the current LP hose that runs from the manifold to the Divesoft iBOV with a longer drysuit inflation hose. I will then remove the existing Offboard gas QC6 from the manifold and add an adpater that will let me connect it to the iBOV. It looks like this adapter will need to have a 3/8" female port for the LP hose first stage end and a 9/16-inch female fitting for the iBOV second stage connection. Omni Swivel makes a part (SZF-YFI, 3/8" Adapter, 3/8"-24 Female to 9/16"-18 Female with Insert) that looks like it will make that connection.

Is this what others are doing to connect the iBOV on the Optima BMCL to off-board diluent, or is there a preferred/better way of connecting the QC6 directly to the iBOV and bypassing the onboard Optima gas distribution through the manifold?

My reason for making this change...

1) I can stop using a separate drysuit inflation bottle which I have connected to the backplate and stop using dil for wing inflation.
2) In the event of a bailout with the iBOV, I am already connected my gas. I am not breathing on an onboard bottle first before connecting to the off-board gas.

Thoughts? Advice? Opinions?

 

[Tracy]

I built an offboard setup for that unit many years ago that does what you want. It became a factory option when you order the unit.
Just order a BMCL offboard kit from Dive Rite.
Part number SW-38-QC6-BMCL
It is cheaper an easier than building it yourself and it will fit the unit.

 

[Sevenrider860]

I built an offboard setup for that unit many years ago that does what you want. It became a factory option when you order the unit.
Just order a BMCL offboard kit from Dive Rite.
Part number SW-38-QC6-BMCL
It is cheaper an easier than building it yourself and it will fit the unit.

Awesome! Thank you and much appreciated!

 

[Sevenrider860]

@Tracy

I think I may already have the Dive Rite Part SW-38-QC6-BMCL. I purchased it from somebody that said it was to off-board the O2 on the Optima. I did not see how it was supposed to work in this way. I thought maybe it was for the older systems...so I just put it in a box and stored it.

I apologize in advance if my drawing sucks, but below is what I have. My only concern is that the hoses look to be from different manufacturers, so this may have been altered from the original. Can you let me know if this is the part you are talking about and the connections are correct?

I am guessing the inline shutoff valve (it has a clip to keep it normally closed) is so if your onboard cylinder was empty, you can use off-board gas for inflation or shutoff the off-board and route gas from the onboard to the iBOV? I guess I am trying to understand the use case of have the connection with the inline shutoff into the diluent manifold.

Appreciate any insight you can give!

 

[patrick.danko]

Would it accomplish what you are looking to do to just remove the hose connecting the onboard dil to the manifold and run it like a separate bottle? Run an inflator hose directly from the onboard dil reg to your wing and maybe add another hose with a male QC6 fitting that is stowed most of the time, but gives you an option to connect into the manifold in an emergency if needed.

 

[Tracy]

@Tracy

I think I may already have the Dive Rite Part SW-38-QC6-BMCL. I purchased it from somebody that said it was to off-board the O2 on the Optima. I did not see how it was supposed to work in this way. I thought maybe it was for the older systems...so I just put it in a box and stored it.

That is it. It isn't for offboarding oxygen. It is to offboard your diluent.
The 40" hose goes up and come back down your loop hose hooking into the iBov. The valve stays in the off position with the safety clip keeping it there. The shoter hose runs up your shoulder strap and connects to the LP dil manifold. Your breathing gases plug into the QC6 fitting. The air in your onboard tank is now feeding your wing and drysuit, but not the breathing loop.
If you want to dive the unit in stock config, you open that valve and install the saftey clip in the open position. If you ran out of suit/wing gas during a dive, you can open that valve and feed them from your offboard. Same thing if your onboard dil reg failed, you can open the valve and run the unit normally. The check valve between the onboard reg and manifold is there to allow that with a reg failure.

If you have any questions about it, just ask. I had added it to several different units over the years. It is a simple and robust offboard system that works.

 

[patrick.danko]

Clever. Looks like I have another mod to make on my kit