pin prick holes in BC .. how to fix ??

[HeatCker]

i inflated my BC today (scubapro knighthawk) and let it sit.
later, when i came back the BC was only half inflated.
i took it next door and dunked it in the pool.
i found 3 tiny little pin prick holes near the bottom of the blabber.
almost like you would get if you stuck the bladder with a pin.
i'm hoping i can patch them with aqua seal or contact cement and a rubber patch.
i'm hoping i can get a few more years out of the BC, purchased 2009.
other than the 3 little holes, the BC is in very good shape.
any suggestions / comments on best way to patch the holes.
thanks.

 

[tbone1004]

same way you would repair a bike innertube. next gear purchase, get a bp/W so if this happens again you can just replace the inner bladder for $100 max and you're good

 

[HeatCker]

thanks tbonebp/w will be my next purchase, especially if the patching doesn't hold up well

 

[tbone1004]

it should hold. it's likely a butyl rubber bladder, but pin holes happen over time, nature of the beast

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Inflate it gently and then smear a nickel size blob of aquaseal over the hole. The leak should stop, if not deflate a little and allow to dry for a day or so. The aquaseal does not need to be thick if they are just pinholes..

 

[spectrum]

I'd be tempted to try applying some vacuum to the bladder to draw plugs of Aqua Seal into the openings.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

You want the material stretched out a little when the blob sets... You don't want wrinkles that will rip open when the bladder is fully inflated. If the holes are too big to seal with a thin topical layer, then you can use a patch of material.. again with aquaseal...but I am not so comfortable telling people to patch holes that are anything more serious than an inconvenience.. if the patch fails on a pin hole, the consequences are zero.

 

[HeatCker]

thanks for all the good ideas guys

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

Many moons ago I popped a couple of holes in my wing while on a dive trip. A fellow diver on the boat had some little adhesive patches called "Slime Scabz". I patched the holes in them with the intention of getting a real fix(or a new bladder) when I got home. Long story short...I didn't do either when I got home and the patches are still holding on that bladder years later.

 

[ams511]

Zeagle includes Tear-Air type A in their BC repair kit. You can buy the patches at Lowes or at a Sporting Goods store.