Should I rinse my BCD?

[tridacna]

A customer brought his BCD in for service. He complained that something must have broken loose and implied that we "had not screwed everything together tightly" since his last service 5 years previously. Also assured me that he cleaned it assiduously after use.

I removed the hose fitting (in front of him) and gave it a shake.

Here's what popped out:.

His expression was priceless.

This is a good lesson to everyone that thinks that rinsing your BCD is a big waste of time. Oh yes, his regs were in equally bad condition.

 

[rhwestfall]

Why is there rock candy in his BC? What kind of shabby service are you doing there?

Hope he comes here to give his side of the story....

 

[bladder]

This is why people die. He probably maintains his regulators the same way.

"I rinsed it while I was diving in the ocean".

 

[tridacna]

Why is there rock candy in his BC? What kind of shabby service are you doing there?

Hope he comes here to give his side of the story....

His side of the story took a big 180 after he saw the "candy".

"Show me which button I have to push to let water in"?

 

[BoltSnap]

His side of the story took a big 180 after he saw the "candy".

"Show me which button I have to push to let water in"?

You should have told him that he should smoke that stuff for good times and see what happens

 

[MaxE]

"Show me which button I have to push to let water in"?

Aside from the obvious maintenance issue, I sounds like they would not know how to orally inflate th BC if needed, and that scares me.

 

[tridacna]

Aside from the obvious maintenance issue, I sounds like they would not know how to orally inflate th BC if needed, and that scares me.

I think that there's a giant disconnect between using it as an inflator and using it to rinse with fresh water. It seems obvious but many people are completely oblivious to the mechanics of the device. I was on a dive-boat in Belize about to splash into the Blue Hole when I heard a diver on the port side ask their buddy "Which button do I press on this thing to go down?".

 

[tridacna]

You should have told him that he should smoke that stuff for good times and see what happens

Nice crack from you!

 

[TMHeimer]

I rinse mine out by first dumping as much salt water as possible (sometimes not much in there due to shallow dives). I find that this step is frequently left out by instructors and in dive articles. Otherwise, you're just diluting salt water that's in there. Then put in a little baby shampoo, a lot of fresh water, shake all ways, dump. Then leave upside down partially inflated and continue to dump next 2-3 days. I would think that the inside has never been completely dry in 13 years (bought then used). I wonder what the dampness in there does to the inside? How can the inside ever be completely dry since there is no way for water/moisture to escape other than through a valve or one kind or the other?

 

[MaxE]

I am far from an experienced diver but I sure as hell want a basic understanding of how the stuff I’m trusting my life to works. Sadly I’m sure many have no clue and don’t care to learn.