Softening New BCD

[divesergeant]

OK, the Mrs got her new Hera BCD. It fits great and all that, but, as is the case with new BCDs, the material is really stiff.

Is there any way anyone knows of to soften it a bit so when we get to the first dives it isn't as stiff?

DS

 

[Underwater Ogre]

I took one of our Zeagles and soaked it in warm water over night. It help a bit but it wasn't a cure.

Good Luck,
O

 

[divesergeant]

Hi UW Ogre,

I was thinking about a warm dunking and overnight soaking with BC Life and maybe a spot of fabric softener. I know the BC Life will be fine on the BC, but the softener has a bunch of stuff in it that I'm unsure of. Perhaps I'll soak it in Seventh Generation additive free laundry detergent and rinse it well. That should get the manufacturing chemicals out of it.



Hmmm.

 

[leadweight]

Dive it until it starts to turn brown.

 

[Web Monkey]

OK, the Mrs got her new Hera BCD. It fits great and all that, but, as is the case with new BCDs, the material is really stiff.

Is there any way anyone knows of to soften it a bit so when we get to the first dives it isn't as stiff?

It's not stiff because it's full of starch, it's stiff because it's a thick multi-layer plastic-laminated fabric.

I'd leave it alone. Anything you do to soften it will shorten it's life.

Terry

 

[Underwater Ogre]

It's not stiff because it's full of starch, it's stiff because it's a thick multi-layer plastic-laminated fabric.

I'd leave it alone. Anything you do to soften it will shorten it's life.

Terry

Thanks Terry, that's probably why it didn't make much of a difference when I soaked it.

 

[tstormdiver]

Dive it until it starts to turn brown.

I've had mine for just over a year & probably have well over 100 pool dives + 50 fresh & 40 salt water dives & it has yet to even start discoloring. :cool2:

I'll be honest divesergeant , I never noticed any stiffness in mine, but diving it after using a unisex Sherwood Magnum, it fit so well & I felt like I had a lot of freedom of movement,.... I was just tickled pink. I think once your wife dives it a few times & gets used to it, the stiffness shouldn't be much of an issue. Keep in mind that it will handle a little differently than a jacket or a back inflate BC, but will still have some of those qualities too, being a hybrid. It will be a little strange at first, but once she figures it out, there'll be no stopping her.

 

[divesergeant]

Hmmm. Sounds like we just need to schedule a whole passel of dive trips to break it in!

Maybe I'll give it a good pre-cleaning,treat it with BC Life and leave it at that.

Thanks everyone,
DS

 

[divesergeant]

Dive it until it starts to turn brown.

I like the way you think! The only problem is that I treat our gear with products from a company called 303 (303 Fabric Guard and 303 Aerospace Protector) which pretty much eliminates fading. Our ten year old BCDs have no brown on them, although the pink on her Diva is faded a bit. I guess that means that we'll just have to dive all the more to get them browned up!

Oh, on your signature, if you're "Doing It left", does that mean you are at least diving in your right brain ?

See ya,
DS