Viking Bayonet ???

[crlavoie]

I bought a set of Viking Bayonet rings a couple of months ago and for the life of me, I can not get the left ring to stop leaking. I've actually stopped using them at this point. However, everyone swears by these things so I can only assume it's user error. Anyone have any adivce or tips on what I may be doing wrong?

Also, I'm wondering what if anything you may be doing for equalization. Is it just a matter of trimming my seals until they are loose enough? The few times I've used them the squeeze has been manageable at shallower depths but I would imagine they would become ineffective much past 100 FSW without a way to get some air into them.

Thoughts?

 

[muddiver]

First wear a liner like a thick wool glove inside the dry gloves. If you are using a glove other than the black "you can't feel s**t" Viking gloves you might have a glove that is too thin and is squeezing too soon at a shallow depth.

Also you can try slipping some thing between your wrist seal and you wrist like some really small rubber tubing or even a piece of coard. I would trim the seals as a last resort because you might want to dive without gloves some times.

Leak? It is usually due to the wrist seal or the glove. Swap out the glove, or test it by blowing it up and holding it under water and look for bubbles. Or spray with soapy water and look for bubbles.

Make sure there are no creases of either the glove or wrist seal between the rings.

I installed mine with the next size smaller ring inside the wrist seal after I broke the larger ring. They seem snugger because the ring slides in easier. Also you can lube the o-ring on the bayonet fittings and they will slide close easier.

 

[Gombessa]

How do you have them set up? I (and most people I know who use them) installed them on their existing latex wrist seals, to keep a backup seal in case of a glove leak.

The two times I've had leaks, they've been 1) a puncture in the glove, and 2) some stray dirt on the o-ring seal. The latter was pretty severe - the glove filled with water completely, and when I made a fist, I could see water streaming out between the connecting rings. Make sure that o-ring is clean before installing!

Here's a way I devised to check for glove leaks:

1. Put an aluminum soda can (unopened) into your wrist seal.
2. Push the wrist seal + can into the sleeve of the suit.
3. Attach the dryglove.
4. Now, from the inside of the suit, push the can/seal like a piston into the dryglove - the glove should balloon up.
5. Submerge the glove and ring into a tub and squeeze around, looking for bubbles. Because you've added air pressure by pushing the piston'd soda can into the glove, any leaks past the wrist seal should be visible as a stream of bubbles.
6. Clean/repair/replace as needed.

 

[crlavoie]

Thanks gents. This is helpful. I'll give it a shot.

 

[crlavoie]

So I finally got around to re-installing the gloves. As it turns out, the leaking glove did in fact have 2 tiny punctures. One was the result of a little piece of plastic left over from what looks like a machining process... sort of like a spiral shaped shaving from a drill bit which was stuck to the glove when I took them apart. The second was a tiny tear that I believe I caused the first time I installed them. It was almost invisible but was enough to give me a glove full of freezing water at the end of a dive.

Anyway, all I needed to do was install the ring a 1/4" deeper into the gauntlet so that both holes were now inside the glove. They were dry as a bone and cozy.

My only other question is, will these ever get broken in to a point that I can lock and unlock them with my fingers as opposed to the chanel lock pliers I'm using now?

Thanks Again

 

[Byte Me]

So I finally got around to re-installing the gloves. As it turns out, the leaking glove did in fact have 2 tiny punctures. One was the result of a little piece of plastic left over from what looks like a machining process... sort of like a spiral shaped shaving from a drill bit which was stuck to the glove when I took them apart. The second was a tiny tear that I believe I caused the first time I installed them. It was almost invisible but was enough to give me a glove full of freezing water at the end of a dive.

Anyway, all I needed to do was install the ring a 1/4" deeper into the gauntlet so that both holes were now inside the glove. They were dry as a bone and cozy.

My only other question is, will these ever get broken in to a point that I can lock and unlock them with my fingers as opposed to the chanel lock pliers I'm using now?

Thanks Again

They do loosen up over time, I've got about 15 dives on mine now and they're getting better. The good thing is you don't have to go all the way to the other "bump" on the ring to seal them, I usually go about 1/2 way and the first few times used my teeth to unlock them. Now I can use my fingers. Some lube on the o-rings really helps as well.

My buddy got a set of these as well, installed them watching the video and a couple bits of advice from me since we have the same drysuit. Turns out that hers didn't ship with the o-rings in the collars so her first dive with them was in 44 degree water with her gloves full of water! Thank goodness for the wrist seal!

 

[muddiver]

Silicone grease the o-rings. And no you don't need to go lug-to-lug.

 

[TSandM]

As said, lube the o-rings, and you really don't have to move the rings more than about 1/2" to get them to seal.

That said, I bite mine off

 

[crlavoie]

Great. Thanks all.

 

[HenrikBP]

Sorry for the thread-jack, but figured my questions kinda applied:

1) for Viking Bayonet installation, has anyone used any type of "lubrication" to make the ring installation easier? For instance, I use denatured alcohol when I install hand grips on motorcycle handlebars. Makes installation very easy, and once the alcohol evaporates everything stays in place. I think the gloves would be fine with alcohol, but don't know how the latex seals on my Fusion would like it.

2) I read Brandon's excellent installation guide:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ex...stall-dry-gloves-5-minutes-picture-heavy.html
but just want to confirm that after installing rings on the gloves, you trim the glove gauntlet down close to the inner ring? (last 3 pictures in the first post)

Thanks

Henrik