Zeagle Covert butt dump valve

[txgoose]

I picked up a used Covert. Dove with it this past weekend and enjoyed it. That said, what do other Covert divers do to effectively use the butt dump valves? Because they face forward instead of back, my bladder was able to keep a fair amount of air in the bubble above and behind the waist/butt dumps. I was able to go a bit head up and use the shoulder dump. Nothing catastrophic but with my previously used rental gear I had developed the routine of descending and dumping air from the butt, the highest point in that scenario. That doesn't seem to work as well with the Covert.

Any Covert owners use any tricks? Or do I need to be using the BC/valves differently?

 

[daduls]

Looking at photos of the BCD, I see your issue.
I'm thinking stick with the inflator hose given the location of the dump valve....

 

[txgoose]

I may start doing a barrel roll to my back on the way down, but that is going to be trickier or not advisable on our shore entries. I think i know your thoughts are the thoughts I'm fighting to agree with, but will probably have to agree with.

 

[ams511]

I may start doing a barrel roll to my back on the way down, but that is going to be trickier or not advisable on our shore entries. I think i know your thoughts are the thoughts I'm fighting to agree with, but will probably have to agree with.

Are you serious? When pulling the butt dump you need to pull up (not down) on the cord, that will lift up that portion of the wing. Remember the air in the wing will travel to the highest spot so you may want to position your body so that corner of the wing is the highest spot. It just takes a bit of positioning, you do not need to do underwater gymnastics.

 

[txgoose]

Are you serious? When pulling the butt dump you need to pull up (not down) on the cord, that will lift up that portion of the wing. Remember the air in the wing will travel to the highest spot so you may want to position your body so that corner of the wing is the highest spot. It just takes a bit of positioning, you do not need to do underwater gymnastics.

I'm not real sure how to respond. I described at least a rough understanding of knowing how the air moves in my first post (positioning myself a bit head up to elevate the shoulder dump). I'm not going to be able to pull my arms backwards very far if you're wanting me to pull the cord towards the surface (assuming a trim position) especially in a wetsuit of any thinkness. I can pull towards my feet fairly readily. I can pull towards the sides readily. Maybe I just need to work on flexibility and I can try to execute what I think you're suggesting. Granted I could combine your thought and my thought into simply rolling a bit onto my side but less than gymnastics amount (j/k ) and pull sideways. Which probably should have been obvious as well.

 

[ams511]

I'm not real sure how to respond. I described at least a rough understanding of knowing how the air moves in my first post (positioning myself a bit head up to elevate the shoulder dump). I'm not going to be able to pull my arms backwards very far if you're wanting me to pull the cord towards the surface (assuming a trim position) especially in a wetsuit of any thinkness. I can pull towards my feet fairly readily. I can pull towards the sides readily. Maybe I just need to work on flexibility and I can try to execute what I think you're suggesting. Granted I could combine your thought and my thought into simply rolling a bit onto my side but less than gymnastics amount (j/k ) and pull sideways. Which probably should have been obvious as well.

I have never seen or dived a covert, but the position of your butt dump is similar to what is on a backplate and wing, which I am familiar with.

You understand correctly, what I am telling you is you need to pull the cord toward the surface which should lift up the corner of the wing and allow the air to vent. Most of my diving is warm water but I have been able to do this wearing a 7 mil 2 piece wetsuit without much of a problem. However, my wetsuit may have been more flexible than yours. I think all you may need is a bit of practice.

Apart from that I don't know what to tell you. Zeagle makes well-built gear but sometimes I don't understand their design choices. My understanding is a wing has the dump on the inside (towards the diver) to protect it from damage in an overhead requirement. This is something a recreational BC does not need. However, their Express Tech puts the butt dumps on the back side (toward the tank), go figure.

 

[Altamira]

I have a Covert and have no problem grabbing the pull string in either direction from the designed location. I am not sure how easy it would be to vent if on the tank side of the bladder, especially if the bladder was relatively full. I think reaching around a full or mostly filled bladder might be a lot more difficult.

 

[ams511]

I have a Covert and have no problem grabbing the pull string in either direction from the designed location. I am not sure how easy it would be to vent if on the tank side of the bladder, especially if the bladder was relatively full. I think reaching around a full or mostly filled bladder might be a lot more difficult.

Back in the day, most recreational BCs have the dump on the back facing the tank. This may still be the case (it has been a while since I looked at rec BCs). The pull dump in the back is not difficult to work at all, even with a heavy wetsuit. My old Beuchat BC had a plastic diamond attached to the cord that would float under water so it was easy to reach behind and locate the dump even with gloves on.

 

[Altamira]

I don't know about position of the butt dump valve back-in-the day, because back in my day when I learned how to dive there was no such thing as a BCD. However the jacket style bcds I have used since then had the butt dump valve located slightly aft of the hip joint making it easy to reach slightly back and pull the cord. With the Covert, like many wings I have seen, the butt dump is on the diver side of the bladder, and with a full, or nearly full bladder it is not easy to reach behind to the tank side. But then, I do not have arms like an orangutan. For comparison, I put on my wife's Scubapro Go, a jacket bcd, and my hand position to reach the butt dump valve on hers is very close to my hand position on the Covert.

 

[txgoose]

I can see how a wing would wrap around the tank in a way that a jacket or donut might not. It would either mash the dump against the tank if it was close to the hip, or put it out of reach if it was out on the end of the wing. I'll use this as an excuse to do some pool time. My issue may be more shoulder restriction than wetsuit binding. Or being exacerbated by the combination of both. I've only had it for two dives and I wasn't wanting to focus on this issue. I appreciate the thoughts shared.