BCD annual inspection

[SDAnderson]

BC's, like regulators, should be inspected and/or serviced at least annually by someone with the training, equipment, skills and time to do so. Scottri did a pretty good job of explaining the overview of inspecting a bcd but that's only an overview - it isn't enough information to do it yourself. What do you lubricate, what don't you lubricate, how do you remove a sticky valve cover without cracking anything, when (and how) do you change a Schrader valve, what do you do with those big white chunks :11: inside the bladder, etc. It's not something you learn to do in 15 minutes, even if it only takes that long for someone who knows what they're doing to get the job done. If you can do it on your own, go for it. If you're short on any of the four requirements, it's a false economy to try and do it yourself. Spend the money and have it done by a professional - you'll get better performance from your BC and it will have a longer life. By the way, having a pro clean and inspect your BC every year doesn't absolve you from the need to thoroughly rinse (inside and out) your BC regularly.

Service turnarounds are a complaint at many shops. Some shops use their service centers as a fill-in for their schedules. When they have time to service things they do but it's just not their first, second (or even third) priority. Other shops have a hard time finding enough qualified technicians to do the work. In areas where diving is seasonal, balancing the load enough to keep techs busy during the off-season is almost impossible. Divers can do their part by having gear serviced during the off-season when possible (ask for a deal) and by not waiting until the last minute to have their gear serviced - and by being prepared to pay for the service they need. If you aren't happy, speak your peace and if that doesn't work, look for a new shop.

Speaking of looking for a new shop - if yours doesn't service their rental fleet regularly, don't take that as an excuse to skip servicing yours. Instead, you should start the process of looking for a shop that doesn't take that kind of risk with their customers lives.

Dive safely - and remember that proper equipment maintenance is one of the critical components to a safe dive.

 

[scubapro50]

Sometimes I think dive companies and shops come up with this stuff just to keep getting your money. The BC makers should make a dependable product but a lot of divers have commented on how the older stuff from 10 years ago out lasts the new products. I have a horsecollar that is 30 years old and it works as good today as the day it was purchased . It's a little faded but I have cleaned, rinsed, and sprayed the rubber hose with "Armor all" after every dive. WD40 works good on the CO2 inflator and it still works too. I also have a Dacor jacket that is about 20 years old. It replaced the horsecollar. Once again I have taken time to inspect the equipment before and after each dive replacing any parts that may have become worn and make sure that everything is cleaned and rinsed. I have found that Armor All works good to keep the rubber on my Jet Fins in good shape. Must be careful not to get any on the straps or they may slip. We didn't have annual inspection for regulators back in the 60's and we had to clean and repair the stuff ourselves. My old Voit single hose finally got a rebuilt after 10 years of service when I retired it. My current regulator (Scubapro MK10) gets service by a shop every other year. The newer regulators are so complicated with so many parts I gave up trying to do the service work myself. Even Scubapro said that was OK depending on the number and types of dives you do in a year. When it comes down to it every piece of your equipment should be cleaned and inspected before and after every dive. I can not count the times that I've seen divers go out and find they have a broken mask or fin strap ... and the dummies don't even have a "save a dive" kit to fix the problem. When it comes down to it ... if you don't know what you need to do or now to do it then it's better to cought up the bucks and let you shop do it .... By the way ... I do change the oil and filters in my Ford truck my self.

 

[pasley]

I have my BC inspected and serviced every year. The valves are stripped, cleaned and lubricated, o-rings replaced etc. The BC is pressure tested for leaks. Had my BC two years when I sent it in for annual servicing and they returned me a brand new, upgraded model as my two year old one had a pin hole in it.

BCs are not overly complicated, but then again they are not a simple as some make thie out to be. They are just as complicated as the 2nd stage and you have that serviced every year, don't you. Both are life support equipment.

And yes, I clean and inspect my equipment after every dive and inspect again before every dive. But we are talking about a more indepth approach here. But there are some things I can't take appart (or should not at the operator level) that a pro should disasemble on a regular basis and check and clean.

 

[ScottZeagle]

This is an interesting topic. I think that what it comes down to, as far as BCs go, is how well a person maintains their gear. If you thoroughly rinse and clean your gear after a day of diving, you will probably be fine. HOWEVER, many people do NOT do more than spray it off with a hose, imho.

We get BCs in that have salt build-up in the inflator, lots of salt inside the bladder, RE, and OPVs, etc.

We ask, "Do you do a good fresh water rinse of your gear after you are done with your dives?"

Customer replies, "Oh yeah, I take really good care of my gear!!"



Scott

 

[Knight1989]

Like a lot of people have said, there is a huge differance between an inspection and a serviceing. You should inspect your BCD yourself regularly. Cleaning and rinsing, while vital, isnt the same thing as an inspection. And inspection deffintly dosent take the place of a regular service by a trained profesional. Serviceing should only be done by a person trained and properly equiped to do so. Might it take a while, sure. All depends on the persons skills and workload. If I had to service a BCD now, it would take me a while. I dont have the time to block to it nor do I have the equipment readily at hand like I used to. Where as before I had all the equipment and spareparts at my fingertips and could knock out a BCD in an hour, that same BCD would probably take me a week or even more if I had to order a part.

 

[DvrRick]

This is an interesting topic. I think that what it comes down to, as far as BCs go, is how well a person maintains their gear. If you thoroughly rinse and clean your gear after a day of diving, you will probably be fine. HOWEVER, many people do NOT do more than spray it off with a hose, imho.

We get BCs in that have salt build-up in the inflator, lots of salt inside the bladder, RE, and OPVs, etc.

We ask, "Do you do a good fresh water rinse of your gear after you are done with your dives?"

Customer replies, "Oh yeah, I take really good care of my gear!!"



Scott

Ok, I spray it with a hose. But I try to get the buttons and inside the inflator hose. Every few dives I wash out the inside. What is the proper way to keep it as clean as possible for a regular diver? :ne_nau:

 

[GOAT]

what would ya'll say to someone like me who dives only freshwater... and clean water at that? I guess small junk might build up over time. but the water is clean and i always soak my stuff in the tub after a dive, and rinse it all off when i take a shower later.

any need to worry about the BC besides just inspecting it?

 

[Knight1989]

All BCD's weather they are used in fresh water or salt should be serviced IAW the manufactures recomendations. Things will wear out over time. Rubber O rings have a tendency to wear and even break, parts need to be lubricated, tightened, replaced, etc... You may have a small leak you dont even know about. Theres lot of reasons. I would sugest regardless of what type of diving you do and how often you get an annual servicing.

 

[SDAnderson]

Ok, I spray it with a hose. But I try to get the buttons and inside the inflator hose. Every few dives I wash out the inside. What is the proper way to keep it as clean as possible for a regular diver? :ne_nau:

Rinse the BC inside and out after EVERY dive - fresh water or salt. Saltwater can leave chunks of rock salt the size of peas inside your bladder and freshwater diving can result in a sludge of black algae that looks like, well, this is a family board so I can't say what it looks like. Use a mild detergent/sanitizing compound to rinse with and leave the BC submerged in the solution for an hour or so. Make sure you get a quart or so of the solution inside the BC (press the oral inflator button and pour it down the hose) and shake the BC vigorously. Drain the BC, and flush the whole thing with fresh water. Inflate the BC and inspect for leaks, especially at the valves, hose connection and along the outside edges of the bladder, you should also verify that the OPV valves are working. Inspect the seams for breaks/voids and clean any sand/gunk from the velcro. Inspect any ties, buckles, snap bolts and Fastex clips to make sure they are in good order. Check pockets for crud left in them and carefully inspect any emergency dump systems and weight pockets for wear or missing parts. If you have a pull dump on the inflator, make sure it releases and seals properly. Lightly coat any knives or shears with a silicone grease or spray to retard corrosion. Store it partially inflated in a cool, dry place out of the sun.

Nobody is doing this after every dive, hence part of the need for an annual servicing. Additionally, the inflator valve should be opened up periodically and serviced and the bladder should be opened up and visually inspected. These two steps require more training (and tools) than the average diver has, further necessitating a trip to the dive shop.

Your results may vary and there are certainly divers out there who are capable of taking care of their own BC with little or no assistance from the dive shop - but before anyone includes themselves in that group they should stop and ask if they're kidding themselves. After all, it doesn't matter if you fool the rest of the world, you're the one who will pay the price if your BC fails. Unless you're a hopeless geek like me and determined to service your own gear, $15 or $20 to have the local dive shop monkey scrub your BC and look it over closely seems like a bargain.

 

[The Kraken]

I clean my BC after EVERY diving session, even if I'm diving the very next morning.

A bath in a low concentration of baby shampoo followed by two rinses.

I remove the inflator hose at the BC connection, put in a couple of quarts of fresh water, reattach the inflator hose, rinse and discard. Then I'll repeat the process again but this time using a couple of quarts of water with about 2 ounces of mouthwash in solution, slosh it about a bit, discard and rinse a couple of times.

Leaves the oral inflator fresh and spring like!!! (This was not a paid advertisement)