SteveC
Contributor
How much water should get into a BC during a normal dive, and how does it get in? Is this dangerous?
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks,
Steve
Water in BC
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Kriterian
Guest
SteveC:
As far as I can tell, it enters anytime you vent air from your BC's inflator hose. If you hold the button down and no air comes out, chances are water is coming in. As a newbie diver I do this alot, but I've never had more than a small amount of water in my wing.
I doubt you could get enough in it to affect anything in a dangerous way. I'm not 100% sure but if you fill it with air, you're going to force the water out through the valves on the bladder.
RICHinNC
Contributor
Some say they never get any water in their bc...and thats fine. I will get after two dives about a mouthful and it varies. It only gets dangerous in my book when you dang near fill the thing up and have lost all your lift. If you are getting a lot ....you might want to look at how you release air from your bcd.
The second ...unasked...part to your question is what do you do once you get water inside. Assuming it is ocean water...you def want to clean it out. I take off the inflator hose and put my hose in the opening and fill the bcd with clean water several times and let it drain out the bottom dump and I do this untill the water coming out has not salt taste whatsoever....then I do it a couple more times. Inflate the bcd....bang it around....and keep draining with the idea of getting as much of the clean water out too.
Then if I have been diving a quarry or non salt....I do the same thing.
Rich
The second ...unasked...part to your question is what do you do once you get water inside. Assuming it is ocean water...you def want to clean it out. I take off the inflator hose and put my hose in the opening and fill the bcd with clean water several times and let it drain out the bottom dump and I do this untill the water coming out has not salt taste whatsoever....then I do it a couple more times. Inflate the bcd....bang it around....and keep draining with the idea of getting as much of the clean water out too.
Then if I have been diving a quarry or non salt....I do the same thing.
Rich
I generally get a small amount of water into my wing during a dive - it's quite normal. How much is more difficult to quantify. In my case probably not more than 2 or 3% of the total volume.
How does it get in? Mainly through the inflate/deflate hose I think - although I have had one occasion that my dump valve was slightly loose and I think I got some in because of that. Pressure will be the reason AFAIK.
Unless your BC is really filling up it isn't dangerous. (if it is there is something wrong with it!!!)
One thing to remember is to always rinse the inside of the bladder when you are cleaning your gear. I always remove my dump valve and inflator hose and totally fill the bladder with fresh water. Afterwards I make sure it has a good chance to dry out.
How does it get in? Mainly through the inflate/deflate hose I think - although I have had one occasion that my dump valve was slightly loose and I think I got some in because of that. Pressure will be the reason AFAIK.
Unless your BC is really filling up it isn't dangerous. (if it is there is something wrong with it!!!)
One thing to remember is to always rinse the inside of the bladder when you are cleaning your gear. I always remove my dump valve and inflator hose and totally fill the bladder with fresh water. Afterwards I make sure it has a good chance to dry out.
There will always be a little water in your BC and it is not dangerous. They can come in via your inflator when you deflate or your dump valve or even when you oral inflate after you surface from a dive( still in water).
It will still be ok unless you discover a lot of water in your BCS, then there may be a leak. You can inflate your BCD to the maximum, leave it aside for a day or 2. If the BCD is still the same, then it is ok. If the BCD get deflated, then you have a serious problem (leak) and should send it back for servicing.
Hope it helps
It will still be ok unless you discover a lot of water in your BCS, then there may be a leak. You can inflate your BCD to the maximum, leave it aside for a day or 2. If the BCD is still the same, then it is ok. If the BCD get deflated, then you have a serious problem (leak) and should send it back for servicing.
Hope it helps
Water in a BC is common with new divers AND divers with poor weight management.
It is normally caused when the diver keeps trying to vent off air when there isnt any, thus allowing water to come in.
It is next to impossible to fill a BC with water on a dive. Where it will get dangerous is if you get a lot in there and it gets too heavy for you to get out of the water.
Sure it can be caused by a leak. Most causes for leaks are your index finger which is easy to fix. Even on a dive.
Other than that practice your buoyancy skills and the water will stay out.
Gary D.
It is normally caused when the diver keeps trying to vent off air when there isnt any, thus allowing water to come in.
It is next to impossible to fill a BC with water on a dive. Where it will get dangerous is if you get a lot in there and it gets too heavy for you to get out of the water.
Sure it can be caused by a leak. Most causes for leaks are your index finger which is easy to fix. Even on a dive.
Other than that practice your buoyancy skills and the water will stay out.
Gary D.
Gary - most people actually have to empty their BC to get down! If you don't you are probably overweighted!
If you don't you are probably overweighted!
Gary D.:
And also with divers like myself that do not remain suspended in the water column, but spend a lot of time on the bottom filming. I have to purge the air in my BCD as completely as possible so I am more stable on the bottom to film despite surge, etc.
When suspended in the water column or moving I have very good buoyancy control.
Dr. Bill
ScubaSarus
Guest
I get water in my BC but not a ton. Its normal for multilevel diving were Im always venting and filling. We do some unique shore dives in RI and its always up and down in the crevasses, cliffs, and huge boulders.
Water enters the BC in Three (3) ways normally.
1. When you press the purge button on your inflator hose. This will result in a very small amount of water in your BC, say a mouth full or maybe up to a cup.
2. When you pull on one of your Dump Valves you will get considerably more water into your BC, as in a lot, will seem like a quart or more but probably is less.
3. A leak in the BC, which you would notice by the constant need to add air and the bubbles comming out. So I will discount this one.
All of the above is especially true if there is no or little air in the BC. Some water in the BC is normal.
Following every dive you should turn the BC upside down, tilt it so the hose is the lowest point, give a some good shakes and empty the water out. I also would flush with clean fresh water as it probably recommends in the owners manual. Then after getting as much water out as possible inflate the BC about half way and hang upside down to dry. I use the BC hanger and just slip the D rings on the very bottom over the ends of the hanger. This puts any water in the BC into the hose and after an hour our two, I hit the valve again, and by magic I almost always get a bit more water out of the empty BC.
Ocassionaly, you might want to clean the inside with a BC cleaner to prevent anything from growning in there.
1. When you press the purge button on your inflator hose. This will result in a very small amount of water in your BC, say a mouth full or maybe up to a cup.
2. When you pull on one of your Dump Valves you will get considerably more water into your BC, as in a lot, will seem like a quart or more but probably is less.
3. A leak in the BC, which you would notice by the constant need to add air and the bubbles comming out. So I will discount this one.
All of the above is especially true if there is no or little air in the BC. Some water in the BC is normal.
Following every dive you should turn the BC upside down, tilt it so the hose is the lowest point, give a some good shakes and empty the water out. I also would flush with clean fresh water as it probably recommends in the owners manual. Then after getting as much water out as possible inflate the BC about half way and hang upside down to dry. I use the BC hanger and just slip the D rings on the very bottom over the ends of the hanger. This puts any water in the BC into the hose and after an hour our two, I hit the valve again, and by magic I almost always get a bit more water out of the empty BC.
Ocassionaly, you might want to clean the inside with a BC cleaner to prevent anything from growning in there.
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