Need help draining water out of wing

I have recently made the transition to using a bp/w ...

<shameless DSS plug. Thanks Tobin! </shameless DSS plug>

... and all seems to be going well except I am having trouble cleaning my gear. Or more specifically cleaning up after I clean my gear.

You see, after I have filled my wing with water and swished it about to give it a rinse, I cannot seem to get all of the water out of it.

I'm used to having to do a bit of manipulation and swishing with a jacket BCD, taking multiple tries to empty it and leaving it for a while before emptying it again to get the absolute last drop of water out. But no matter how many times I drain my wing I never seem to be able to completely empty it.

I have tried about 10 times after my last dive to empty it and there is still water in there! Compared to the normal 3 or 4 drains I did with a jacket this suggests to me that my technique must be a bit off.

I'm guessing it has something with how the corrugated hose is connected to the wing but, no matter how I hold the wing, I still can't get that last drop.

So, I am looking for help, for tips and tricks, techniques and technical explanations to assist me in overcoming my trials and tribulations. Any help you guys who have experience with stubborn wings would be greatly appreciated.

Can't imagine what the problem is. After I'v rinsed & emptied out my torus I just blow it up, set it top down on an angle with the elbow at the lowest point. Come back a little later & hit the purge button. Any water left is blown out. Repeat once or twice if necessary. As it's only fresh water at this point, I'm not that fussed if a few drops remain.

When you say "I never seem to be able to completely empty it", how much water do you think is left.

Of course it could be that sub standard foreign water you've got over there. If it wasn't illegal to export water from Oz I'd offer to send you some of the good stuff I'v been using.

Oh yes, I don't doubt your good intentions but I know the appetites of you Ozzies. There is no way I could pry that bottle of "water" out of you paws even if I had a pneumatic crowbar. This is the "water" which requires the use of a bottle opener correct?

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Its not a lot of water that I have left now (after 10 or so drains), a spoonful at most, so I guess that I shouldn't worry.

I'll try your trick of setting it down with the elbow at the lowest point. I have been trying to hold the elbow at the lowest point while draining but there always seems to be a fold of the wing which is lower now matter how I hold it and that spoonfull gets caught in that fold.

Still, its fresh water so it can't hurt the wing. *shrugs*

4sak3n:

This is the "water" which requires the use of a bottle opener correct?

Click to expand...

Good gracious no. They're all twist tops these days. Our bottled water is so good, people, in their ecstatic delirium, have been known to forget how to use complex machinery like bottle openers.

Good luck with it. It must be time for me to rehydrate.

If you have access to a tank, try this:

Attach your regulator to the tank but not the wing. Holding the wing upside down, attach the inflator hose and fill the wing, then hit the deflate button to help blow the water out.

Another method I have used is to suck the water out from the lowest point with a syringe with a small piece of tubing, inserted into an unscewed dump valve.

Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Lilla

PS - I believe Tobin (I second the shameless plug for DSS!) has also recommended rinsing the interior with dilute mouthwash to kill the bugs.

4sak3n:

I have recently made the transition to using a bp/w ...

<shameless DSS plug. Thanks Tobin! </shameless DSS plug>

... and all seems to be going well except I am having trouble cleaning my gear. Or more specifically cleaning up after I clean my gear.

You see, after I have filled my wing with water and swished it about to give it a rinse, I cannot seem to get all of the water out of it.

Click to expand...

I recommend you do not remove any of the fitting to clean your wing. It is possible to "loose" parts of the fittings inside the wings.

Just fill the wing with a bit of fresh water through the oral inflate mouthpiece, slosh it around and vent it via the OPV. To vent as much water as possible full inflte the wing and hold it so the opv is the low point, pull the string. Repeat as necessary.

It's not really possible, or necessary to remove 100% of the moisture.

Tobin