perished mares bladder?

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moorea21

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• Aug 14, 2012

• #1

Hi,

Just dusted off my old Mares bcd, its been hanging in the garage for 8 years, partially inflated, or so I thought. It's got a lot of loose 'material' in it, which I'm guessing is bits of perished bladder. I can shake the bits out via the dump valve; they're beige coloured and crumbly. Is this a dead bcd now?

 

SupSonDiver

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• Aug 14, 2012

• #2

I'd say, after 8 years unused, a good guess would be the elastomer disintegrating. However, that said, a BC unused for 8 years, even by visual inspection it looks good, I'd still bring it to a dive shop to have it serviced prior to use.

 

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moorea21

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• Aug 15, 2012

• #3

Thanks SupSonDiver,

A perished elastomer... sounds serious. Do you know if that's repairable? I'll take it to a shop when I next get the chance, but it would be good to know what the options are before that. Ta!

 

ams511

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• Aug 15, 2012

• #4

First, of bits crumbling could gum up the OPVs and maybe the inflator so I would flush it well to get out them out. Second I would check how long the BC will hold air. If it doesn't hold air then it is probably dead unless it has an replaceable bladder. It is my understanding that the fabric is treated with a coating and then the BC is made out of the fabric. I do not thing a new coating can be reapplied to an assembled BC.

 

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• Aug 16, 2012

• #5

According to a local dive shop, I can't get a replacement bladder, as Mares won't stock anything for such an old BCD. 6 years is about as long as they support a product for, so it looks like it is indeed dead. Oh well...