Wings with separate bladders vs one piece wings

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MRadke

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What are the pros and cons of having a bladder in the wing vs a bladder-less wing design?
 
If you have a bladder and a cover, you can replace one or the other if needed, and it's a little less expensive. In addition, the cover's ability to move with respect to the bladder beneath it may provide some degree of protection from punctures.
 
Fewer pinch flats with bladder wings. They seem to be more robust. Probably because a heavier denier cover is supplied with bladder wings.
 
Fewer pinch flats with bladder wings. They seem to be more robust. Probably because a heavier denier cover is supplied with bladder wings.

By bladder wing, do you mean the two piece, bladder and cover? I have both types of wings, an older Zeagle that is bladder in cover and a newer Zeagle that is bladderless.

The bicycle industry has been slowly, but with increasing speed, moving away from tubes in high end tires. Much of the move has been to reduce weight while decreasing pinch flats because there is no tube to be pinched. I wonder what the reasoning is for going tubeless in a wing?
 
not saying it is right or wrong... one of the claimed benefits thrown out there years back was that a one piece unit did not have that annular space for salt, sand, etc. to get in and abrade the bladder...
 
going tubeless in a wing is a cost savings measure, nothing more. The cover/bladder design is more robust and less susceptible to pinhole leaks and punctures, can also be repaired much more easily than a one piece design. The bicycle industry is very different in moving to a tubeless design is more of a rim consideration since the tires are still made out of rubber. Tire technology doesn't change, just the way the rims seal. In the event of a puncture, there are two layers the projectile has to puncture through to create a leak vs. one, that's a good thing. You can also replace the outer cover in the event of wear due to abrasion or UV damage if the inner bladder is intact, or replace the inner bladder if a puncture occurs and keep the outer cover if it is in good shape.

If weight is a consideration for air travel, or you are a light user, then it really doesn't matter, but if you're doing aggressive penetration type dives, then you want a cover/bladder design.
 
not saying it is right or wrong... one of the claimed benefits thrown out there years back was that a one piece unit did not have that annular space for salt, sand, etc. to get in and abrade the bladder...

I've had wings returned that had enough salt in them to freeze 5 gallons of ice cream, and I've never once see a bladder damaged by salt. I'd suggest salt damaging a bladder to be a myth.

I still rinse my wings inside and out, as I don't want giant salt crystals inside or sticky OPV's, but I just don't believe salt is a risk to wing bladders.

Tobin

---------- Post added March 3rd, 2015 at 01:32 PM ----------

Two ways to make inflatables; 1) Sewn outer shell with a air tight (typically urethane film bladder) 2) Single layer of fabric with a thin coating of urethane laminated to it.

The first approach is more robust, offers the designer a wider range of choices in shell materials and bladder materials, but is clearly more expensive to produce.

The second method is fast, less expensive, lighter weight and faster drying. It's also less robust, and the choice of laminated materials is far narrower. It is possible to have custom laminates made from pretty much any material and anythickness urethane, however the minimum fabric buy is pretty large. That means most single layer BC's / wings will be made from a pretty short list of "standard" textile / urethane laminates.

Both types can be pinch flatted, but often the single layer wings fail at, or right next to the welded seams, where flexing of the materials eventually causes the urethane to delaminate from the fabric. Welding single layer fabrics can be touchy as the urethane layer is often quite thin and "over sealing" damages the adhesive used to mount the urethane.

Single layer wings can be difficult / impossible to repair if damaged.

Tobin
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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